As  I was scheduling my classes for fall semester, I started to think about how I wish someone gave me some advice on scheduling before I did it at New Student Orientation. Here are a few of my tips for you:

1. Do Your Research– Ask around. That’s the best way to get a feel for what you should and shouldn’t be scheduling. I had one or two friends from my hometown who go to Penn State, but I wished that I had did some research previously about what classes are easiest, the most intriguing, and which ones I need to graduate.
2. Consider Travel Time– Although you will hear that you can make it to any class in 15 minutes, that’s not always true. It’s so much easier when you don’t have to walk across campus at 8:30 a.m. Especially if you’re choosing to live in East, you will want classes that are closer to your dorm.
3. Take Your AP Exams Seriously– AP credits can be used in place of general education courses, so make sure you study up. Also, in the long term, the more credits that you have completed, the earlier you will be able to schedule in future semesters.
4. Attend NSO As Soon as Possible – I know this isn’t possible for everybody depending on graduation, prom, or whatever you have going on. But, I went in May and I didn’t have a problem getting any of the classes that I needed.

Scheduling is no easy by any means. And you will hear it thoroughly explained during your New Student Orientation. However, if you keep these things above in mind, you’ll be an ace at scheduling in no time.