If you’re trying to plan a convenient, flexible, and workable college timetable, you’re probably running into some common problems that you can overcome with a few tips. If you’re doing it for the first time, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind so that you make the most of your time and don’t spend most of your day waiting or commuting.
Number of Classes:
Everyone wants to complete their studies on time, but overloading yourself with classes can be detrimental to your overall success. It’s important to try and register for a class load that is challenging, yet realistic. Having too many classes can leave you without a sufficient amount of time to complete your necessary assignments, study for tests, and do homework. Although on the other hand, not having enough classes can sometimes lead to a lack of motivation, so it’s good to balance out somewhere in the middle.
Planning Your Breaks:
Students see breaks in their timetables one of two ways, they can be seen as periods of relaxation, where you stop focusing on school, get away from your books and refuel for the rest of your day, or they can be long stretches of boredom, where you’re simply waiting for your next class to start and if it happens too often, the temptation to leave is always there. Generally, it’s best to have nothing longer than a 2-hour break between classes, especially if you live a good distance from campus, as you’ll find yourself stranded at school and not enough time to make it worthwhile to go home.
Keep in mind though; breaks are great times to study and brush up before an exam. You obviously don’t want to leave all of your studying until then, but it’s a perfect opportunity to do one last review of what’s on your test before you head to class. All in all, breaks are definitely useful, just remember to try and keep them between too long, and not having any at all.
Length of Classes:
You can really use the length of your classes to your advantage when planning your college timetable. Classes that are longer, generally only meet once weeks, so you can get 1 subject out of the way with 1 class a week. Or, if you’re not the type of student who can deal with classes longer than 3 hours, then split up your class into two meetings a week could work better for you.
Virtual Learning Tips
The recent pandemic has forced many of us to work and learn from home. One up-side to this is that students who no longer need to commute can use that time more effectively. Make note of any time you would normally use commuting, and schedule in an extra study period, a few small breaks to break up your day, or even an extra class!
If you follow the tips above, you’ll end up with a flexible, convenient college class timetable that you can work around.
