Tips for Scheduling Classes

By: Alina Bartasheva

Balancing classes and extracurriculars, along with a job and having time left over for friends and family can feel incredibly hectic and overwhelming. There are many things to consider when planning out the schedule of your classes for the upcoming semester, especially when options for class times are very limited. It is good to begin thinking about your ideal class schedule, even if your class scheduling appointment isn't coming up too soon. 

Online or In Person?

Many people would immediately gravitate toward taking online classes, since they can be done from the comfort of your own home, however there are also downsides to taking online classes. For example, the lack of in-person communication can severely weigh on students and result in them feeling incredibly isolated and even more stressed than before. Going to in person lectures, though it sounds boring and mundane, opens opportunities for new connections and friendships. Additionally, being able to communicate with your professor face to face can significantly improve the learning experience, making the student subconsciously care about the class more and as a result take it more seriously. 

Morning or Evening?

It is vital to be honest with yourself when scheduling classes. It is tempting to place all lectures and coursework at the beginning of the day, since that would leave the majority of the afternoon and then the evening completely free. However, many students will end up skipping those classes a lot more than classes that are scheduled later in the day, simply because students might struggle to find motivation to attend early morning lectures. This will undoubtedly result in lower grades, which will result in an addition of stress. In the long run it just isn't worthwhile to have free time in the evening if your grades begin to suffer intensely. However, some students do perform better in the early hours of the day, and this routine genuinely works for them, since they can hold themselves accountable and don't struggle with early mornings. 

Multiple or Single?

Some students prefer to take 4 classes a day, as a way to free up the remainder of the week and give themselves more time to focus on tasks outside of academics. However, this can sometimes be a bad idea, considering that more than three classes in one day can be incredibly overwhelming and can become a struggle in regards to time management. Many assignments will be due on the same day, and you will soon begin to dread those specific days of the week, which will result in more stress. The best and most efficient method for organizing classes-in my opinion-is splitting them up, meaning organizing a balanced and symmetrical weekly schedule. While it's true that this way you will be busy daily, it is a lot easier to find a healthy and maintainable balance when the classes aren't all piled up. 

What it all comes down to is accountability and honesty. If your job dictates when you have time to attend classes and focus entirely on academics, then you probably have very few options, but those without jobs or part time jobs have a lot more wiggle room when it comes to considering time-management. In those cases, it is important to ask yourself how truly doable the schedule you are designing is. Is it realistic? Is it something you can maintain? Is it extremely exhausting? No one besides yourself knows the true answer to these questions, so that's why no one other than you can advise you in the process of selecting classes and creating a schedule.