In terms of timetabling, is it a better idea to schedule classes back to back (as in one finishes at 11am and the next starts at 11am for example) or leave hour breaks between classes, in your opinion? I'm doing Adv. Science and with all the labs, tutes and lectures, it's getting pretty hard to schedule my timetable so that I'm not there everyday. Is it normal to be a uni 5 days a week? I totally understand if I have to be but my commute is around 40 mins each way so it'd be great to avoid
Thanks!
Entirely depends on your preference. You can outweigh the pros and cons yourself. (I find that back-to-back has fewer pros in number, but the pros themselves are more valuable.
Pros of back-to-back:
- More 'compact' timetable.You usually get your classes done quicker. This automatically leads to the benefit of arriving later/leaving earlier.
- Classes are supposed to end 5 minutes before the hour, and start 5 minutes after the hour. This is usually enough of a buffer time to get between two classes. (Note, however, that this is not advised if your back-to-back classes are on opposite ends of the campus. The trek from upper to lower is tiresome, and even worse for vice versa.) (Also note that classes that seemingly don't follow this structure are the lecturer's/tutor's fault.)
- Do all your classes when you're most alert in the day.
Pros of gaps:
- Lunch break, instead of having to eat in class. (Of course, eating in labs is not permitted at all.)
- Lunch breaks are good for people who tend to buy food on campus. Also if you forget your food at home, it gives a safe back-up.
- No rush to go from one place to another typically.
- Extra hour to spare for extracurriculars (e.g. interview for society role), doing an assignment in an emergency situation, chat etc.
- Recovery hour from potential content overload.
I personally prefer a balance between the two. I'm usually completely unfazed by two classes in a row, but I want to eat at some point.
(Although, bear in mind that the average UNSW student's commute is around 1 hour. The extra bus ride adds 15 mins at least.)
5 days a week is pretty normal for certain degrees, but not all. For advanced science, this makes sense because of the lengthy labs.