How to Work Busy College Classes and Other Schedules and Survive

One thing you can expect when you're a full-time college student and carry a maximum load of for-credit classes is that you'll be busy. At times, you'll be more than busy. You'll feel overwhelmed.

However, by creative and intelligent scheduling, you can ease the burden and get everything done right and on time. Some suggestions on accomplishing that impossible dream include:

1. If you live off campus as a commuter student, and must drive to class or ride public transportation each day, set your schedule to avoid heavy traffic drive time. Choose classes that begin as early as 8 am. Get to the campus at least an hour before that, have some breakfast at the student center, do some studying and/or work on assignments on your laptop.

2. In a similar situation, hold off your arrival on campus until or after 9 am, when drive time has eased off. Schedule classes from about 9:30 am on.

3. To avoid late afternoon or early evening commuter traffic to your off-campus home, schedule some classes that begin after 6 pm. This can be an advantage if you have a day job and need to fit it in your schedule.

4. If you do need to work to help pay for your tuition and all other college expenses, try to set a favorable time schedule so that work and classes fit into a favorable pattern. For example, working in a restaurant usually requires two or three one- or two-hour shifts. They can be from 6 to 9 am breakfast, 11 am to 1 pm lunch, and 5 pm to late evening for dinners. Schedule your dinner shifts for Saturday and Sunday nights, where you can put in longer hours without interfering with class schedules.

5. To be enrolled as a full-time student, there are minimum credits you must take, usually about 16. There is no maximum, and you can cram in as many as you can handle. If you can schedule enough courses into regular semesters and during summers, you could get your degree in three calendar years.

This may not make your student days a breeze of beer busts and semester breaks, but you can be out quickly and earning your college-grad salary in the working world. Further, you'll get the choice of jobs before any of your fellow students.