It may seem as though every aspect of college is stressful: the transition from high school to upper-level education, choosing a major, study session, and exams. All of these things can be pretty daunting, especially when it comes to deciding how many classes to take. Gauging how much you can handle as a student is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Take it from me! I was able to earn my Bachelors of Arts in English in just 3 years! If you’ve never attended college before, or are struggling with your course load, ask yourself these questions to help you with your next semester scheduling.
When is your expected college graduation date?
Depending on your degree, you should have an expected graduation date. This is dependent on whether you are planning on earning a two or four-year degree. If you have previously taken college credits in high school or at another institution, that may have an impact on your expected graduation date as well. It doesn’t matter what your college plan is—as long as you have a plan. Your timeline is extremely important to understand and adhere to. Try to plan your semester schedule according to when you hope to graduate. Make sure your goal is attainable, as to not discourage you and put you even further behind. Many colleges recommend taking around 15 credits per semester, which totals 120 credits after four years. Most bachelor’s degree programs require 120 credits to graduate.
What classes will you be taking, and how many credits are they worth?
An extremely beneficial thing you can do for yourself is to track your college classes and their credits. You can do this yourself, however, your academic advisor or school website may have resources for you. Some schools even show you your progress as you complete classes! Many colleges have some sort of “degree audit” that students can complete online, which shows what classes you have taken, how many credits you’ve earned, and what you have left to complete. If your college or university has such a thing, use it!
In addition to tracking classes, make sure you use your biggest resource, your advisor! They may have a course plan for people with your major and how you can meet your graduation goals. They may have course plans for cutting your graduation time by a semester or even a whole year! Your advisor may also have recommendations for online companies or schools that you can take web-based classes to again, speed up your expected graduation date. This may not be ideal for everyone, and sometimes classes are only offered in the fall or spring (or they get filled/canceled before you can take them). But having a general idea of what classes you need to take can save you a tremendous amount of time and grief scheduling classes and tracking your credits in the future.
In the end, taking the recommended 15 credit hours per semester maybe your best option if you want to graduate on time. However, if you want to graduate early, or want to go to school part-time, meeting with your advisor will help you track your credits and make a plan for graduation!