If you go in blind, tears will be shed in confusion and frustration – and the uni year hasn’t even started yet. The instructions are vague, options too many, and after six years of people doing it for you, allocating your subjects is just a huge WTF.
Who knew organising four subjects could be such a struggle?
Timetable Finder
Thanks to some genius, we have Timetable Finders that will make your day good again(I mean, better than before). They are specialised in creating every single possible timetable which you can filter through until you find one you like. It’s not officially affiliated with the university so you’re going to have to find it through word of mouth, some smart Googling, or the equally unofficial university Facebook page. In saying that, not all universities have an unofficial Timetable Finder and if you are unfortunately a part of this group, then you’re going to have to do it the old fashioned way.
If you happen to find yourself at Monash University, will.io has your back.
Write it out
From first-hand experience, trying to do it in your head is such a sad mistake. So, draw up a grid with the days of the week and times or open up an Excel document and plan it out. It’ll take some time and you will get hangry at how long it’s taking, but it’s worth figuring out if you only have to go to university three times a week instead of the five.
Terms and Conditions
On first glance, some of the terms are going to be a total head-scratcher so here’s a quick lowdown on one what you need to know.
Auto-allocation: It’s automatically allocated. This means you have to plan your other remaining lessons around it. And yes, sometimes most of your subjects will have auto-allocated classes which could mean coming in at 4PM for a two-hour seminar. #yay
Weirdly high percentages next to your time preference: It’s just telling you how popular that preference is.
Preference Entry: You need to fill out every single preference option but don’t disregard option two-five because there is no guarantee you’ll get your first.
Depending on your university allocation can also be known as Class Registration and in this case, it’s first-come, first-serve so get in quick when you’re filling out your preferences. If you’re using Allocate+, it’s completely random so the most you can do is hope you get a good timetable. In both cases, you’ll have about a month to complete your allocation but once you’re actually filling it out, don’t stop and start because it will kick you out of your session if it doesn’t see any activity.
Clashes
If you have a clash between subjects, try and choose another time-slot even though it could mean not being in the same class as your friends*. If you have a clash with no alternative classes then you can request a timetable change. It may sound complicated but it’s just an online request for your university to properly take a look at your problem and fix it for you. In most genuine cases of clashes, it works out for the best.
*If you’re feeling rebellious, students have been known to shoot emails to lecturers asking for a particular class because they “have work” and so can’t be in the other class with no friends.
Post-allocating
When timetables come out and you find yourself deeply angry at your four-day-a-week instead of three, log into your uni portal, find your subject, and its forum and get begging. Someone will always be too nice and swap with you so never fear, there is always a way around badly allocated subjects…whether it’s done respectably or not.
Also take note of your census dates because until then you can discontinue subjects without a fee for a new batch of allocation times if you’re super annoyed by an elective subject.
