Navigating Class Registration

Scheduling classes is one of the most tedious tasks in your overall academic experience, but it doesn’t have to be stressful.  I am currently a senior graduating at the end of the spring quarter, right on time!  A lot of planning and discussions went into getting me where I am today.

Meeting with your advisor early and often is the best way to make sure everything in your schedule logistically lines up.  Oftentimes, classes are only offered during certain terms, or they are only offered once every other year.  Your advisor will be able to tell you about this so you can plan accordingly.  You don’t want to be in your last quarter realizing you need a credit that isn’t offered!

Speaking with industry professionals is also a great way to get insight into what kinds of classes and courses you should take depending on what career path you want to achieve.  With marketing, I have taken a lot of film classes, such as production design, because I am more interested in digital marketing and content creation.  I want to be able to understand the science behind the things I am marketing on the screen and creating highly produced content.  I have also taken analytics classes to ensure I can look back at my work and figure out how to move forward with what worked and what didn’t.  

If you want to graduate early, dive into your options.  DePaul’s tuition covers up to 18 credits per quarter.  Most classes are either 4 or 2 credits.  This means that taking four, 4-credit classes will put you at 16 credits.  Stacking 2 credit classes onto your schedule each quarter can help you chip away at your credits and help you graduate early.  Classes at DePaul are often cross-listed, so speak with your advisor to knock out two requirements with one course.

I recommend coming up with a loose plan at the beginning of freshman year with all of the classes you are required to take, and the ones that you are interested in.  Having a balance of electives and required courses every quarter has helped my workload balance and made it possible for me to stay ahead of my work and graduate on time.

~ Morgan