8am classes are not totally unbarable. I don't consider myself much of a morning person, but I had 8am and 9am everyday in first semester and I didn't find it too bad. I didn't sleep much, but I was quite productive. Coffee is your friend.

With my schedule, I try to fit all of my classes between 8am-5pm, preferably finishing as early as possible. I hated night classes, and I like to be available at night incase anything is going on. Most university students are not morning people, so i try to take classes that have me finishing at 2-3 in the afternoon, making myself very available for the rest of the day. I book my classes during "business hours", because school is my full-time job.

I quite enjoyed 1 hour breaks between classes. I really like to read the newspaper and keep up to date with current events, and this was always a great time to do that. In the morning for example, I would go to the cafeteria and get breakfast and just relax before my next class. Same in the afternoon. It was a good time to check my email, socialize with friends etc. Just don't have like four 1 hour breaks in a day and you'll be fine.

Like someone mentioned above, sleep patterns are very important. Try to make your classes start at the same time every day, and only have a maximum of one day to sleep in. It will make your mornings much easier. Eating breakfast as well will give you energy and help you stay awake.

Thank you so much for your reply!
It's really cool to hear different opinions, and how we get to make our schedule to our own liking.

short and sweet summary:
- limit breaks and avoid gaps
-dont include walking time (are you sure?!?!!)
-classes start around the same time helps sleeping sked.
-dont stack lectures
-4 hr + breaks = :D
-minimize walking
-fridays = chill day/sleep in day
- no classes earlier than 8am
- fit all classes between 8am - 5pm

It's really scary though, the freedom, i guess.
and university websites are so hard to navigate!!

I don't have the balls to do that. Folding up the newspaper to expose only the crossword and then attempting to complete the crossword is as far as I go.



I haven't heard of any universities that have classes starting earlier than 8AM, so you don't need to worry there. I think most university students would agree that you should avoid classes that start earlier than 10AM.

I personally try to avoid night classes. Unfortunately, some of the required courses for my program are only offered at night. :( Blah.

I also try to have labs in the afternoons only. I'm not a fan of morning labs. Morning classes are fine, but morning labs just don't work for me. I also try not to have two labs on the same day - I find it exhausting. But some people like getting them out of the way on the same day, I'm just not one of them.

8 or 8:30 am classes aren't bad. Two mornings a week I would be at the gym for 8:00 anyhow, teaching a morning fitness class. Nothing like starting the day with a workout to get you energized and ready for the day ahead.

I am odd though. I've never pulled an all-nighter, and I don't cram. My brain just doesn't work that way. I get 8 hours of sleep a night and I go to bed relatively early (except on Fridays and Saturdays which are my nights to go out dancing, to a movie, or to a pub).

Anyhow, back to the scheduling issues:

One hour gaps are to be avoided - it really isn't a lot of time to get anything done. Two hour gaps or more are fine - you can go to the gym (I teach fitness classes at Guelph's rec centre) or go to the library and study. If you live in rez you have time to go to your room and study there, or do stuff there as well.

Walking time is definitely already built into the schedule. There is a 10 minute break between classes, and at most universities that gives you plenty of time to get from one class to another, although on big campuses you may have to move very quickly if you need to get from one end of campus to the other.

My schedule for the fall semester is horrid, but it's because I have two evening classes that are required courses, and they aren't offered at any other times. :( I also have one class that only has spots left in the distance education section - the classroom section is full. So I'll have to make sure I budget my own time to work on it by myself.

What's better? A class that is 1 hr 3 times a week or 3hrs 1 time a week?

Watcha guys think?

SCHED 1
http://666kb.com/i/buh6cuvlwv0s055v2.png

Or

SCHED 2
http://666kb.com/i/buh6bmqg35vyw0dm6.png

I would take 3 one hour classes over 1 three hour class any day



I personally think your schedule is not the greatest. Simply because a lot of days you start early (9-10am) and finish really late, making for a LONG day.

That's a better schedule in my opinion. I don't like mornings. Are those night time tutorials optional? If so then your schedule is awesome.

Does the following look okay? I know semester one seems like a long day but I don't do well with breaks and the 3 day thing seems convenient, especially since I'll need a part time job so I can work part of one of those days. I don't eat much for lunch anyway so snacking between classes would hold me over just fine. The second semester has more breaks and is more spread out though...

Semester 1
Monday and Thursday OFF
Tuesday
930-1020
Engl 135
1030-1120 Poli 103
1130-1220 Econ 111
1230-220 Fran 100
230-320 Poli Tut
330-420 Fran Lab
Wednesday and Friday
930-1020 Engl 135
1030-1120 Poli 103
1130-220 Econ 111
1230-220 Fran 100

Semster 2
Monday and Thursday
1-220 Phil 232
230-420 Fran 100
Tuesday and Friday
1030-1120 Ling 195
1230-120 Poli 101
Wednesday
930-1020 Fran Lab
1030-1120 Ling 195
1230-120 Poli 101
230-420 Fran 100

What do you guys think?

my term 1
my term 2

I don't particularly like 9AM classes, but I usually can only focus on math at that time. Fresh mind and all.

SCAN is Swedish, ASTU is Arts Studies in Writing, ITST is Italian Studies (really interesting elective), and the rest are pretty obvious haha.