As midterms week(s) come to a close on the Hilltop, scheduling season begins. Before you franticly check Access for open classes and your DPR for what’s needed, keep these tips in mind.

Rising Sophomores:

Get your pillars and UC requirements out of the way, but also keep your intended major(s) and minor(s) in mind. Try to optimize your class choices by taking classes that fill multiple pillars, but that also pique your interest. You can find the “UC 2016” requirements here. Start thinking about the introductory classes for your major(s) and minor(s). Reminder: regardless of your major, you need 120 hours to graduate, so make sure you’re keeping track of how many hours you take a semester, and don’t forget there’s always summer school.

Rising Juniors:

Most of you probably have all of your pillars and UC requirements out of the way, and probably your introductory major and/or minor classes. Some of the classes for majors can be a little more challenging, but don’t rely on taking them during extra terms (summer school, may-term, j-term, etc.). Try and create a manageable and well balanced schedule, with some classes that are more fun or more interesting to you as well as the ones you are required to take that you may not be looking forward to as much.

A note for current freshmen and sophomores…

For those of you considering a study abroad, make sure to meet with your counselors and discuss your options. Check what courses are offered and what they count for so you don’t fall behind. If there are abroad options that count for your major or minor, make sure to put those at the top of your list.

Rising Seniors:

It’s crunch time for most of us. While most of us Juniors are refusing to think about our senior year schedules because I mean, college forever, right? it’s an unfortunate reality we all have to face. Double and triple check your DPR, so you don’t have any unexpected surprises come graduation time. Though we only have two full semesters left, we have five extra terms (summer school, may term, august term, J-term) to add the last minute classes we need to take. If you don’t have many classes left but aren’t quite ready for the real world, consider being a student part time and finding an internship in your desired field.

Seniors (graduates!):

For those of you graduating, congrats! No more scheduling stress and DPRs for you. When thinking about graduate school, don’t forget you can always come back to your roots at the Hilltop.

The second half of the semester can always be a little hectic, so try to make time in the day for some “you time” and make sure you manage your time well so your assignments don’t pile up.

Don’t forget, it’s never too late to fill out a “Semester At a Glance” that can be found in the A-LEC.