Your first semester of college can be a rude awakening. Though you may have been in the top 25 percent of your high school class, you may now find yourself in the bottom half of your college class. Lecture halls of 300 college students may replace the classrooms of 30 students you’re used to in high school. But you can realistically choose your classes, balance your semester load and structure your day to match your personal patterns.
Before you sign up Do you learn better in the morning or in the afternoon? What subjects come to you most easily? Are you likely to resist late-night parties in favor of studying? How long can you pay attention? Honestly answering questions like these will lead you toward forming a schedule that will work for you.
First-class advice Schedule your first class of the day in a favorite subject, such as step aerobics or psychology. You can be jumpstarted into “class mode” by a course you won’t want to miss. Some students plan to meet a friend in their first class of the day. Loyalty to your friend can keep your classroom attendance constant. Though beware…if you arrange your classes with a romantic partner and you break up, one of you may not finish the course.
Late morning strategies If you find it hard to make time for studying, structure your day with a period in the library, and GO THERE EACH DAY—NO EXCUSES! Schedule your library time after your first class. Finding a quiet corner in a library is not a problem…until exam week, when the rest of the student body discovers there is a library on campus.
Another strategy is to take your hardest classes at the time when you learn best. If you are a party animal, don’t sign up for classes at unrealistically early times. It’s better to know your living style than to have to explain to your parents that you’ve been suspended for excessive absences.
Semester strategies How long can you sit and listen? While credits are assigned by the number of classroom hours attended, there are occasionally choices in the formats of courses. Do you prefer a three-hour class one time per week? Or maybe three one-hour classes in a week instead? “Butt” remember that the mind can only absorb what the seat can endure. Does the thought of four months of chemistry put you over the edge?
Summer sessions and January intercessions offer short-term class formats, such as three-hour classes four times a week for six weeks. The advantages of taking a hard course in a concentrated style are that you have fewer courses to dilute your attention and, like a dental appointment, it is over quickly.
Balance your load with activity Need a break from your English thesis? Like to finish your afternoon with physical activity? Many colleges offer skiing, surfing, sailing, rock climbing, Tae Kwon Do and other fun class choices for credit. A no-homework physical education class balances your study load and gives you a chance to unwind. Also consider courses in art, dance, pottery, music appreciation (rock and roll or jazz), acting or an archeological dig as alternative course possibilities.
And what about service learning? Formerly known as volunteer work, some colleges offer cooperative education credits that appear on your transcript as an internship. Attention night owls Would you describe 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. as a.) early evening or b.) close to bedtime?
Those who answered “a” should be aware that night classes for select subjects are often available.
For those of you to whom the night is still young at 10 p.m., a three-hour, once-a-week evening class may be the way to go.
Those who answered “b” should opt for daytime classes. Use your counselor If a class size of 300 or a televised professor will lead to academic disaster, carefully arrange your classes with a counselor.
A counselor serves as a good check on your course load to see if you are on target to graduate on time. The flexibility of college schedules gives you a chance to create a structure that suits your personal style. Take what you like, like what you take, and always position yourself for academic success.
Carol Sebilia teaches sociology at California colleges.
