5 Scheduling Tips for Fall 2020
The perfect schedule is different for every person. We all learn differently and have our own preferences. I remember the first time I planned my schedule myself, I found it hard to have a balanced day. Now, I know my preferences, which has helped me make ideal schedules for myself.
I know there are many changes with how classes are run, bringing a lot of us back to square one with perfecting our schedule. But at the same time, it does make it easier to have classes either hybrid or online.
1) How to tell if a class is online, hybrid-virtual, or hybrid in-person (and what it means)
Online means that all the work will be online and there will be no meetings. Then hybrid-virtual means you will meet once a week via zoom and then also have online work. Lastly, a hybrid-in person means you will meet once a week on campus and have some work online as well. To see which of your classes are virtual or online, go to the schedule under 'Academics' on Sonis.
2) Talk with an academic advisor for a graduation plan
There are multiple ways to meet with an Academic Advisor. I find graduation planning the most helpful, for a few reasons. One, they give groupings of courses that would work well together in terms of course load. Second, they go over what you can take semester by semester. It personally has made scheduling easier for me, knowing what classes to take that semester. Third, they can talk about minors with you and how it can fit into your graduation.
Their email is: Advising@limcollege.edu
3) Decide when and how often you want to be on campus
To make a great schedule that works for you, think about what times of day and how many days a week you want to be on campus. Are you a morning person? I am not and when I took an 8 am, my grades were lower, because I struggled to stay awake no matter how much coffee was in my system. I've found I prefer afternoon and evening classes.
Ask yourself how often do you want to be on campus. Some of my friends like to fill two days of classes and have the rest of the week free; others like to have one or two classes a day spread throughout the week. I like my classes spread out, but when I was doing any of my internships, I condensed my classes to two days and I interned for three days.
4) Use a scheduling grid
Academic Advising has blank scheduling grids on Canvas. Go to the modules and scroll down to 'Registration Tutorials' and it's the last thing in that category. I write down all the courses I want or plan to take and the times they are offered. From there, I pick the courses that make sense together time-wise. This also allows me to see the classes that overlap and which ones to prioritize when registering. Like if there is only one time a class is offered or has most seats filled already.
5) How to choose courses and professors:
It is important to have courses that work well together. Choose a couple classes that you predict will involve a lot of work and pair them with something you think will be fun. For freshmen, I'd say 4 to 5 classes is the best amount of classes, but if you're used to a large course load, set 6 as the max. Though I would suggest making the first semester easier rather than harder. Freshmen can find the list of suggested courses on Canvas in the Academic Advising section.
Many of you will go to Rate My Professors when picking your Professors. LIM is different than many colleges because most of our professors are adjuncts, so they may or may not be on the site. My tip is to ask your friends about professors they like. If you are an incoming freshman, you can ask your Orientation Leader.