Like variety? Keep That Schedule Flexible In College

When you’re headed off to college, you’re probably looking forward to not having to wake up at 6 a.m. every day like you had to for high school. In fact, you’re probably downright excited to not start classes till noon! We don’t mean to put a damper on things, but not every class in college starts at noon. Yes, there are still 8 a.m. classes, and some schools even have Saturday classes! The horror!

Don’t fret it. Throughout your college career, you probably will have the chance to not have to start class until 11 a.m. or noon on some days; that’s one of the benefits of a college schedule. But don’t expect every day or every semester to unfold this way. In fact, you’re better off staying flexible with your schedule. As tempting as it might be, don’t let your sleep schedule determine your class schedule! Stay flexible, takes classes that you need to take, and recognize that sometimes you’ll have to wake up at 8 a.m. and other times you’ll get to sleep until noon!

Every major will have required classes. Those required classes, however, will vary greatly in the time slots that they’re offered and in the frequency that they’re offered. So to make sure you get all your required classes, prepare to be flexible. When you need to take a class and it’s offered only at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., prepare yourself! Like it or not (probably not), you’ll have some early-morning classes. But think of it as training for the “real world.” Also, if you started class at noon every day, the appeal of sleeping in would get old, believe it or not.

You’ll also be better off if you accept the fact early on that you just won’t be able to follow a “normal” schedule in college. On some days you’ll have lunch at 3 p.m., your bedtime will be 2 a.m. and you’ll take a nap from 1-4 p.m. That sounds like a normal schedule for … probably no one. It’s a bit crazy, but get used to it! In fact, embrace it! Some students find having the same schedule every day can get rather monotonous and dull. In college life, that won’t be happening. However, if you’re one who likes a more routine schedule, you should at least be able to schedule some breaks in between classes, breaks where you can do normal things like a have a meal or take a one-hour nap.

If your required classes have left you with a schedule that you just don’t like or find that you can’t get used to, don’t worry. The nice thing about college is that that schedule can take a complete 180 each semester. If you have a crammed schedule of early morning classes one semester, next semester you’ll have the chance to start off fresh. Well there’s really no guarantee that you can make your ideal schedule any semester, at least you’ll get the chance to switch things up, hopefully for the better, each semester.

Just remember, be flexible! The variation you’ll have each semester can even be refreshing and fun. It’ll keep college interesting, to say the least. High school can feel so monotonous since you’ll be on the same early-morning schedule each day. That probably won’t be the case in college! Some semesters you’ll have a great schedule, and other times, not so much. Either way, stay flexible and you’ll enjoy the changes and variation that college life delivers.