The Secret Recipe for the Perfect College Schedule

I don’t believe there is such thing as the perfect college schedule. However, this semester may be the closest I have ever gotten to perfection so I want to share my secret recipe.

First off, I don’t have classes before 11 a.m. As a second semester senior, I have taken my fair share of 8 a.m.s, earning myself this privilege. Trust me, you will have to earn this as well.

For me, the ideal timeframe for classes is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You’ll have to figure out what your perfect window is (who knows, maybe you’re a morning person). Fair warning: In the winter the sun sets at 4 p.m. and during spring semester you might get distracted by the gleeful yelling of students on Ankeny field if you are still in class.

Secondly, while it might seem ideal to have free periods between classes to cram in some last-minute homework or have a leisurely lunch, in my experience they are not nearly as productive as one would hope. Instead, back-to-back classes allow me to “get in the zone” as long as I remember to bring a snack for the 10 minutes in-between classes.

The third aspect of an ideal schedule—and managing your well-being—is movement and exercise. It may be hard to fit this into your schedule, but Whitman’s recreational courses are a great way to incorporate movement into your week. Last semester, I was nose deep writing my Hispanic Studies thesis, but my weekly rock climbing course got me out of the house–and library–which helped both my body and mind.

Madi Welch is a senior from Portland, Oregon. She is double majoring in Psychology and Hispanic Studies and minoring in Art. As a senior at Whitman, she still refers to Maxey as the demon statue building.