What A Typical College Class Is Like

What's A Typical College Class Like?

Well, truthfully, there really may not be any such thing as a "typical college class." They can come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. However, there are some commonalities that most share a lot of the time. And, there are some typical academic scheduling similarities to fill you in on, too.

The most important thing for you to learn as part of your college search is what kind of academic schedule does a particular school utilize. The key information you want to know is what the academic calendar looks like (when school and classes are in session), the length of a typical class (in weeks), and how often the class meets during that time.

Academic Calendars

Most schools use a two or three semester system. A two semester system is the traditional academic schedule where you have a fall semester and a spring semester. Some schools use a variation of this where they offer a mini-semester during the month of January (sometimes called a Jan Plan) in between the two semesters. Semesters are approximately 14-16 weeks in length depending on vacation time during each.

Another model is the trimester system which has a fall, winter, and spring or fall, spring, and summer type of schedule. These semesters are shorter but can also be more intense. It may even be possible to utilize this type of system to squeeze in more classes and accelerate your degree.

When Classes Meet

Unlike high school, classes in college rarely meet every day. The frequency depends on the class. Sometimes its once a week, sometimes three times a week. The most popular format for a typical college class is either to meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (3 times a week) for about an hour or on Tuesdays and Thursdays (2 times a week) for about an hour and a half.

Classes may meet at any time of day and even in the evening and on weekends, too. Pay close attention to that when you are registering. What's nice is that you usually get to choose what courses you want to take and when. For example, if you aren't a morning person, you can try not to schedule too many 8 a.m. classes!

Average Class Size

This can vary by college. Usually, the larger the school, the larger you can expect your typcial first-year courses to be. However, it's not uncommon even at medium size and smaller schools to have freshmen class sizes that are 50 students large.

Yes, it's true that some classes at big universities might approach two hundred or more students overall. But, these can also have small group sessions attached to them where you can get individual attention from a graduate assistant.

Know that at all schools, the class sizes will get smaller as you progress through your program.

Expect A Lot Of Reading

Expect to do more reading than you've ever done! The typcial college class requires lots of outside reading. Really!

There is a lot more than in high school. And, you would be wise to go to any study skills session offered during your orientation program. You are paying for those resources with your tuition so swallow your pride and let someone show you the ropes at orientation!

Even if you were a straight A student in high school, studying at college is different. For one, you've got to find what time of day and where on campus will work best for you. Even if you and your roommate are best friends, there will be times when she wants to watch TV and you need to hit the books!

A Syllabus Is Your Roadmap

At the beginning of every course, you will get a map of the course called a syllabus. This outlines exactly the material you will be covering, when tests and quizzes and papers are as well as key information on how you will be graded. Use this information to your advantage! Plan ahead. Use a calendar and figure out when you will have to devote more time to different courses.

Is It All Boring Lectures?

In a word, no! Yes, there are still lots of professors that fit the typcial movie-type depiction of a college class where they stand in front of the class and have you take notes. But, there are just as many professors now that use group work, in-class assignments, multimedia presentations, and even student-led discussions to spice things up and appeal to various kinds of learning styles.

My advice is to get the email address of an upper class student in your intended major and ask them about specific professors to look for or any to avoid.

Yes, There Are LOTS Of Papers

Do yourself a favor and make friends with the research library staff as soon as you get on campus! They can make your life so much easier. And, they LIKE to do research and help improve your papers with good, solid research.

By the way, in college, you can never use anything with the suffix "pedia" attached to it as source (meaning encyclopedia, Wikidpedia, etc.)!

Also, you'll want to learn about how to evaluate the stuff you find on the internet, too. Get to your school's academic support center or ask the library staff about any specialized tutorials they may have online or offer early on in your first semester about how to conduct research over the internet. You'll be glad you did!

Test Drive A Class Or Two Before You Make Your Final Choice

When you get your final selection set narrowed down, make sure to sit in on a class at each institution if you can. This really is the best way to see if you can picture yourself a student on that campus.

By the way, a neat program that Yale is offering now are FREE online courses where you can try an actual class that has been prerecorded over the internet. You get to see what actual letures are like, assignments, tests, etc. These are real classes that were taught by real Yale professors for actual credit. There are 7 to choose from, too!

So if you really want to see for yourself what a Yale class is like check out this link. Click here to check out the free Yale Open Courses.

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