The Ideal College Schedule

niversity is a confusing time, when extracurriculars mingle with regular classes, which in turn mingle with internships and work. With all of this going on, it can be hard to determine what is essential to your schedule, and what is ancillary. Fortunately, there are ways to reassess your goals in order to figure out what you can keep and what you can drop…All in the pursuit of maintaining a manageable workload until graduation. Here are a few tips. 

Navigating Course Signup

• The first step would be to speak to your advisor. While they may not have all of the answers, they can draft out a typical four-year course structure if you have decided upon a major and minor that you would like to pursue. They may also be able to help you if you have decided to “create your own major/minor.” This is an option at some institutions, if they do not have very many broad majors available. 

• Ensure that you’re getting core classes out of the way (if you took some core classes in High school, aka AP courses, be sure that you submit those transcripts for credit–which can lessen the intensity of your schedule and prevent you from repeating classes.) 

• Even in your first year, make an effort to draft out all four years of your university, to be sure that you can achieve all that you want to in that time. 

• Non-degree related courses are courses that you’d like to take, or are interested in exploring, but don’t go anywhere towards the degree that you want. Be sure to take these during your first year of university, so that you don’t discover halfway through college that what you really enjoy is Astronomy, after you’ve already committed to Biology. 
• Finally, examine what times your classes are at. As a freshman, you will likely have little choice as to when you have to attend class, and may even get assigned all morning courses. There is good and bad to this. However, as an upperclassmen, you will likely have more choice–so be on the lookout! If a class requires you to get up earlier or stay awake later than normal, or if it just doesn’t work with your body’s “rhythm,” don’t sign up for it if you don’t have to. Classes like these tend to be the classes most often skipped. 

• For reference, here are a few of Hartwick College’s example schedules (a full planned out three years.) 

Extracurriculars 

Ancillary to your study life but essential to your social life, these are the extracurriculars. You may not be required to take them, but many students are tempted. Art clubs, radio clubs, theater clubs, even astronomy clubs! Chances are, your university will have a much more varied club scene than wherever you attended high school. Here are a few key tips on how to balance your extracurriculars with an already full-time academic schedule

• If you’re a busy student, look for clubs that meet approx once every week or every two weeks. Some clubs (like newspaper, film, or theatre) come with a bit of homework (writing, filming, rehearsals) that one must complete outside of the club. In this case, consider the following: Is this club integral to who I want to become? Will it help me become that person? If the answer is yes, then the work is well worth it! If the answer is no, then perhaps it’s better to reconsider. 

• Consider whether or not you’ll need to rest up before or after the club takes place. Intramural sports are great because they don’t wear a person out too much and are a fun way of meeting new people while staying fit in university. Not all clubs are as laid back as intramural sports however. While some clubs are decidedly “just for fun,” others take their work very seriously. It can take a while for a student to either hype themself up to attend, or wind down after the fact.

Even social clubs can be taxing, if you are a self-described introvert. To remedy this: make sure that your club is something that energizes you. If it does exhaust you, consider whether or not you are ready to be challenged in a way that leaves you feeling a bit lowered, rather than raised. Sometimes, the extra work is worth it. Sometimes, it just isn’t. 

• In general, there is no limit to the number of extracurriculars you can take. Students who like to consider themselves strong applicants can take anywhere from eight to ten over the course of their time at university. Others, who have work and additional commitments, may only choose one or two. Just remember: If you are enjoying your club and learning a lot, it is hugely beneficial to you! A person taking a single relevant club will always be better off than a student who enrolled in and is now having to juggle everything. 

Work 

Work. Enough said. Almost every college student has to do it…And almost every college student resents it profoundly for 1) getting in the way of their studies 2) zapping their energy levels, and 3) soaking up their free time. 

That said, work is an everyday reality for many college students whether they like it or not. All of the extracurriculars, classes, and even items filling up a person’s room require a bit of work in order to maintain. School costs quite a lot of money, and that is the harsh reality of it. 

