The week before the semester starts students often find themselves in a situation where they need to adjust their schedule. How do you make the decision to drop one class and add another?

Here are my 6 tips to adding and dropping class at the beginning of a semester.

When is the class offered?

The ideal schedule has a break between classes. If you have class at 9:00 am. Schedule a break from 10:00-11:00. Then take a class at 11:00. During that one hour break, you process what was said in the 9:00 class and preview what will be addressed during the 11:00 class.

Does the class meet the requirements of your major?

It is okay to take a class for the love and joy of learning however, every class at the university costs money and takes up a semester. So if it does not meet the requirements of your major, you must determine whether you have the time and money to take it.

Do you need this class in the Fall as a pre-requisite for a class you need to take that is only offered in the Spring?

This is strategy. If you must take a class that is only offered in the Spring then you might have to wait an entire year before you can take it, if you do not get the pre-requisites in this Fall.

Who is teaching the class?

If you can, talk with the professor before you sign up for the class. Ask other students about a professor. Look the professor up online. Research tells us that students do better if they perceive the professor in a favorable light. If you like your professor you increase your chances of doing well.

How will you earn the grade in this class?

Every student must prove to the professor that learning happened. Grades can be earned objectively i.e. multiple choice or True/False where there is only one answer. Or grades can be earned subjectively i.e. essays, papers, presentations, projects, where there can be more than one way to present the answer. Or a mixture of both. The number of assignments or grades per semester will impact the grade simply because of the law of averages. If the professor takes 4 grades then you only have 4 chances. Some professors will take many small grades such as quizzes to help the student keep up with the readings. So ask yourself, how do you best demonstrate what you have learned.

What type of learning is required for the subject matter?

Some subjects require procedural learning like science labs or math in which there are specific procedures to follow in order to arrive at the correct answer. Some subjects require mastery of facts such as anatomy classes. Math and science require that you apply  the facts you learned. Some subjects lean towards theory and are best learned by writing essays like political science or psychology or sociology. Additionally lower level course might require more recall and comprehension while upper level courses might require application and analysis.

Thinking through these questions will help you make an informed decision. There is not one right or one wrong answer. Your decision is a strategy decision.  Which ever class you choose, an academic coach can work with you to develop time management plans and a study plan to end the semester with the best grade possible for you.