How to Build the Perfect Georgia Tech Schedule.
Created by Raya McLeroy and Tyler Lee
Introduction
Like many undergraduate students building a schedule for the first time, we felt like we lacked the knowledge and guidance into how to build an effective schedule. There were time conflicts, a lack of reputable professors, and unwanted early 8 AM classes that we had to endure during our freshman year. We decided to create a step-by-step guide that helps Georgia Tech students build an effective class schedule from start to finish. Rather than just explaining resources such as DegreeWorks or OSCAR, this guide will walk students through the entire registration process: reviewing degree requirements, planning future semesters, researching professors, creating backup schedules, and successfully registering for classes.
While Georgia Tech provides information about individual tools during orientation, many students, especially transfer students and those registering independently for the first time, struggle to connect these resources into a planning strategy. Existing guides often focus on a single platform or topic, but our post will combine multiple stages of academic planning into one comprehensive plan.
By following these steps, students can make more informed decisions about course selection, maintain a balanced workload, and better align their schedules with internships, extracurricular activities, and personal goals. This guide will help students move beyond simply registering for classes and instead develop a long-term academic plan that supports success throughout their undergraduate career. Best of luck!
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Table of Contents
- Step 1: Check Your Degree Requirements
- Step 2: Plan Future Semesters
- Step 3: Research Courses and Professors
- Step 4: Build a Balanced Schedule
- Step 5: Prepare Backup Schedules
- Step 6: Register Through OSCAR
- Step 7: Review and Adjust Your Plan
- Sources
Step 1: Check Your Degree Requirements
Logging in to DegreeWorks can help you determine what classes you need to add to your schedule. The website will show you a list of every class you have taken (marked with a green checkmark), classes you are currently taking (marked with a blue circle), and classes you need to eventually take (marked with an empty red circle). These incomplete requirements will also list what courses can fulfill them, further helping you decide how to fill your schedule.
Using DegreeWorks Effectively
DegreeWorks is useful for three things: planning ahead, calculating your GPA, and exploring possibilities.
Because the website shows what requirements you have yet to complete, as well as what courses can satisfy those requirements, you can easily build your schedule for each semester well in advance. Another feature of DegreeWorks worth mentioning is the ability to check a class’s prerequisites; simply click on the highlighted blue course IDs to see which classes you need to take beforehand. You will also find course descriptions here, allowing you to determine whether or not you would be interested in the class. Be sure to document your future semesters using Excel and compare your premade schedules to DegreeWorks.
At the top of the page, DegreeWorks will display your unweighted GPA. Clicking the GPA calculator will allow you to see what GPA certain grades will give you at the end of the semester. Use this calculator to check how you are doing throughout the school year, determine if you need to withdraw from a class before the deadline, or how you can raise your GPA after a particularly tough semester.
Finally, clicking on the “What-If” page on DegreeWorks will allow you to visualize your future even further. If you are uncertain about your major, your minor, or your threads, you can generate the coursework you will have to take to complete any combination of these on the “What-If” page. Build schedules comparing the benefits to each change you could make, and see if any of these changes fit into your four-year plan.
Step 2: Plan Future Semesters
Why stop at only planning out one semester? Although you can only register for that semester, you can plan as far in advance as you would like. Knowing what comes next can keep you on track for graduation in four short years. As previously mentioned, Excel is a great way to track your semesters, coursework, and GPA alongside DegreeWorks. Create a new spreadsheet, and get to planning!
Creating a Four-Year Plan
If you are unsure where to start, Georgia Tech luckily provides four-year plans for a number of majors. Check and see if yours is one of the lucky few! If not, that’s okay. The key to planning out the next four years of your college life is balance. Classes are not the only thing you will need to add to your schedule. You will want to have a social life, research chances, internships, jobs, and more! Check out the infographic to the left to see how you can fit these other opportunities into your four-year plan.
