By Chris Densmore and Jessica Tavares
Jessica Tavares is an academic adviser in the Undergraduate Academic Advising Center. She works with undergraduate students within NSU’s online and off-site populations. She helps students cultivate degree plans to attain their goals.
Christopher Densmore is a NSU alumnus and an academic adviser in NSU’s Undergraduate Academic Advising Center. He works to encourage students at the undergraduate level to achieve their highest learning potential and pursue academic challenges.
Midterms are approaching and some students are already excited to register for the new semester — well, maybe not excited but instead a little nervous. So, where do students begin when choosing their classes for next semester?
While there are many factors to consider when planning, a schedule is not as daunting as it may seem. Begin by reviewing a degree audit (CAPP) from SharkLink and schedule a consultation with your academic adviser, who can help you with a review of all requirements. This audit will list all of the credits that you have as well as the credits you are still missing and need to register for.
Students may wonder which instructor matches their learning style and best suits their academic needs. It is important to form academic relationships with instructors as that will set the stage for courses.
When considering a schedule it is important to keep in mind that time spent in the actual classroom accounts for some of the work but there is also time required outside. This includes time for study groups, lab activities and library research, to name a few. Taking all of this into consideration, it would be a good practice to leave a few hours between classes and not to take more than three classes on any one day. For example, take three classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then two classes on Tuesday and Thursday.
Students typically register for the upcoming semester about midway through the current semester. Although a student may only register for the next semester, except in the case of summer registration, planning really involves the scope of the remaining degree program. If a student needs to take a course that has several prerequisites then it is best to begin planning when to take those courses. For example, MATH 2020 Applied Statistics has several prerequisites and serves as a prerequisite for several research based courses, so it would be best to carefully plan this course into your schedule.
A well-thought-out schedule can make a big difference in the outcome of not only the next semester but the next few years. The Office of Academic Advising provides assistance with scheduling in addition to many other areas that apply to the curriculum.
