Understanding a College Course Load and Building a Semester Schedule
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Calculate the number of hours needed for work, class, and study.
- Identify the number of remaining hours in a schedule for other activities.
- Locate course schedule information.
- Access your Maricopa.edu Google account.
- Populate a Google Calendar for your semester.
Understanding a College Course Load
Now that you are aware of your use of time, you can begin to plan for a college course load that makes sense for your set personal goals. In general, you will need to spend 3 hours of study and homework time per each 1 credit hour. If you do the math, a 3 credit-hour course will require at least 9 hours of time for completion of assignments and study time (3 credit hrs. x 3 hrs. study and homework = 9 total hrs. per 3 credit-hour course). Your Nursing Block 1 class is a 9-credit-hour course. Therefore you need to plan for at least 27 hours of study and homework time just for this course. You should add the appropriate additional study time if you are taking co-requisites or concurrent enrollment classes.
The table below shows a recommended time allotment for class hours and study time per the number of hours you work each week at your place of employment.
Figure: Recommended Weekly Time Allotment Per Hours Worked
|
# of Work Hours |
# Class hours Recommended |
Estimated Study Time Needed |
Total Hours Needed Per Week |
Remaining Hours per Week for Other Activities |
|
40 |
6 |
18 |
64 |
104 |
|
30 |
9 |
27 |
66 |
102 |
|
20 |
12 |
36 |
68 |
100 |
Now would be a good time to review your one-week time audit from the Time Management chapter.
You need to plan for enough time to account for your work hours, your time in class, lab, and other Nursing school activities, getting enough sleep, and your commute between the places you need to be.
Activity: Planning a Course Load
Complete the following activity to calculate your hours for work, class, and study time. The remaining weekly balance of time will be used to plan all other activities.
Refer back to these calculations later when completing your semester schedule.
Building a Semester Schedule
After understanding your use of time, deciding your expected course load, and completing your pre-enrollment activities, you will be ready to build a semester schedule. Here are the general steps to build a semester schedule:
- Begin by gathering all the available course materials and any key dates that you must keep track of.
- Make note of any personal key dates like family events, birthdays, and other special occasions.
- Remember to plan and schedule a time for self-care activities, too. Planning in restorative periods ensures you stay well and avoid burnout.
Right now, you will work through an example of building a semester schedule. You will want to repeat this with your actual course information once you are enrolled.
Gathering Information
For MaricopaNursing students, key dates and information are found in the following places:
- Important Dates (includes observed holidays, breaks, class registration, tuition due dates, final exams, and more)
- Student Center (requires sign-in; includes your class schedule, Class Search and Enroll, and Course Catalog)
- Course Syllabus Information (once enrolled, you will find your course syllabus in Canvas – requires sign-in)
- Your appointments with Academic Advising (Phoenix College Advising Scheduler)
Don’t forget to gather your important dates related to your personal and family life, health, and wellness. Include physical activity and self-care goals. Make a list and have it ready to incorporate into your semester planning.
Getting Organized
Students in the Maricopa Community Colleges receive free access to a Google Workspace for Education account, including Gmail and Google Calendar, which has all the functionality necessary to stay on track. Google Workspace integrates your student email account, calendar, tasks, to-do lists, and more. You can access Google Workspace by phone, computer, or mobile device. Active students can access their Google Workspace for Education account by signing into their Student Email.
Proceed to the activity where you will learn to populate your schedule in Google Calendar based on the key dates you have gathered.
Activity: Building Your Semester Schedule in Google Calendar
Key Takeaways
- Building a semester schedule and allotting your time for school, work, study, and self will help you manage your time.
- Building your semester schedule into your calendar will help you keep track of important dates and deadlines.
Chapter Attributions
This chapter was adapted by Michelle Holbrook and Cheryl Colan from “Planning a College Course Load” and “Building a Semester Schedule” by RaeAnna Jeffers. Licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.