With scheduling for Fall Semester beginning the week students return from spring break, many students can be overwhelmed with all of the options of classes to take. Photo illustration by Mark Batke / Photo editor
Graduating on time will be on T.J. Cifuentes’ mind when he schedules his classes for Fall Semester.
“I’m most worried about making sure I’m getting all of the classes I need in order to stay on track to graduate on time,” Cifuentes, a first-year in business, said.
With scheduling for Fall Semester beginning the week students return from spring break, many first-year students can be overwhelmed with all of the options of classes to take, said Amy Treboni, director of University Exploration, a program designed to “assist incoming and current Ohio State students who are undecided on their major,” according to its website.
“Many first-year students are taking general education requirements and there are so many options for each category,” Treboni said in an email. “I recommend selecting a few different options per category in case the first-choice class fills up.”
Treboni added that she thinks students also struggle putting together their “schedule puzzle,” which is picking out all the classes they want to take and then putting them together to make all the dates and times work.
Treboni recommends using Schedule Planner, which students can access on their Student Center, to help with this problem.
“Schedule Planner helps a student plug in all the specific classes they are considering, enter time for breaks when they cannot, or do not, want to be in class, and come up with their various scheduling options,” Treboni said.
Lorrin Van Evra, a second-year in nonprofit management, said she uses Schedule Planner when scheduling her classes.
“I really like using Schedule Planner because it gives you so many options to see what the ideal schedule is for you, and you can see all your class options at once,” Van Evra said.
Along with Schedule Planner, Treboni also suggested scheduling an appointment with an adviser before scheduling classes.
“Appointment slots can book up several weeks in advance, so students should call two to three weeks before they wish to get in to schedule with an adviser,” Treboni said. “Some offices offer walk-ins during scheduling and others have same day appointments, so students can check with their advising office to see what is available.”
Cifuentes said he had already been planning to meet with his adviser before his scheduling appointment opens.
“My adviser knows about the classes and they can help me pick what I would enjoy and what I need,” Cifuentes said.
Degree Audit Reports are also helpful in determining what classes students need to take, Treboni said.
“For students who are in majors or pre-majors, a Degree Audit Report is an electronic checklist of the requirements for their program and the progress they have made so far,” Treboni said.
Treboni recommended students not rely solely on what other students have taken to determine their own schedule.
“If students are in different programs, or start majors in different years, the requirements may not be the same, so it’s important to double check and ensure that the courses will work for them,” Treboni said.
