Academic Planning_Tips for Building A Schedule

Consider these tips when building a schedule each semester.

Course Combination

When building a course schedule, you may want to think about combinations of courses you will take each semester. Consider the course content, time investment for each course, and your commitment level to the work required for the course. For example, if you know a particular course will take a great deal of your time during the semester, you might consider scheduling other courses that may be slightly less time-intensive.

Responsibilities and Obligations

These days, students need to balance work obligations, child-rearing, care taking of parents, community commitments, and leisure activities. You will want to think about your own responsibilities, obligations and personal needs when building a schedule.

Graduation Timeline

Define a realistic graduation date for you and your circumstances. Identify potential obstacles to a timely graduation in planning a date. Select your courses carefully and track your progress with an advisor.

Course Quantity

Consider a reasonable number of courses and credit hours you believe you can manage each semester. Generally, courses with higher credit hours require more class time, homework, studying, meeting with instructors, tutoring, and class activities. Work with an advisor to determine the number of courses and credit hours that will set you up for success!

Next Steps: Schedule an appointment with your advisor to discuss a graduation plan. Check out the degree planning worksheet in the Transfer Resource Center.