by Amelia Schaffer

Created on: July 23, 2009

With so many different classes available, it can be difficult to pick what classes would be best for you. An academic adviser will make sure that you are selecting courses that fulfill all of your graduation requirements. In addition, you should consider the practical aspects of each course as well, such as the professor, time of day, class size, and amount of work assigned.

Before selecting your classes, talk to your academic adviser about the courses you need to fulfill your graduation requirements. There is usually no rush to get them all done, but sometimes there will be a requirement that certain courses be fulfilled before your junior or senior year, so you need to plan ahead. Your adviser can also give you tips for organizing your schedule to fit all the necessary classes and help you find classes that might interest you.

First, you should consider your limitations when you pick your classes. Most schools have a lottery for class registration so that a different group of students will have an opportunity to register first every semester. How early you are allowed to register can affect your ability to get into smaller and more popular classes. If you are really interested in a class, talk to the professor before registration; sometimes professors will leave spots open for students who have expressed a strong interest. For the most part, though, a good rule of thumb is to plan on taking smaller, more popular classes when you have a good place in the lottery and plan to take larger classes that are easier to get into when you must register later. This will prevent you from being disappointed or losing time attempting to register for full classes.

Second, when creating a class schedule you should consider many other variables than just the academic subjects. Ask your friends about the professors, or use RateMyProfessors.com; even the most interesting subject will be torture if you have a terrible professor, and even the most dull required course can be interesting if the professor is good. Find out about the class size and general class format, either from friends who have taken the course or from the professor. If you learn best from lectures and a professor focuses on group discussion, for example, the class will not provide you with the best learning environment. Also pay attention to the time of day. If you always find yourself falling asleep in the afternoon, try to schedule all of your classes in the morning or evening.

The final, most important part of picking your college classes is making sure your schedule is balanced. There should be a mix of difficult and easy courses so that you are challenged but don't have difficulty completing your work. Find out about taking non-required courses Pass/Fail so that you can focus on doing your best work in your major. It's also good to find out ahead of time what textbooks might be required and if you have the money for them, or if they are available in the library.

By learning to pick your college classes intelligently and creating a balanced schedule, you can help ensure that you will be able to complete your schoolwork and still have time for a social life. College is a wonderful experience, and stressing about a schedule full of difficult classes or classes you don't enjoy will make it less fun and exciting.

Learn more about this author, Amelia Schaffer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.