5 Chapter 5: Planning A Class Schedule

Planning a class schedule

Planning a class schedule is an opportunity for students to take the lead in their educational experience. For some students it will be the first time planning a college schedule. The amount of freedom to choose classes can be exciting and frightening all at the same time!  Planning your schedule will also be enlightening and key points in your college journey.

Before beginning, there are some key factors to consider:

1. Have you met with an academic advisor or counselor?
2. Will you be going to school full-time or part-time?
3. Have you taken college placement tests?
4. Are there specific courses you are required to take?
5. How many days a week do you want to be on campus? Will you be taking online classes?
6. Do any of the classes you want to take have prerequisites or co-requisites?
7. Do any of the classes have additional requirements such as labs or other components?
8. How much time will you have to devote to school-related activities during the term?
9. Are you a morning person or a night person?
10. Have you balanced required classes with less intensive electives?
11. Do you need any special accommodations for the classes you have selected?
12. Do you have alternative courses in mind in case the classes you want are not available?

Balancing College, Work, and Life

Attending classes, studying, working, and finding time for family, friends, and yourself can be a challenging schedule for college students to balance. How a student organizes their class load can affect their overall success when starting college. Class names may remind students of high school classes and how classes were scheduled in those years. College classes may only meet once a week or as many as 5 times a week. Not all classes are worth the same amount of credit or have the same attendance requirements. Some classes like Biology or Spanish will probably have additional lab requirements, which means a student will need to spend additional time on campus for those labs. Writing classes will require time outside of class preparing, editing, and revising papers. Many teachers require electronic submission of papers/projects. Students may need to build in extra time for meeting submission deadlines.

As a new college student, it is a good idea to take fewer classes in the beginning as you learn what college classes will mean to your daily life. Students who work full-time might want to start with 1 or 2 classes. You may find that you can handle more as you learn to manage your class time and work time. A counselor or advisor can help you with this decision. Be sure to include classes that interest you as well as required classes.

Something to think about: The table below illustrates the recommended number of hours a student should study per week based on the number of credits they are taking.  Faculty often suggest a minimum of 2-3 hours of outside class work per credit hour.

Hourly Recommendations (per week) 

What should be done during study time?

Honestly, so much has changed in higher education over the past couple of years.  You might be asking yourself why two-three hours?   Study resources, tools, and student support services have changed dramatically over the past decade.   Something that has remained constant is importance of studying.   If you find yourself not knowing what to do outside of the classroom, shift your focus from study hours needed to task oriented.  Below are a few task oriented examples.

• Rewrite notes in your own words.
• Incorporate reflection.  How does this material relate to content you have learned before.
• Organize your notes and information.  Create concept maps.
• Compare and contrast your notes with one of your peers.

Where is class information located?

The college catalog will have descriptions of specific classes and the college schedule for each term will be the place to find what modality (in person, hybrid, vcm, or online), days, times, and locations for classes. Not all classes are offered every term and some must be taken in sequence.

Types of Classes Offered at College of DuPage:

In person (face-to-face):  These classes will meet on campus.

Hybrid: Combination of in-person and online.

Virtual Class Meets (VCM): These classes meet online through a platform.

Online (NET): These classes are all online.  Students work on their own throughout the course.

Fall and spring semesters include 16, 12, and two-eight week sessions (classes).

How to read the course numbering system

Courses are identified by a subject and a number. To search for courses when planning your class schedule, you will generally use the subject and section number to identify the course rather than the course title.

College of DuPage utilizes section numbers that identify specific sections of the class being offered. Section numbers are used by students to register for their classes.

Once you have selected a specific program of study, consult with a counselor or advisor for directions on the sequence of courses to take and/or look up the courses required for your program of study to see if they have prerequisites or co-requisites.

Below is a link to COD’s student planning worksheets which outline the courses and degree requirements necessary to complete students desired degree.  It is highly recommended that students run their degree evaluation in MYACCESS and work closely with a counselor or adviser to plan accordingly each semester.  Please refrain from self-advising.

Download COD Student Planning Worksheets

Know key dates and deadlines!

Organization is an important part of being a successful college student. One important aspect of organization is knowing the important dates for your classes and the college in general. Academic deadlines matter! Deadlines in college may not be flexible. They can have consequences for financial aid and grading that cannot be undone. A student needs to be aware of key dates throughout the term. The responsibility for knowing important dates lies with the student. The course syllabus that you get for each class you take will have important dates for that specific class. The college will put important dates to know on an academic calendar for the school.

Examples of key dates to know for a college:

• When does the term/semester start and end?
• Are there holidays or campus closures during the term?
• When is the last day to drop a class with a complete refund?
• When is the last day to make changes to your schedule?
• When is the last day to drop a class?
• When is finals week and what is the schedule like during that week?

Important COD Milestones!

Milestones:  These milestones were developed by COD’s Advising Task Force to give student guidance as they navigate their educational journey.

Students who have earned 0-15 credits:

• Gain proficiency with COD email, Blackboard, MY ACCESS, Student Planner, and the student portal.
• Determine placement in Reading, Writing, and Math.
• Be aware of the various degree and program options.
• Understand the difference between an AAS degree and a transfer oriented degrees.
• Be aware of general education requirements.
• Be able to list course options for first semester.
• Obtain required textbooks/materials for class use.
• Identify professor’s availability to meet and become comfortable contacting them.
• Understand when and how to add/drop courses and the refund policy. Become aware of student responsibilities in managing due dates, course fees, etc.
• Understand how to compute a GPA.
• Access information about student organizations (CHAP LIFE).

16-30 credits

• Commit to a plan of study (determine admission requirements if selective enrollment program) which will determine necessary coursework.
• If still undecided, take career assessments (SDS, MBTI, Strong) and make a career counseling appointment OR consider enrolling in COLLG 1105–Career Development
• Explore scholarship opportunities for the following semester if interested and eligible (November deadline for Spring, March deadline for Fall).
• Be able to interpret a degree evaluation from MY ACCESS. Meet with a counselor for assistance interpreting your evaluation.
• Retrieve your student planning worksheet and fill in requirements you have met and those in which you are currently enrolled.
• Begin your math sequence for degree seeking students.
• Be aware of your registration date and make an appointment with your advisor.
• Begin researching transfer institutions (utilizing CIS school sorting tool) available at https://ilcis.intocareers.org/
• Learn to use transfer planning tools: transferology/transfer equivalencies.
• Proactively seek out meetings with your professors as you manage your grades during the semester.

31-45 credits

• Be able to create an educational plan based on your degree.
• Continue to research transfer institutions and obtain information on on-campus visits as well as representative visits at COD.
• Determine transfer school application deadlines and course/GPA requirements.
• Attend transfer-oriented workshops and/or career and internship fairs.

46-64 credits

• Ensure graduation eligibility by running degree evaluation (anticipated complete).
• Apply for graduation in MY ACCESS.
• Know how to request transcripts from your MY ACCESS account or the Office of Student Records.
• Visit transfer schools and prioritize schools to which you wish to apply.
• Write personal statements and essays for transfer applications.
• Request letters of recommendation from faculty or employer.
• Obtain resume and job seeking assistance through Career Services (AAS degrees).
• Take licensure exams if relevant for certificate or AAS program.

All of this can be overwhelming for many.  Counselors and Advisors are here to help all students navigate this process.  Seek help. Education plans developed with a counselor or advisor have proven to facilitate student success.