Scheduling season for the Fall Semester is here, and students are eager to check out their enrollment shopping cart and fill up class seats before it’s too late. However, avoiding scheduling stress is not always easy, especially for new Bobcats.
According to Purdue Global, “anxiety, depression and stress were the most common concerns assessed by clinicians treating college students, according to the 2021 Annual Report by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health.” The Purdue article discussed how stress can cause both “short- and long-term physical symptoms,” including disrupted sleep and chronic pain.
As each academic year brings new classes and different levels of work, scheduling classes is not always a smooth process and students can have difficult experiences.
Alexandria Kartsonas, a freshman studying media arts production and marketing, is a dual major and said her scheduling experiences have not been easy.
“I would say it was extremely stressful and difficult scheduling first semester during orientation because I was trying to obtain the two different majors and the two different colleges,” said Kartsonas.
Kartsonas said the communication while trying to schedule was confusing and frustrating. However, she is grateful for her academic advisor's guidance and help.
Academic advisors are one of the several sources offered at Ohio University to provide help to those facing scheduling stress. Each college offers academic advisors who are assigned to new students at orientation.
Angelique Miller, a sophomore studying aviation, said her academic advisor helps her relax and face the stresses of scheduling with confidence.
“She is very supportive; she knows a lot about the department,” said Miller. “She puts in a lot of work even though she’s the only advisor for our department, so we love her.”
Miller said she highly recommends emailing advisors for extra help if needed, because they provide another layer of guidance and support to Bobcats.
Students can face academic pressure throughout their college experience, and those pressures can have a large influence on mental health. Kartsonas said the scheduling process can be especially stressful for her because she prefers to plan ahead.
“I think it definitely weighs on a person to not know about their future,” said Kartsonas. “I’m a planner … so I think it’s super strenuous on mental health to have that uncertainty of scheduling because if one thing goes wrong, it feels like the entire plan comes crashing down.”
One of the specific stresses faced during the scheduling process is the fear of not getting into a required class before it is full. Required classes need to be completed in order to graduate on time, therefore students should always have a backup plan.
Chastity Frizzell, a sophomore studying music education, said reading over DARS and figuring out semester goals and personal needs are also important in order to have a smooth scheduling process.
“I personally like to plan through the scheduling planner,” said Frizzell. "I favorite multiple schedules, show them to my advisor, get a yes or no, change what I need and I send it to my shopping cart beforehand."
For incoming Bobcats or those who are struggling with college schedules, remember students at OU are always willing to support and help one another. Miller discussed recommendations for students who need assistance if their academic advisor is unavailable.
“I would say first, email your advisor, that is what I usually do if I need help,” said Miller. “If you don’t have a helpful advisor, I’d say probably try to find an upperclassman friend or someone you know who’s been here for the semester.”
