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Choosing Your Classes

Once you have determined which degree fits your interests and abilities, you'll want to look ahead at the next two or three years of your education. Typically, AAS degrees have specific courses that should be taken each semester. AA degrees are more flexible, so planning will put you ahead of the game.

Select and print one of the degree worksheets

You will want to choose one of the degree worksheets that matches your career choice and print it.

Complete your educational plan

This worksheet can help you plan your classes to complete your educational goals at SFCC. Click on this link to print out the Educational Plan Worksheet before you continue.

Take required basic skills classes your first semester

If your placement test results require that you take any basic skills courses in writing, reading or math, be sure to take them your first semester. Incompletion of these prerequisite courses may slow down your progress toward your degree.

Consider what general education courses you need

What are general education (Gen Ed) courses? They are courses that fall into certain academic areas such as math, science, communications, humanities, and social science. The purpose of Gen Eds is to help students become well-rounded individuals with good writing and critical thinking skills. Regardless of which degree you pursue, you will still be required to take some general education courses.

Students pursuing an AA degree should refer to the college catalog to view a list of courses from which to choose to fulfill each category of general education coursework. Students who are pursuing an AAS degree should follow the program of study as listed in the course catalog.

Click here to see a table that lists some of the Gen Eds and prerequisites if there are any required before you can enroll in the class.

What type of classes do you want to take?

SFCC offers the following types of class environments, also referred to as "schedule type":

On ground--class is located in a classroom/lab and meets face-to-face with instructor and other students on a specific day/evening at a specific time
Online--class is delivered via SFCC Online using the Internet. Students login to SFCC Online to receive information, assignments, and tests via the Internet.
Hybrid--class uses both on ground and online environments
Evening or weekend--class is on ground and is held in the evenings or on weekends

How do you know what type of class is right for you?

Some students prefer taking all of their classes on ground or online and some prefer a combination of both types of classes. There are several factors to consider: time, travel, learning style, computer access, etc. If you are considering taking classes online, visit "Is Online for You," and check out the eIntro to SFCC Online course located in the SFCC Online channel on the Student tab in mySTAR. This short course can give you an idea of what the online learning environment is like. Online classes require access to a computer, keyboarding skills, and knowledge of programs such as Microsoft Word.

Talk to your assigned academic advisor

Visit with your core advisor in the ARC about any of the above items. Once you know who your academic advisor is, schedule to meet with him or her every semester, and have a copy of your completed 4-6 semester plan with you or send a copy to your advisor. He or she can evaluate your plan, and give you information about classes that may not be offered every semester.