Courses: To Take or Not to Take

Picking out the right classes and creating your own schedule can be a difficult task on your own. Wondering if you picked the right class, have enough free time after you finish your studying, or maybe you’re worried about if you don’t quite understand or like the class you’re in, but can’t change the circumstances. According to What Does a Typical College Freshman Class Schedule Look Like?, college freshman are either put into or choose the following courses: Psychology, English, Math, and a Science Lab and Lecture during their first semester.

Image Description: Girl on her bed studying.

Advising

Over the years at Gulf Coast State College, the Advising Center has grown to become more accessible with students. The first semester can be rough to navigate through, so that is why there are Advisors, mandatory orientation, as well as various forms of student help to ensure the first semester goes smoothly. With the focus on Advising, they have access to help us select our classes, approach them with any questions we might have about our current or future classes, and help us succeed throughout the college experience.

Advising Goals according to Gulf Coast State College

• To create a constructive student-centered space for students to become active, independent and self-confident learners.
• To encourage and create opportunities for individual students and student groups seeking assistance with their academic needs.
• To create opportunities for faculty and staff to better serve students by offering a place to refer students based on a variety of needs.

Source: Gulf Coast State College Advising

Image Description: Student talking with his advisor about his courss.

Gulf Coast State College Responses

Those that are either considered experts or have struggled with course selection in the past have personal responses to give an insightful look on the importance of selecting classes.

“During my first semester back in 2017, I don’t think I even knew who my advisor was until my last semester. But now that Lighthouse isn’t the course selection, I can see a greater impact and Gulf Coast’s dedication to making sure us students succeed further.”

-Kayla K.

“I started here in 2020 and haven’t really had a problem with getting my schedule created with the help of my advisors. I heard it was more difficult in the past because students were creating schedules to view, rather than actually adding the courses. It’s a common mistake and I don’t think viewing the schedule should even be an option.”

-Branson C.

“As head of the Honor’s Program and considered an Advisor for those students, I see it as more than just my job, but to help students succeed further into their education.”

-Amber C.

Picking the Perfect Schedule

It is one of the many dreams of every college freshman they have selected the right courses based on the field they want to go into. Rather it be Visual Performing Arts (VPA), an Astrology major, or maybe someone wants to open their own business, there are certain class requirements everyone has to meet, regardless of major. How to pick the perfect freshman college course schedule for you talks about the first step in choosing your college courses is knowing who you are and finding the perfect balance, “The first step of picking the perfect college schedule is understanding that there isn’t one perfect schedule for all students. What may be a great schedule for your roommate or your older brother or your parents’ friend’s super smart former babysitter may not be right for you,” as well as, “During your first semester of college, strike a balance between meeting basic graduation requirements and exploring passions. Getting requirements out of the way early ensures you’ll be on-track to graduate, saving you money, time and hassle. Still, you’ll want to be sure to explore your interests.”

Image Description: Girl high-fiving her previous professor at her college graduation.

Closure

I hope you do know that I do quite enjoy that you took the time to read my article about choosing the right classes. Even if you don’t know your major, you have the ability to take some general education courses to see what works with you and what doesn’t. Just remember that, in the end, it’s the path and choices you make from college that might determine how the rest of your life goes in regards to a future career.

The future is always unpredictable and we might not always know which path to take, but that doesn’t mean we should be afraid to ask for help from our advisors and professors whose courses we are taking to help give us that extra push we need.

Check back next time for a video interview I’m planning called “Don’t Stress, Confess” where I’ll hopefully be interviewing the student guidance counselor to talk about some of the major stressors and ways to help college students.