8 Tips to Creating Your Class Schedule at CSUN

Ready to start getting ready for classes here at CSUN? Good. That’s the right kind of attitude. It is good for the bones (or is that Vitamin D?) Regardless of the benefits of initiative, starting college and preparing for classes is a wild time. Stressful, even! But never let that stress get the best of you! ‘Cause we have academic advisement to help. (Now, you can spend more time worrying about what’s going to happen on the next season of Pretty Little Liars.) Keep reading for 8 tips to creating your class schedule and learning everything there is to know about academic advisement at CSUN!

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1. Be sure to schedule your appointment with the right department.

Do us all a favor and make sure you are calling the Student Services/EOP for the department that houses your major. Your bestie’s History advisor will not be able to help you as a Humanities major and vice versa. It is for the best, though.

2. Have an idea of how large you want your course load to be.

The best part of college is the fact that you get to choose how many classes that you take in any given semester. Of course, there are certain holds and other restrictions that prevent you from taking 30 credits in a given semester, but it is all pretty simple to understand:

12 credits are the minimum amount to be considered a full time student
16 is the general max of units permitted in a given semester.
19 is the absolute max allowed only with permission from your advisor (unless you are a senior looking to finish your credits before graduation). The Permission Form can be found here and should be brought in to your advisor before you register (they will not allow you to do this as a Freshman, usually).

After all, the last thing you want to do is overload yourself with courses and forget to live your life outside of school!

3. You are required to complete advisement during your first two semesters at CSUN.

For the first two semesters, you have to sign an agreement about which classes you are taking. Any deviances will result in a change to fit the previous arrangement (definitely come with backups)!

After that, you can still do it, if you want…

Bonus: It usually gets you an earlier registration time for the first 13 credits, before open enrollment. This makes it easier to get the classes you want to take!

4. Feel free to come in with questions about your courses.

Remember high school? If you were having trouble with classes, you would visit your counselor to figure things out (like if AP Euro was really a good idea–Spoiler Alert: it was not). Well, now you are the one with the responsibility! Comes with the whole adult thing.

With questions that are less specific to the course and more specific to your life like–should you be doing a minor or a double major while you’re also working?–your advisor is the best bet. They want to see you graduate, and I am sure that you do, too.

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5. Have an idea of which courses you are interested in.

This is a good idea, since there happens to be a lot of classes. To figure out the different options in your course studies (or simply look at which electives you want to take), check out the course catalog!

6. About those Summer/Winter classes…

Before taking summer/winter classes, go to your advisor. They will help you make sure your classes satisfy the overall course requirements required for graduation. Also, they offer advice about courses at CSUN, or those parallel to the curriculum at your local community college.

8. Do NOT be afraid!

Advisors never bite and only want to see you succeed (not only at CSUN, but in the future, as well)! So, keep your chin up and walk into your appointment with confidence! Trust me, they love that.

Need more info? CSUN has their own guide to academic advisement that can be found here!