College logistics
Check a proposed course schedule for conflicts
Put each course's meeting times and locations in one table. Look for overlaps first, then for gaps too short to get between buildings. Add the requirements each listing states for itself. Anything the listing does not say stays flagged as unresolved.
A text to start with
Here is my draft schedule for [term]: [course codes, meeting days and times, buildings or rooms as listed]. I need [minutes] to travel between buildings, and my other fixed commitments are [work or activity times]. List any overlaps and any gaps shorter than my travel time. Also list the requirements each listing states for its course. Do not infer anything the listings leave out.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.Schedule conflict check
Term: [ ] Travel allowance between buildings: [ ] minutes Other fixed commitments: [ ] Course code and section: [ ] Days and times: [ ] Building and room, or online: [ ] Time zone if online: [ ] Stated prerequisites or requirements, quoted from the listing: [ ] Overlaps with: [ ] Gap before next class: [ ] minutes Enough for travel? [yes / no / unknown] Unresolved constraint: [ ] Where I will confirm it: [ ] Backup section: [ ]
What the table can mislead you about
A course title does not tell you its prerequisites, so do not let the table imply them. Registration availability, such as open seats or permission codes, belongs to the school's registration system and can change daily. Check whether a meeting pattern differs by week, as with labs that meet on alternate days. A section with no room assigned makes travel time impossible to judge. Time zones matter for online sections. Confirm that the sections you compare are for the same term.
Ask another agent to check the result
Check this table for prerequisites or registration availability inferred from a course title or number. Flag each one and ask for the listing text that supports it. Also check meeting patterns that vary by week. Do not mark any course as registrable.
Verify before you register
Take each unresolved constraint to the school's course catalog or registration page and note what it says, with the date. Ask your adviser about anything that depends on your record, such as prerequisites you have already met. Choose a backup section for the course most likely to conflict, and recheck the whole table on the day registration opens.