If you were commuting, would you rather only go to class four times a week or twice a week? Typically, most would say the latter. However, I argue that stretching your schedule out through the week is the better option.
Outrageous gas prices aside, with the average being $4.21 in DeKalb, I’ve honestly had a better semester with classes four times a week than when I only went twice a week. Unfortunately, because I was an enthusiastic and eager freshie last year, I thought four classes back-to-back on Tuesdays and Thursdays was the best idea in the world.
I mean, at least I was able to take advantage of that 20% off at Cast Iron discount for Honors students on Tuesdays, but the schedule was insane. I was in class from 9:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., speed walking to each one with no break in between.
That schedule sucked because I never had an actual lunch break, so I was always awkwardly pulling out my thermos in class and filling the room with the aroma of pork dumplings and sweet chili sauce.
And if one of my classes got cancelled – usually the third of my four – I couldn’t leave campus because I had to stay for my last class.
Not just that, but I had to haul all the way from Graham Hall to Davis Hall and then all the way back to the University Circle parking lot. I never parked in the parking garage because I didn’t want to do laps aimlessly for 40 minutes, wasting my time to never find a spot.
This semester I spread my classes out from Monday through Thursday and have them adjusted to much better times.
Having a break between classes is important. It’s so nice to be able to take a nice, peaceful lunch break, or just take a break from taking notes.
If you don’t want to be on campus that long, though, just an hour and a half break is good as long as there’s a buffer between your classes.
Or if you absolutely must have a big gap, take a nap in your car, as long as you don’t have a fishbowl. Or even go to the fourth floor of the Founder’s Memorial Library to get your work done.
Plus, if you are on campus more, you could be more involved. Not saying you have to stay until 11 p.m. for a function, but a lot of different clubs have their meetings on Wednesday afternoons, or if you are in the Honors program, they hold fun/crafty events on Tuesday nights.
If you’re commuting to NIU, it would definitely be in your best interest to spread your classes throughout the week, max three classes a day, with at least one gap. And if you have a 40-minute commute like me, avoid super early classes especially if you are not an early bird.