While there is no miracle cure to the problem of work interfering with students’ lives, there are, fortunately, ways to select a college job that can accommodate your hours and maybe even bring you a bit of joy. 

Here are some interesting jobs that might appeal to you: 

• Tutor (This is a big one for university students, and for good reasons. Tutoring pays the bills quite well and allows you to interact face-to-face with another human being in a non-irking way–unlike most of the customer service jobs that uni students end up taking.) If you feel really passionately about a subject and think that you know enough to teach someone, perhaps register on Preply. Note: If you know multiple languages, this is a great option to keep your knowledge fresh while making a bit of money on the side.)

• Barista. (Based on mixed reviews of the job. Ultimately, it depends on where you’re working.) Some cafe’s will have you operating out of a slammed coffee bar day and night, dealing with the public at their, should we say, not best. However, small town cafe’s (aka not chain cafes) give off a generally more relaxed, homey vibe. Plus, if you’re a coffee addict, you should note that most places include a free drink with every shift. Who doesn’t want to hang out in a mood-lit cafe, making latte’s for a living?

• Lifeguard. (Only if you are a strong swimmer!) This job is wonderful because it yet again combines a potential passion of yours with a way to make a living. Being a lifeguard is not all fun and games, however, as what looks like guards just sitting around is actually them being incredibly vigilant. They have to be, because a few moments of them zoning out could lead to disaster. Some places even periodically test their lifeguards to ensure that they’re paying attention, occasionally pretending to “drown,” just to see if they notice and intervene on time. 

Internships- When, Why, Where, How? 

Ah, internships. They’re not quite a vocational or academic affair. They’re neither and both at the same time. 

Wherever you lump internships into your daily schedule, it’s usually standard procedure to not take one until you are at least a Sophomore in University. Why is that? For one, they are generally a lot of commitment and require a good chunk of your focus, and two, internships require a person to be rock solid in their belief in themself when it comes to putting out work into the world. Many first year college students could manage that, but then again, many cannot. Freshmen are making some of the biggest adjustments in their adult life. If you are having a particularly hard time, don’t get an internship. 

That said, however, there are some opportunities that are impossible to pass up. Maybe your favorite brand/company reached out to you specifically for help on social media. Maybe you managed to land a prestigious literary internship. If you absolutely cannot pass up the opportunity, here are a few tips for scheduling around your internship: 

• If you have weekends off, see if you can allot a single day to your internship. 
• Co-ordinate, and be honest with the person you are working with, to ensure that there is no confusion if you miss a meeting, or cannot get an assignment in on time. 
• Go to your academic advisor and let them know that you are participating in an internship. Not only will they help by providing advice, but they may also have grants for unpaid internships. It never hurts to ask!

Mental Health and “Does it Spark Joy?”

These days, students have a habit of piling on courses, extracurriculars, and internships that they feel are necessary to their success…To the detriment of their mental health. This is a reminder to not let anyone else (especially society) define what success means to you. In the case of Ikigai: 

“Existential crisis, on the other hand, is Typical of modern societies in which people do what they are told to do, or what others do, rather than what they want to do. They often try to fill the gap between what is expected of them and what they want for themselves with economic power or physical pleasure, or by numbing their senses.” (Garcia and Miralles, pg 41).

Meaning, as I’ve come to know it, that in order to truly assess whether or not you “need” something to be a part of your life, you have to determine whether or not it brings you–not just happiness–but lasting happiness. Examine your life for potential energy-draining pursuits and bastions of short-term happiness, and let those that are unessential to your happiness go. It’s all a bit like cleaning out your house.

In Conclusion, It is quite easy to built your College Schedule–But first, you must know yourself 

In order to weed out the things that won’t benefit you in the long run, and in order to select the things that will, you need to really know yourself. In your first year of university, spend a lot of time evaluating what you want by determining who it is you are and/or want to be. Then, select your commitments based off of that image. You can do it!