6 Things to Remember Before Scheduling Classes

Preparing for the next semester can be hectic. Deciding what credits you need in what area, along with getting your finances in order, can be a full plate for most students. Scheduling classes is sometimes a stressful time of the year, especially if you are a novice to the process. Before beginning the hunt for academic credits, it is important to decide on a few factors that affect putting together your classes for the next term.

Work Schedule

Depending on if you work while in college, it is smart to know your work schedule previously to scheduling. College classes can sometimes impact your ability to hold a job. The best option is to have an on-campus job, which works around your class schedule. With an off-campus job, however, the class scheduling has to be more planned, since the job is most likely not affiliated with the campus.

Study Habits

Analyze yourself to recognize what your study habits are, meaning when and how often you study. If you like to study in the morning, you should not plan your classes in the morning, since you may not ever be in the mood to study at night. This will also help to maximize your productivity throughout the year by knowing when you are apt to take on certain tasks.

Professor Profile

During your freshman year you may be stuck with certain professors, since you don’t really have a choice in your class selection. Once you progress and begin to plan your own schedule, you should always see what other students have to say about the professors. You can always ask around campus, or you can even search online. Sites such as ratemyprofessors.com and myedu.com are sites to look for information on a professor. Information ranges from professor rating to test types to average grades. This can be an important tool for creating a schedule.

Best Prerequisites

Before scheduling, check with an academic advisor to find out which prerequisites are the best for your current credit path. It is always better to plan your credits in advance instead of just checking off the next class. This means taking the pre-requisites that will help you further your knowledge in your major, not just taking a “cool” class.

Workload

Examine how many credits you plan to take. Now, it’s always different from person to person, but some choose to load classes on certain days so they have days off. This is always a preference, but it is good to know before beginning your scheduling.

Time Between Classes

Depending on the size of your campus, you may need more time between classes to travel between buildings. Always make sure that you know the walking times between buildings, just to make sure you do not set yourself up for failure by scheduling your classes too close to each other.

Take into account these building blocks to start off your semester smoothly with an remarkable schedule!