How to Create The Best College Class Schedule
By JESSIE KLAUS
Impressions count a great deal in a college setting. The student who arrives early for class, sits in the front row, and remains engaged may garner positive vibes from professors. Peers also take note of a responsible student. Showing up late for class — or, worse, cutting class — doesn’t cast anyone in a favorable light. Allow these points to motivate you to devise the best possible class schedule. Putting together a workable and smart class schedule supports better attendance and overall productivity. Here are some ways to come up with a workable schedule.
Stick to Your Natural Preferences
If you are a morning person, sign up for morning classes. Conversely, night owls won’t find it easy to wake up at 7 AM to attend an 8 AM class. Granted, circumstances could be out of your control forcing you to attend classes at less-than-optimal times. Such a problem won’t likely exist with every selection for a class time though. Whenever you can pick the most beneficial time for a class, do so. This way, you dramatically increase the chances of attending class regularly. A haphazard schedule that fails to work to your strengths may lead to troubles.
Don’t Schedule Too Many Classes Back-to-Back
The straight 90-minute classes could end your day by noon. The idea of having the rest of the day off seems near perfect. Relatively quickly, you may discover 270 nearly straight minutes of classroom lectures becomes a bit much. The brain experiences a bit of an overload as you find yourself becoming tired and sluggish. The final 90-minute class is just as important as the first one. If you can’t give every class the proper attention, you will suffer the unintended consequences.
The wiser plan entails giving yourself an appropriate break between classes. The lull doesn’t need to be excessive. As long as you have enough time to recharge and calm the mind, it could be enough. Maybe you should schedule exercise time during the day to break things up. Just do something to provide the mind — and body — with some desirable rest.
Keep Your Belongings in Order
No matter how well you plan out your schedule, you’ll run late when you lack organization. Put everything into its appropriate place so you don’t fish for things when the time comes to run to class. Set your clothes, class materials, and other necessary items aside the evening before class. This way, the morning runs smoother. Perhaps moving not-immediately-necessary things out of your room makes sense. Renting college storage space to put belongings inside reduces dorm room clutter. A storage facility comes with easy access to renters. So, there won’t be any issues when the time comes to retrieve things.
Book Classes Long Before the Semester Commences
The more classes and class times you have to choose from, you easier it becomes to craft the best possible schedule. When the time comes to sign up for next semester’s classes, select and register for classes right away. The longer you wait, the fewer spots remain in available courses. In time, classes reach their capacity and close up. Once this occurs, you may find yourself forced into choosing a less-than-desirable schedule.
Mere inconvenience won’t be the only problem you face with a demanding schedule. You could find yourself in a tight schedule that makes solid academic performance difficult Book classes early, and things likely will go smoothly.
Avoid an Overbooked Schedule
Taking too many credits per semester might leave you with little breathing room. While you don’t want to take so few that you delay graduation, failing courses won’t speed diploma time up. Only sign up for the number of credits you can actually handle. Otherwise, the semester could turn out impossible to manage.
Jessi is a recent college grad and has spent most of the last year building her clientele base for her health and fitness business. In addition to running her business, she loves writing and sharing her life experiences with others.
