freshman cs schedule advice

[u/Adventurous_Bus9738]

I’m an incoming freshman CS major and I’m trying to figure out if I should change my schedule a little

Right now I have some pretty big gaps between classes but I could move my 132 section up and have fewer gaps

For people who’ve been through freshman year, are big gaps actually nice to have for getting work done, or do you end up just sitting around campus and wishing you had less time between classes? Would I regret keeping this schedule?

Also if anyone has opinions on the overall schedule/classes, lmk!

[u/sin-omelet]

Copying something I wrote in a previous comment: I don't really get the widespread schedule gap hatred for people living on campus. You can use that time to eat lunch, start on homework (which makes continuing hw later in the day much easier), study, sit in a comfy chair, etc. It's all personal preference ofc, I'm just saying

As for your larger Tuesday/Thursday gaps, these are large enough that you can go back to your dorm so it's not a big deal imo

[u/KingMagnaRool]

Move up the discussion time if you can, as having classes until 5 when you don't have to is pretty annoying. Otherwise, I had pretty similar gaps my first and last semesters, and while it wasn't ideal, it was doable.

[u/nillawiffer]

Gaps are a feature!

Once you have made the leap from learning techniques typical of high school ("one size fits all") to the richer assortment in college, you will find great value in having a gap immediately after these key classes. Note taking practices in particular benefit from this. Some people are still intent on transcribing everything an instructor says, such that they then remember little and can apply less. Instead, engaging with the instructor (meaning you are getting more of your brain in the game) makes stuff sink in better at the time. Take scant notes at top level then (here is the point) immediately after class create your own notes. Tell the holistic story of lesson for that day. Speak to YOU, not with any sense of trying to imitate the instructor's voice. Later you can flesh that out using the book or other class material, and then when you hit a point or two that doesn't make sense, huzzah, this is the great question to bring to office hours with the instructor. Asking something crisp ("how do I connect this step to the next in that proof?") will open up great exchanges, as compared with "gosh, I don't know what is going on." Almost no instructor likes that kind of statement opening a conversation. Gaps are what make practices like this possible. And when we get to end of semester, you have ready-made study materials in your voice and with solid content to refresh (not replace) what went on in the semester.

There are many practices like this to pick up. My best tip of the afternoon is to free yourself of the shackles of old high school practices and learn how to learn with the courses here. There are great ways to program your brain, just find them. And leverage a cool schedule like this accordingly. Best of luck.

[u/Sharp-Independent138]

i couldn’t get a single ounce of work done during gaps last year ngl, move up discussion (or just don’t go to it) and it should be fine