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How to Make the Most of Your College Experience

4 Tips to Help Make Your Course Selection Process Easier

By Shay Published 4 years ago 4 min read
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I think most students will agree with me when I say, course selection time is one of the most stressful times of the school year! (Aside from midterm and exam season of course.) Trying to enroll in all your courses before they fill up, or having to waitlist a course you really need, then worrying about whether you’ll get in on time, ugh, it’s a lot!

Your timetable can really affect your overall experience in college, which is what makes this experience so stressful. This is why, I have created a list of my top 4 tips for making the course selection process easier, and I want to share them with you.

Please keep in mind that the course selection process will be different depending on the school you attend and which program of study you are in. Therefore, some of these tips may not work for you. With that being said, let’s get started!

1. Plan out your courses ahead of time

On course selection day there will be thousands of students enrolling in classes, meaning courses will fill up quickly especially those that are popular. To ensure that you get into the courses you want, it is a good idea to already have all your courses planned out and saved, so that when course selection day comes you do not have to waste time trying to plan everything out. It is also a good idea to plan out your schedule ahead of time because it gives you time to play with your timetable and move any conflicting classes you may have. When you are planning your courses, you should also take the time to read the course description. This will tell you exactly what the course is about, any prerequisites you may need to have in order to take the course and will help you decide if this is the course for you.

2. Have back-up courses ready

Now that you have taken the time to make your timetable and plan out the courses you want to take; the next step is to select a few backup courses in case one of your main courses fills up. Doing this will help you in being prepared for course selection day, as anything can happen. On most college/university websites, you can find a list of all the programs offered at that school and the courses you need to take to complete the program. This list will often have alternate courses that you can take in place of a required course. This means if one of your main courses fills up, you can take the alternate course and still be on the right path towards completing that program. This is important to remember when choosing your back up courses, as you will preferably want to choose a back-up that will still help you in obtaining your degree. For example, if a math course you had fills up, you should replace it with another course on the list, that is under the math section.

3. Make your timetable work for you

One of the great things about post-secondary school is that you are in charge of your timetable. It is really important that you take advantage of this. When you are making your timetable, you should organize it to fit your needs. If you commute to school and you know that you do not like getting up early to commute, you should make your schedule in a way that allows you to wake up later. This might mean taking more evening and night classes. If you have a part-time job, you might want to make your school schedule around your work schedule or organize your classes so that you have Fridays off and you can work the weekends from Friday-Sunday. You might not be able to get your schedule exactly how you want it, but it is important that you are happy with the majority of your classes as this will make you less likely to skip class and help in making your college/university experience a good one.

4. Don’t’ be afraid to try something new

Now is the time for you to explore new things and discover a new interest. Therefore, if you have space in your schedule, you should not be afraid to try something new. You can take a course on something you have always had an interest in, such as learning a new language, or something that just catches your eye. This course that you take for fun could be the place you end up making the most connections or discovering a talent/skill you didn’t know you had. Moreover, because you do not need the course, you could always drop it if you realize that it is not for you.

This is the end of my list. I hope that you found this helpful and that you can use the tips that I have provided. Have a good day and good luck on your course selections! 😊

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