Over the course of my three and a half years here at Bloomsburg, I have had all sorts of schedules: the heavy MWF 50 minutes classes, the once a week six to nines, and the eighteen plus credit workloads. During my tenure, I believe I have found the perfect balance.  

The best schedule I have found is to have your classes heavy and early. Having classes early allows for an early end too. 

In my perfect world, my classes would end no later than 1 p.m. The dreaded 8 a.m. classes are liked by no one. But in the long run, waking up early and getting classes out of the way is a major key in finding a good balance.

It allows for time during the day to study and to socialize at night. I found this the most convenient during my times living on lower campus. 

One other goal of mine is to load up on classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Having most classes only twice a week allows for an easy transition into the weekend and also back into the work week. 

The downside to the Tuesday and Thursday classes is that they are 75-minute class periods. They can seem to go on and on, but personally, having to go to campus for one less day is worth the extra 25 minutes.

The third goal of mine every semester is to have a class that meets only once a week.

During my seven semesters so far, I’ve had three night classes that met just one time a week. Some of these classes were just to fill my general education points (i.e. Exercise and You, Meteorology), while others were to fill out my major’s requirements (i.e. History of Photography). 

I know it contradicts my earlier statement of “the earlier the better,” but it’s one less day of having to go class. 

My last goal is to treat yourself; find a class that genuinely interests you. A class that you will not dread going to every single day. 

Whether it be one the art classes offered, a class you can workout in, or just a class that you feel compelled to take.

For me, it was Meteorology my sophomore year. There was just a certain allure to it. It also helped that it was a night class that knocked out some GEPs. 

Scheduling can make or break your next semester. It can wreck you entirely or set you up for success. 

If you want to take my advice to not make the same mistakes as I did, then try to follow my model. It’s worked pretty swell for me. 

And one last piece of advice: don’t forget to set your alarms! 

Ed is a senior Art major and Digital Managing Editor for The Voice.