How Do You Plan a College Schedule?

Planning your college schedule is about more than finding classes that fit into open time slots. You also need to stay on track with your degree, leave enough time for studying and build a week you can realistically manage.

That may sound like a lot to balance, especially when you’re planning your first semester. But you don’t need to create the perfect schedule on your first try. Start with the courses you need, think about when you learn best and leave room for life outside the classroom.

What to do before you start

• Meet with your academic advisor to talk through your options.
• Review your degree requirements before choosing classes.
• Start with required courses and classes that may fill quickly.
• Balance demanding courses with subjects that use different skills.
• Leave time for studying, meals, work and other commitments.
• Identify a few backup classes in case your first choices are unavailable.

Review your degree requirements

Before looking at class times, find out which courses will move you closer to your degree.

Your schedule may need to include a mix of course types:

• Major requirements
• General Education courses
• Prerequisites for future required courses
• Electives
• Minor or concentration requirements
• First-year seminars or other required experiences

At UAlbany, you can work with your advisor to obtain a degree audit, which outlines your completed requirements and those that you still need to fulfill. You can also review the four-year plan for your major to get an idea of when certain courses are commonly taken.

These tools give you a starting point, but they are not meant to replace advice from an academic advisor. Once you have a few courses in mind, you can talk through them together.

Meet with your academic advisor

Your advisor can help you look beyond one semester and understand how your choices fit into your larger academic plan.

Bring a few questions to your meeting, such as:

• Which requirements should I focus on this semester?
• Does the order in which I take these courses matter?
• Are there prerequisites I need for next year?
• Is my planned workload realistic?
• What should I take if one of my first choices is full?

Your advisor may also point out options you had not considered, including electives connected to your interests or courses that meet more than one requirement.

You will still be the one to make the final decisions about your schedule. The goal of advising is to make sure those decisions are informed ones.
 

Choose a manageable number of credits

Next, think about how many credits you can realistically handle.

At UAlbany, 15 credits is considered a normal undergraduate course load, while students taking at least 12 credits are considered full-time. That does not mean the same number will be right for every student or every semester.

A 15-credit schedule can feel very different depending on the classes involved. A science course with a lab may take more time than its credit total suggests. A writing-heavy course may require several papers, while another class may include frequent quizzes or group projects.

Instead of looking only at the number of credits, consider the work behind them. Talk with your advisor before choosing a lighter or heavier course load, especially if it could affect your enrollment status or progress toward graduation.

Add required courses first

Once you know what you need, begin with the courses that offer the least flexibility.

These may include:

• A prerequisite for classes you want to take next semester
• A required course offered only once a year
• A class with a limited number of sections
• A course needed to declare or continue in your major
• A lab, discussion or recitation tied to another class

Placing these courses first gives you a framework for the rest of your schedule. You can then fill the open spaces with General Education courses, electives or requirements that have more scheduling options.

Be sure to read the full course details as you compare sections. A class may have prerequisites, enrollment restrictions, or an additional lab or discussion that meets at a different time.

Balance your workload

A schedule may look organized on a calendar but result in a difficult semester day-to-day.

For example, taking several reading- and writing-heavy courses at once could lead to multiple papers being due around the same time. Several lab courses may create long days on campus and additional work outside class.

Try to choose courses that each require different skills. Depending on your program, that might mean pairing a writing course with a math class, an introductory lecture or a hands-on course.

You may not always have complete control over the mix. Required courses sometimes need to be taken together. Still, looking at the likely workload can help you prepare for busier weeks and avoid adding unnecessary pressure.
 

Look at your entire week

Your classes are only one part of your schedule. Add your other responsibilities before deciding whether everything fits.

Make room for:

• A part-time job
• Athletics, clubs or campus activities
• Meals
• Transportation
• Family responsibilities
• Exercise and personal time
• Sleep
• Studying and assignments

Avoid filling nearly every hour of the day. Open time is not wasted time. It gives you room to complete assignments, meet with professors, attend events or handle something unexpected.

You should also allow enough time to travel between classes. Two courses may not technically overlap, but getting from one location to another could still be stressful if they are scheduled back to back.

Plan time for studying

College schedules often include fewer in-class hours than high school schedules, but that does not mean you have less work.

You will need time outside class for reading, assignments, projects and exam preparation. Instead of hoping you will find time later, add regular study periods to your weekly plan.

You could use a longer break between classes to review notes or complete smaller assignments. You might also set aside a few evenings for deeper work.

A study plan does not need to account for every minute. It should ensure that you have enough open time to keep up with the courses you chose.

Identify a few backup options

Popular classes and preferred time slots can fill before you register. Preparing alternatives can help you adjust without starting over.

For each preferred course, look for:

• Another section at a different time
• A different instructor
• An online or blended option
• Another course that meets the same requirement
• An elective you would be interested in taking

Keep at least a few backup choices ready, but make sure they still fit your degree plan. Choosing a random open class may solve an immediate scheduling problem without helping you make progress toward your degree.
 

Check your schedule before registering

Once you have a possible schedule, review it as if you were living through a normal week.

Ask yourself:

• Do any class times overlap?
• Can I get between classes on time?
• Are all required labs and discussions included?
• Did I leave time to eat?
• Do I have enough time for studying?
• Does this fit around work and other commitments?
• Am I taking too many demanding classes at once?
• Do I have backup options?

At UAlbany, you should also check your registration appointment and resolve any holds before registration begins. You will meet with your academic advisor and receive the Advisement Verification Number needed to register.

Taking care of these steps early can help registration day go more smoothly.

Review your schedule after classes begin

Sometimes a course feels different once the semester starts. The workload may be heavier than expected, or the timing may not work as well as it did on paper.

Give yourself a few days to settle in, then look at your full schedule again. If something is not working, talk with your advisor before making a change.

Pay attention to the deadlines on UAlbany’s Academic Calendar. Adding or dropping a course can have an academic and financial impact depending on when you make the change.

Needing to adjust your schedule does not mean you planned poorly. It means you learned more about what the semester will require and responded before a small concern became a larger problem.

Build a schedule that works for you

A good college schedule helps you make progress without leaving you overwhelmed every day.

Start with your degree requirements, then build around the classes you need most. From there, consider the workload, class times, course formats and everything else that will be part of your week.

You may need to make a few compromises, and your first draft may not be the schedule you register for. That is normal. With help from your academic advisor and a few backup options, you can create a plan that gives you the time and structure you need to succeed.
 

Frequently asked questions