Wake up at 6am. Get ready for school. Go to school from 8 am until 3 pm. Sports practice. Homework. Finally bed. Repeat 5 days a week for 180 days until summer break.
That is the typical high school schedule we are all used to. Everything is structured and mostly the same every single day. College is a different story. In college, class times vary widely from person to person, depending on preferences, major, requirements, sports, jobs, and a million other factors. Because of this, it can be difficult to adjust to something so drastically different from what you have been used to for the past 13 years of your life. In college, your schedule is what you make it.
Before I get into the tips for how to manage your schedule, I think it’s important to have some background information on Naz and the way their schedules work. For your first semester, Naz will send out a survey to understand what you want for various classes and make you a schedule based on that survey. This is a great time to get to know yourself better and know what types of schedules will and won’t work for you, as you’ll quickly learn how different a high school schedule is from a college schedule.
As for classes and times, most Naz class structures are as follows: If a class meets three times a week, each class is 50 minutes long. If a class meets twice a week, each class lasts for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If a class only meets once a week, the class is 2 hours and 40 minutes long and these courses are generally night classes. There are some exceptions to these rules, such as studio, lab, or distance learning/online classes, but this is generally how Naz structures classes. All that being said, here are some tips about how to adjust to a new schedule and nontraditional class times.
Know what time courses are generally offered: When planning your schedule, try to see when your required classes are generally offered and make note of that in the future. If a required class is only offered at 8am for multiple semesters, then you will have to adjust your schedule to that 8am class, but maybe you could schedule some freetime directly after that class to go to your room and nap. I have had two 8ams, and I always made sure to leave some time throughout the day to rest and recuperate after. Also, be aware of outside factors that you can’t control. For example, if you are on a sports team, you will generally have practices in the afternoon. Therefore, you have a little less freedom than those who don’t have big commitments like that. Also, many students have internships they need to plan for, which oftentimes occur in the afternoon. Small things like that really make a difference when planning your schedule, so be sure to pay attention to what you may have to do outside of the classroom!
Know yourself and your body: I have always been a night owl. I enjoy staying up until 2 am and waking up at noon, and if I could do that for the rest of my life, I would. Therefore, when I schedule my classes, I try to have them be later in the day. I usually end up sleeping in a bit and staying up later to do homework, but that’s when I’m most productive anyways. However, if you are the opposite of me, try to schedule your classes for early in the morning and leave your afternoons free. Just go according to what your body is used to. Many people enjoy having the afternoon free to do what they want, and don’t like classes looming over their heads.
Be aware of your living situation: I’ve lived on campus all four years of college. Therefore, I can schedule classes spaced apart and it’s not a large inconvenience to me. If I have a three hour long break, I can go back to my room, eat some food, take a nap, and walk to my next class. That being said, many people live off campus. At Naz, you are required to live on campus your first two years of school, but that rule doesn’t apply in some situations, such as if you are living at home with your parents/guardians who live within 30 miles of campus (you can find more information about the housing requirements here). For those living off campus, it’s usually preferred to have all your classes scheduled back to back. That way, there’s not awkward gaps where you don’t have enough time to go home, but you also have too much time to kill on campus. I find that most commuters spend those gaps in the library or the commuter lounge to get some work done while they wait for their next class to start, and some actually like having breaks and getting their work done on campus so they don’t have to worry about it at home. Again, it’s all about personal preference and what works best for you!
Get your least favorite times done first: When I was a freshman and sophomore, I did my best to schedule all my early morning classes for those years, that way I could enjoy my junior and senior year. In fact, this semester, I have one class at 10:30 am MWF and the rest of my classes are 4 pm or later. I really enjoy my schedule this year because I have so much time in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and my earliest class still isn’t that early. Again, if you are the opposite from me, schedule your classes the opposite way. Try to schedule your night classes your freshman and sophomore year, that way you can enjoy your earlier classes your junior and senior year.
In the end, you won’t always have the schedule of your dreams, but knowing yourself and being aware of outside limitations can really help you get used to unusual schedules. After four years of having classes at all times of the day, I still wonder how I managed to have such a long and structured day for so many years of my life. College allows a lot more freedom than high school, and it is always important to utilize that freedom to your advantage.