Step 3: Research Courses and Professors
Before you add anything to your schedule, make sure to research your courses! As discussed, DegreeWorks will provide a short summary of the course. However, you should also search online for how difficult the course may be as well. When creating a schedule, you want to make sure that you don’t pack too many of these hard classes into one semester, or you might risk burnout. For example, most Tech students are told to avoid taking the “three C’s” the same semester: Calculus, Chemistry, and Computer Science. Professors also have a significant effect on the difficulty of the course.
Comparing Instructor Options
When you register for classes, there may be several sections to choose from, and each one may have a different professor. Websites such as ratemyprofessors.com provide information about those professors and what past students who have taken their classes thought of both the coursework load and difficulty. Five is the highest score a professor can receive, and generally means they are well-liked and their classes are balanced. One is the lowest score a professor can receive, and typically means the opposite. However, these reviews are not always accurate and may be a result of frustration, so be sure to read through them carefully.
Step 4: Build a Balanced Schedule
Taking 18 credit hours of pure STEM classes sounds like an impossible task. Furthermore, as an incoming student trying to find your footing in social circles, make your way around campus, and possibly navigate a whole new state or city, it may be even more ridiculous. Make sure to balance your schedule; don’t overwhelm yourself with too many classes your first semester, and don’t take too many STEM classes at once. Similarly, although the classes you take are important, be sure to leave time for fun and socializing. Life isn’t all about your grades, but it certainly can become that way if you’re not careful with planning your schedule.
Navigating to and using the “Plan Ahead” feature in OSCAR can help you cement your schedule for a particular semester in advance and upload your plan immediately once your time ticket opens. Note that you are not guaranteed to get into all of the classes that you plan for, but you might be more likely to if you prepare ahead of time. Furthermore, visualizing your schedule through this feature and outside of Excel may help you better balance you work and social life.
Managing Workload and Time Commitments
Setting aside time for both work and fun is important for meeting deadlines, but also for giving yourself a break. If you commit yourself to working on a task for a dedicated amount of time, you will ensure not only the task’s completion, but also that it doesn’t take up too much of your time. Also, consistency is key! If you plan out when to regularly work on your assignments ahead of time, you can spare yourself the dread of accidentally missing a deadline and give yourself more freedom. A calendar could be useful in keeping track of your week.
Step 5: Prepare Backup Schedules
You may not get into all of the classes you originally planned for. Time tickets are given out based on credit hours, and typically, freshmen have the lowest credit hours and thus the latest time tickets. In order to make sure that registration goes smoothly for you, create backup schedules with courses you can take in case you don’t get everything you need.
Step 6: Register Through OSCAR
Your time ticket has opened, and you are now ready to register for your classes through the OSCAR application! First, click “Registration” and then “Register for Classes.” Next, set the term of the semester that you are registering for. Then, begin adding the classes that you planned for to your schedule! If you have already created a plan through the “Plan Ahead” feature, simply click onto the “Plans” tab and add all of your classes. In the instance that you do not get into every class, check and see if you can join their waitlists. Alongside joining the waitlists, attempt to register for backup classes. If you end up getting off the waitlist for any of your other courses, you can always drop a class later in the Add/Drop period. Remember to stay calm and refer to the four-year plan! To the left, we have provided a tutorial of the “Plan Ahead” section; it isn’t the same, but it is very similar to what registration will look like day of.
Step 7: Review and Adjust Your Plan
If you ended up having to use a backup schedule, make sure to update your four-year plan accordingly. You may have to shift some courses around to get everything to fit, but planning ahead will save you much heartache in the future.
Preparing for Future Registration Cycles
Now that you have one registration under your belt, you will likely find future registration cycles much easier. Familiarize yourself with the registration timeline provided below to better understand terminology and what happens when. Furthermore, note that not every course will be offered every semester. So, towards the end of each semester, be sure to look out for when the Georgia Tech course schedule drops. If you are on top of it, you can adjust your four-year plan accordingly.
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