Tips for Planning Academic Schedules
As a Meredith student, you have a responsibility to your academic advisor to consider and discuss personal long-range goals for your career at Meredith. This includes an awareness of the courses you've taken, tracking requirements you have fulfilled and have yet to complete, and informing advisors of changes in plans.

Schedule planning is an integral step in the process of completing a degree and achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Tools that will help you plan your schedule successfully include:

• The list of requirements for your major(s)/minor(s) from the Undergraduate Catalogue and/or from the academic department(s).
  
• Course schedules from the Registrar and lists of courses and semesters offered from the Catalogue.
  
• The General Education Requirements check sheet (select the academic year you entered under Information for Students).
  
• Major check sheets lists courses required for graduation for each major an includes general education. 
  
• The Academic Plan Worksheet allows you to make multiple schedules and plan what courses you will take and when you will take them.

First, determine what your goals are with regards to timeline. Are you a full-time student wishing to graduate in four years? Are you a part-time student? Do you work? Have children or other commitments that take a lot of time? You want to make sure not to overextend yourself, so plan carefully, taking all of your commitments and personal goals into consideration.

Second, use the catalogue to determine what you are required to take and when those classes are offered. Plug those courses into the Planning Matrix. If you have not yet decided on a major, focus on taking General Education Requirements (GER) and/or explore courses that interest you.

Third, fit in GERs throughout your schedule. Consider how a GER may be used in more than one way. For example, Sociology 230 may be a pre-requisite for taking a required course for your major. It may be used for your behavioral science GER and toward your major requirements.

Fourth, fill in any gaps in your schedule with elective courses that interest you or may be helpful in achieving your goals. Taking courses in different disciplines challenges you to think about topics from different perspectives, while taking courses like the Career Planning Seminar may help you focus on your career path or help you with your job search.

Remember the following points while planning your schedule:

• You need at least 124 credit hours to graduate.
  
• A minimum of 12 credits is required for full-time status.
  
• You may take no more than 19 hours.
  
• An average of 15.5 hours/semester will allow you to graduate in four years.
  
• You may take courses through the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges program (CRC colleges include Meredith, Peace, St. Augustine's Colleges, and NC State and Shaw Universities). You may take up to three (3) courses/year earning no more than four (4) credit hours each. If you are enrolled in Meredith summer school, you may take one (1) CRC course during the session. A special form is required to enroll in the CRC program.
  
• If you choose to take summer school courses at another institution, you will need to complete a Request for
  Off-Campus Credit form from the Registrar's Office.