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You are here: Student Success Skills » Preparing for College » Setting Up Your Initial Course Schedule

Student Success Skills

Setting Up Your Initial Course Schedule

by JoJo
August 16, 2012

Every university does the initial freshman scheduling a little differently.  But there are some similarities that might be useful for you to know.

  1. Many campuses do course scheduling in the summer prior to your fall enrollment.  This generally involves a 1 – 2day visit to campus.  Try to do the earliest possible date so that you will have a fuller selection of classes.
  2. Most majors will have a fairly established fall schedule.  In most cases, you can expect to take

■      Composition and rhetoric

■      Freshman seminar/ orientation

■      A math class

■      A lab science class

■      One/two general education classes)

  1. Your math/science course may be determined by a placement test (See the Topic: Preparing for Placement Tests).  Generally this placement test will be given during your campus visit.
  2. You may have a say in your class times and days, but in many cases, you will have a trial schedule already determined.  While you may not like your initial schedule, changing it can involve a lot of work.
  3. You may have some activities that will influence your class schedule.  These include athletic schedules, marching band/concert band/ chorus practice/ work.  If these apply to you, you should let an advisor know so your schedule can be adjusted.
  4. Students tend to do better when they have a demanding schedule.  That sounds counter intuitive;   but when students have a lot of free time or easy classes, they tend to get lazy and grades suffer.

Finally, you should trust your university to set up a schedule that will allow you to be a success.  A lot of incoming students will want to take classes in their first semester that may be too challenging for a first semester student.  Trust your advisor until you get a better feel for how you will do in college. .

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Testimonials

  • My biggest problem before this semester is class attendance.  I have developed a reward system for myself to motivate me to go to class.  Each week that I go to every class, on that Friday, I go to the vintage video gram store and buy a game.  I really do enjoy collecting old video games so I have a strong motivation to attend class each day.  I have also improved on getting my homework finished earlier than the day before it is due.  I try very hard to get the homework that is assigned to me finished on the day it is assigned.  I use all of my time between classes to work on homework and study for tests now.  I still have a couple different things that I am working on still.  Note taking being one.  Whenever I am in class, I tend to listen to the teachers lecture more than taking on it because I am afraid of missing something important.  I have begun to record each lecture now and try to go back and make notes.  I also have problems studying at home because of television and games.  This is going away slowly though because I have developed some self-discipline..

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