Looking over my degree guide at the start of my senior year was a painful experience. While I had the majority of the credits needed to graduate, I realized I was still going to end up having to take 20 extra credits — $5,000 extra dollars that I didn’t need to spend — to finish out the classes I needed for my major. 

Here’s what I’ve learned about academic planning during my time at UO that I wish I had known when I started college.

1.Schedule out your credits over 4 years

While this might seem obvious, it’s both harder and more important than you probably think. If you came into college with credits from high school, took community college classes or loaded your freshman year up heavily with credits, taking the “recommended” 16 credits per term may actually end up costing you thousands of dollars.

Students need 180 credits to graduate, but there’s no requirement as to how many credits you must take per term.

Instead of just registering for four classes every term, create a calendar with 12 sections over four years, and plan out how many credits per term you need. One thing to keep in mind is that you may not be considered a full-time student while taking under 12 credits (which could affect financial aid and scholarships).

You might be surprised to find that you can cut back heavily on classes starting as early as sophomore year, depending on how many credits you came into college with, saving you thousands while reducing your workload.

2. If you’re receiving scholarships or loans that are disbursed every term, take as many terms as possible — if you can afford the living expenses and want to make college last

The most common scholarships that fall under this category are likely the general 4-year scholarships, including the Apex, Summit and Excellence awards, among others that UO awards to incoming freshmen, but financial aid and other scholarships may also hold true to this rule.

For example, an in-state student who receives the Summit Scholarship and graduates in three years will spend $43,012 on tuition, minus the $12,000 from the Summit Scholarship, totaling $31,012. In comparison, if the same student took four years to graduate, they’d spend the same $43,012 on tuition, but receive $16,000 from the scholarship, saving them $4,000 more in tuition than a three-year plan.

While this difference may not ultimately be worth putting off graduating early for, it’s certainly a consideration.

3. Make sure your classes are going toward something (especially if you’re unsure of your major)

It seems simple, but it’s undoubtedly the number one mistake that I’ve seen among college students. Students get to their junior year, decide to switch majors and now have to complete the credits for their new major as well as the general education courses they’ve been putting off.

Meanwhile, the credits from their previous major all become general credits that aren’t used toward any particular graduation requirements. Students end up having to take over 180 credits to finish their new major, and end up wasting thousands of dollars.

When you’re registering for courses early in your college years, make sure you take classes that will go toward completing a category on your degree guide that your major won’t hit. For liberal arts majors, get your science classes out of the way. For STEM majors, take that English class you’ve been putting off.

4.Double Dip

Double dipping means taking classes that will fill multiple requirements at once. Use UO’s Course and Degree Information webpage to find classes that fulfill general education requirements and major courses, or talk to your major-specific advisors for advice on which classes work the best for double dipping.

Double dipping works especially well with majors and minors, and can be a great way to double major or minor while staying within 180 credits.

Be aware, however, that not all categories on your degree guide can be double dipped.

5. Check your degree guide on DuckWeb

The biggest mistake someone can make is not understanding the DuckWeb degree guide, as it’s the key to finishing college on time and efficiently. Your degree guide is a comprehensive list of every class you have completed and have yet to complete for your major and general education requirements and is essential to making sure you graduate on time.

To find the degree guide, log into DuckWeb, select the student menu tab and find the “View Degree Guide – PDF” option.

While it can be intimidating at first, knowing which classes and categories you still need to hit, as well as where you can double dip, will allow you to schedule out your college credits and take tons of electives without overpaying on tuition or graduating late.