By taking the time to create a semester plan, you can reduce the stress and anxiety that come from not knowing about an upcoming deadline. Instead of relying on your classmates and instructors to tell you when you have things due, map out all of your course deadlines (i.e., tests, quizzes, assignments, etc.) at the beginning of each semester, and then use your semester calendar to keep you on track.
1. Choose one of the calendar templates below:
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This semester planner is divided by weeks following the college week breakdown. The semester planner is a good way to see what should be completed within the week, all in one place. See Example |
2. Find your Course Outline:
On eCentennial, find your Course outline or Evaluation Scheme for your course. Near the end of your course outline document, you will find a section titled Topical Outline, which is a week-by-week chart breaking down what you will be learning and your assessment deadlines.
Here is an example of a course outline:
3. Add the dates to your calendar:
It's important that you include WHAT is due, WHEN it is due, and HOW much it is worth. Knowing this information can help you allocate your time according to your weekly schedule.
Use different text sizes, text colours, bolded text, highlighted text, etc. to differentiate between various items on your calendar. We recommend that you indicate what the assessments are worth directly on the calendar. i.e., 'Test 1 (25%)'. Finally, make the calendar easily accessible or visible so that you can refer to it when doing your course work.
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If you prefer an online calendar, try using the Microsoft Outlook Calendar in your myCentennial e-mail or Google Calendar to create your schedule. Set up your class timetable as recurring weekly meetings and categorize them with different colours.
Choose a specific day and time to plan out your upcoming week (i.e., Friday evening or Sunday night) on a weekly basis.
Next Step:
