In-Class Writing Assignment 4/12

How To:  Make Your Schedule Without Becoming Victim to the Big Orange Screw

Since the birth of the university, students everywhere have had to endure the often nightmarish scheduling of classes.  Scheduling classes is often stressful and frustrating, but by using these 10 tips you can avoid at least prepare yourself as much as possible. 

 1.      Print off the list of classes you must take each semester for your major, and research the classes and your options for general requirements.

I brought in 6 hours of AP credit.  I will also have some summer credits, and had a few semesters when I took over 15 hours.  I realized my sophomore year that I hours-wise I could graduate a semester early.  As a speech pathology major, I have to go to graduate school.  I thought that I could use this semester off to save up money and take a break from classes.  As I looked into my classes, however, I realized that many of my classes are only offered in either the fall or spring semester, and that many of them require pre-requisites.  If I had planned earlier, I could have re-arranged my schedule and graduated early.  Instead of making money for a semester, I have to pay for that last semester just because I can’t get two three-hour credits until spring semester of my fourth year.  Even if you are an undecided major, research what classes are required by most majors (especially those you might be interested in) and take those until you decide on a major.  Find a list of majors and their requirements here: http://catalog.utk.edu/content.php?catoid=11&navoid=960

2.     Realize your advisor is not perfect.

As a freshman at orientation, I let my advisor talk me out of taking honors calculus.  Math was my strongest subject in high school and I had already taken college-level calculus my senior year.  I ended up taking a much easier math class to fulfill my math credit.  It was extremely easy and I made over 100 average, but I know I could have made an A in honors calc.  I need 7 honors credits to graduate in the Chancellor’s Honors program, and this would have been an easy way to knock one out.  Also, it seems like almost every semester my advisors arrange my schedule around a class that ends up not being offered.  Check with other students in your major (older students, preferably) and professors to make sure you’re taking the best classes for you.

3.     If you plan on taking summer classes or studying abroad, start researching your options ASAP.

If you’re a business major, you have more options for study abroad.  However, most majors do not have study abroad trips that allow you to earn upper-level credits.  Especially if you want to spend a semester abroad, realize that your best option is to set aside 12-15 hours worth of gen-eds so you don’t throw away a semester an put yourself behind.  As for summer classes, UT requires all students to take their last 30 hours on campus.  For many majors, their schedule does not plan for a 30 hour senior year, that way you have time to interview for jobs, write your thesis, or apply to graduate programs.  This means that any classes you plan on taking off campus (at a community college, at a college in your hometown, or on a study abroad) must be taken the summer between your sophomore and junior year, not your junior and senior year.

4.     Not all professors are equal.

Just like there were notoriously terrible teachers at your high school, there are some professors who are much better than others at college too.  The difference is that you now have a choice in which professor you take.  Research professors and talk to your peers.  You are not going to get an award for taking the hardest professor.  Take the professor you can learn the most from while keeping your grades up.

5.      Before the day you can register for classes, write down all the CRNs for the classes you want to take.

The CRN is the blue number listed to the left of the classes when you search for them.  Write out all the dates and times of your classes to make sure there aren’t any conflicts, and then write down a list of the CRNs.  Then, on your registration day you can simply type those numbers onto Banner without taking the time to search for each class individually.  Since Banner is notorious for crashing during registration, being able to sign up for classes in the small windows of time it is open for is extremely helpful. 

6.     Check your myutk page several weeks before registration to make sure you have no holds on your account and to make sure your registration time is when it should be. 

Once semester, several of my friends did not do this, and did not realize until they were signing up for classes that UT had forgotten to give them the priority registration that is one of the biggest perks honors students receive.  Luckily, the problem was fixed quickly, but it caused a lot of stress that could have been easily avoided.

7.     Sign up for more hours than you intend to take.

UT allows you to register for up to 19 hours.  Even if you do not plan on taking more than 15 hours or even 12 hours, you should register for at least 18 hours.   At least half of the semesters I have been at UT, I have had at least one class dropped.  This past semester, UT pulled an honors class I was registered for less than a week before classes started.  Also, you can drop classes for the first couple weeks of class without being penalized.  This is extremely helpful if you realize the class is harder than you thought, and more than you have time for that semester.

8.     Have back-up options

It’s probably safe to say that no student in the history of UT has ever gotten every exact class they want on their first try.  By knowing in advance what options you have, you can still take as many hours as you need, keeping you as on-track to graduate as possible. 

9.     Don’t be afraid of waitlists.

I made this mistake my freshman year.  My advisor told me that all beginner Spanish classes were already full, so I didn’t bother to put myself on a waitlist.  Since Spanish 111 is only offered in fall, this put my Spanish one whole year behind.  Now, while I have finished almost all my other general education requirements, I still need both my intermediate Spanish credits, and will have to take them as a junior.  Trust me, you do NOT want to deal with a class as time-consuming as Spanish when all your other classes are within your major. 
 

10.  Know yourself!

If you aren’t a morning person, don’t sign up for 8am classes.  Your parents aren’t going to come and drag you to class every day.  You have to be responsible for getting yourself to classes.  Also, know that most college students stay up until at least 1am, so 8am is going to feel a LOT earlier than it did in high school.  This doesn’t make you lazy, it makes you human.  Also, if you know you won’t pay attention if you take class with your best friend, don’t sign up for classes with your best friend.  If you do better when you study in groups and having friends in class will motivate you to go to class, then do sign up with friends.  It’s all about being honest with yourself, and making your schedule accordingly.