Is it better to have back to back classes or have 1-3 hour breaks in between classes? For back to back, I’m worried to not have enough time to go to opposite sides of campus or have time to review material between classes.
From Li Ka Shing to Barrows for example which is pretty far apart from one another is about 11 minutes, so there will be a couple of instances where you’re going to be spending a lot of rushing commuting time beteeen classes. Maybe someday there will be Lime scooters all over campus to help.
If you’re at a dorm or housing that is really close to campus it might be ok to spread out classes, but I’m guessing that the majority of students will want to compact classes together, with perhaps one period for lunch. But it just really depends on the individual.
If you like running, it may be ok to have back-to-back classes on opposite sides of campus (remember that eastbound is uphill), though it would prevent the opportunity for informal discussions with instructors or other students immediately after the first class.
@ProfessorPlum168 Do people use bikes at all on campus? 11 min walk may become a 3 minute bike ride. No?
@ElenaParent I see some bikes but not many. As @ucbalumnus alluded to, the campus is hilly and if you stay at a dorm like Foothill, the bike climb is very challenging to the dorm.
It depends on the timing. If there is 1.5 hour break after your 9:30~11:00 class and the next class starts at 12:30, then that break is perfect to get lunch and head over to next class.
However, if you have a 8:00~9:30 class followed by a 11:00 class or a 12:30~2:00 class followed by a 3:30 class, then I can tell from my experience that 1.5 hour in-between time won’t be much productive at all unlike what I thought. If I have the choice, then strategically grouping the classes in the morning or afternoon and leaving the rest as free time worked the best. I can use the free time to go to office hours or do a group study session without feeling compressed for time.
But in the end it’s case-by-case. Perhaps you can do much better than I did on using small spare time, and like you mentioned, not have to worry about missing the first few minutes of the next back-to-back class.