Planning Your Schedule

Although there are many requirements placed upon you, planning your schedule isn't as hard as it may seem...By using a methodical, common sense approach, you can easily ensure that you strike the right balance between your General Education, Major, and Upper Division requirements

Course Load:

• CREDIT HOURS:Credit Hours Equal Time Requirements:A 3 Credit Hour course meets for a total of 3 hours during the week.
• STATUS:Full time Status Is Important:To be considered a full-time student, you must carry at least 12 Credit Hours.
• IF you carry less than 12 hours during a semester, it can adversely affect your eligibility for financial aid and health insurance.
• NORMAL LOAD:A Normal Course Load is Credit 15 Hours:However, remember that labs & recitations are additional time requirements!.
• SCHEDULE OVERLOAD:Danger!...Find the Right Balance:Taking a semester load of 4 or 5 heavy-duty courses with labs guarantees you major trouble... There's just not enough time to do anything well. Remember to balance your schedule.
• RESTRICTIONS:Maximum Credit Hours:You cannot take more than 18 credit hours during a semester without the written permission of your advisor.

Labs and Recitations:

Many science courses have additional requirements beyond attending lectures. These requirements may include labs and recitations. Don't make the mistake of overlooking these additional time requirements when planning your schedule.

• LABS:Purpose:Labs are designed for practical application of lecture principles. They may, or may not, have an associated recitation.
• RECITATIONS:Purpose:Recitations are designed as key opportunities for getting additional instruction, help, and working problem sets.
• CREDITS: Credit Values:Most labs and recitations are listed as "0" credit hours. Their credit hour value is already built into the associated lecture course.
• TIME REQUIREMENTS: Requirements Vary:Recitations are 1 hour per week. Labs have time requirements ranging from 1 - 4 hours per week.
• REGISTRATION:Mandatory Registrations: If a course has a lab or a recitation listed in the schedule book, you MUST register for it. If a course has both listed in the schedule book, you MUST register for both.
• ATTENDANCE:Mandatory Attendance: Most labs have a mandatory attendance policy, and many departments won't allow you to make-up missed labs. Skipping labs can cause you to fail the entire course regardless of your earned lecture grade.

Degree Requirements:

Many incoming students assume that they should take only General Education requirements during their first year. However, as a Science major, you need to consider the fact that your degree requirements include many time consuming lab courses.

• THINK LONG-TERM:Timing Is Important:Most degree programs have a specific course completion sequence. Plan ahead, all courses are not offered every semester. If you get out of sequence, it may be very difficult to get back on-track.
• THINK PRE-REQUISITES:Start Taking Science Courses:Many of the required courses for your degree have other science courses as prerequisites. Start taking your required science courses as soon as possible.
• FOR example; a Biology degree requires Chemistry courses, and Geology degree requires both Chemistry & Physics Courses.
• TAKE A MATH COURSE:Don't Put Them Off:Many of your math requirements are prerequisites for other science courses. Take a math course every semester until your math requirements are completed.
• GENERAL EDUCATION:Take Something You Like:By taking something you like, you keep your schedule interesting.
• GENERAL EDUCATION:Take Something You Don't Like:Spread out these courses. If you keep avoiding them, you'll eventually end up with a semester you will absolutely hate.