Creating Your Four Year Plan

             Planning ahead is a big part of being successful in college. Having a plan gives you an idea of where you should be and where you are headed. It is a good idea to start planning out your classes for the next four years. If you have already determined your major you should go ahead and start looking at what classes you will need to take in the next four years to ensure you meet the graduation requirements. Without a four year plan you may find yourself confused about what you should be taking, and might end up taking a class your senior year that you should have took your sophomore year. Creating your four-year plan can be a challenge. To make it easier students should seek help from an advisor and be sure to ask questions in the process.

            The first thing you need to do to figure out your four year plan is determine a major and any potential minors that you may be interested in. Once you determine a major it would be a good idea to go to the head of the department you are interested in and ask them about the major and about the different types of classes that you will be taking. Another useful tool that you will probably want to have handy is your school’s course catalog. The course catalog lists all the majors and minors that your college has to offer and tells you the required classes for the majors and minors. It also lists all the credit hours for each class and lists all required classes outside the major.

            When creating your four year plan be sure to take into account how many credit hours you are taking a semester. If you don’t have enough you may not graduate in the desired four years. If you take too many you may become over loaded with work and your grades may suffer as a result. It’s important to make sure you are scheduling a reasonable amount of credit hours to make sure you graduate on time while not being overloaded with work. You will also need to make sure that you are taking all the required classes for the major or minor and the required classes to graduate. As you create your four year plan is aware of the nature of the courses you are taking. For example, it would not be a good idea to take 3 chemistry classes at one time. You do not have to create your plan alone. It is a good idea to talk with your advisor and be sure to ask any questions about the classes you will be taking. Your advisor is the most important resource you can use, so take advantage of it.