November is almost here; and if you're in college, that means it's around that time to start getting your class schedule prepared for next semester. Many people find this to be difficult. I find it to be: A puzzle. I've managed to figure out my schedule — and many others' schedules — for the past three years. Because of this, I've decided to put together a step-by-step list for making your schedule the perfect schedule for you.
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1. Set aside a few hours
Yes, I said a few hours. This may seem time consuming at first, but I promise: it'll all be worth it when it comes time. When you do this, you're going to want to find a time that you have a few hours to get everything figured out. It's not a lot of work once you start planning your schedule; but to get the perfect schedule, it can take a bit of time.
2. Figure out what's important to you
Different people value different things in their classes. Some people like group projects, others like daily homework, and others appreciate classes that only have exams for grades. Some people like classes that have their assignments online while others like to do their assignments in person. Some people want classes that require attendance or take attendance for grades, while others want classes that don't care about attendance and post all the notes online. Figure out what type of student you are. Figure out what types of qualities you want in a class. You'll need this information later.
3. Look at your degree plan
Everyone should have a degree plan. This is the pages of classes you took, you're taking, and that you need to take. It should say things like "3 credits in _____ or _____ or _____," as shown in the picture above. This is how you figure out what classes you need to graduate. You can normally find this online in your student account, but if you're not sure where to find this, you can always ask your advisor/counselor for a copy.
4. Make a list of each class you can take
Now, you already have the list of classes you can take, but really go into depth with this. Have a separate page for each requirement from your degree plan. If one line says "3 credits in @POLS 2485, or @POLS 2435, or @POLS 3462," then have a page for only those three classes. Then, under each class, list each possible section there is to take in that class. The section, the professor, the day and time the class meets, the course number; list it all. This will make it easier to decide which class to take.
5. Look up each professor on your list
There's this really awesome website called Rate My Professors. Use it! Use it! Use it! From this website you're generally able to find out how easy they are, what types of requirements they have (i.e. Do you need the book? How many exams do they have? etc.), and sometimes even what other students made in the class (this depends on if those who rated the professor chose to give their final grade). The website even gives users the option to rate the hotness of the professor — if that's the type of thing you're interested in.
6. Go a step further and find their syllabi
You can normally find each professor's syllabus from the previous semesters online through the school's website. It's pretty difficult to find the portal, but it's out there; I promise. Once you find the portal that allows you to search for the professors and their syllabi, I suggest bookmarking it so you don't lose this.
7. Rank the professors
Use all of the information you've compiled through Rate My Professors and through the syllabi to score the professors (i.e. 5 = would like to take the most; 1 = absolutely will not take).
8. Rank the sections
Once you've got your list of classes and you've ranked each professor in the list, you have all you need to rank the sections of classes. Use everything you have, including the time and day that the class meets, to rank which classes from each requirement you would want to take most. I prefer using A-Z to rank classes, as that gives me a clue of "this class is my first choice but if it doesn't work out I have option B," and so on.
9. Make your schedule
Work your way through each class and use your rankings to form your perfect schedule. This is where creating your schedule becomes a puzzle. You have to find a way to make your schedule the way you want. Do you want a break in the middle of the day or do you want to power through 5 classes in one day? Can you fit all your "A"s into your schedule or are you going to have to move to a "B" or "C" class because some of the sections conflict with your other classes?
10. Have back-ups
Things go wrong and you don't always end up with your perfect schedule. Especially if you're a freshman; you're last on the totem pole to pick your classes. So make sure you have back-up plans for each class. One messed up class can ruin an entire schedule, and the longer you wait, the worse it could get. So be sure you have something ready to go for right when you're registering.
11. Register for your classes!
Make sure you know exactly what time you're able to register for classes, and be ready to do so! Many schools start with seniors and move down the line. Some even go a step further and open up different last names at different times, within each classification. And once you know your time, be ready to register for your classes. This means having each course number ready to go for your classes so you can input them all at once rather than selecting each one individually, which can become time consuming and cost you a class or two.
With this easy guide to making your schedule, you should have no issue make it perfect! Good luck registering!
