How to Make a Four-Year Plan – Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center

Overview

It is important to plan ahead in order to graduate with your undergraduate degree in four years. It is also never too early to start creating your four-year plan! These guidelines will help incoming students navigate the task of setting up a basic four-year academic plan. If you would like to have your plan include your pre-law timeline, then feel free to schedule an appointment.

I. Information Gathering II. Setting Up the Template III. Filling Out the Template IV. Verifying Your Schedule

I. Information Gathering

All students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa must fulfill five areas:?

General Education Core
Graduation Requirements
Degree Requirements
College Requirements
Major Requirements

Planning ahead will help you to figure out how to include each of these areas as efficiently as possible.

Visit the Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center (PAC) to learn about your timeline for applying to law school.
- Learn about the steps in your “Path to Professional School.”
- Research the basic admission requirements for your field.
Visit the Mānoa Catalog website to go over your requirements.
- General Education Core (Foundation and Diversification)
- Graduation Requirements (Focus and Languages)
- Degree Requirements (B.A., B.S., B.F.A., B.Ed., etc.)
- College Requirements
Visit your College or School website (depending on your major). Every program of study at UH Mānoa is housed within a college or school. Your college or school sets its own policies for withdrawals, major declarations, etc.
- Review the requirements for your potential major on the Program Sheets website.
- Print a program sheet for each degree/major you are considering. At the end of each program sheet, it lists the contact information for your college or school advising office.
Visit the department website for your intended major. You can find the department’s website on the program sheet or in the Mānoa Catalog.
Verify if any of your courses have pre-requisites/co-requisites or placement tests. Some courses, such as Math, Chemistry, and Language may require you to take an assessment test in order to register for a course. Click here for more information about placement tests. You may need to make an appointment or reserve a seat in order to participate.
- Use the Mānoa Catalog to see if you will need to take courses in a specific order. Some courses may have prerequisites to complete.

II. Setting Up the Template

Once you have all of the information that you need regarding the courses that you will take to complete your four-year plan, you can start to work on your plan.

Download a four-year academic planning sheet. Notice that each year is arranged by academic years rather than calendar years.
Fill in the years next to the semester titles. Remember that calendar years begin with the spring semester of each academic year.
- For example, if you were to begin school in Fall 2017, the next semester in that academic year is Spring 2018.
Add in labels for your application year (when to take standardized tests, application deadlines, letters of recommendation, etc.). Many law schools utilize a rolling admissions process. Therefore, it is recommended to submit your application toward the start of a school’s application cycle, which is often a year before you would plan to enter law school.

III. Filling Out the Template

Now that you have set up your four-year plan, you can start to add in your coursework.

Review your courses. You should have a list of which Core Courses (Foundation, Diversification, Focus, Language, and College/School Requirements) and Major/Degree Courses (check your program sheet) you would like to take.
- Check for any overlapping courses. For example, a course may meet a core requirement and a related major requirement.
- Double-check your courses for any pre-requisites. Course pre-requisites determine the order in which you must schedule your courses.
Pencil in your courses.
- Start with your Foundation courses (FW, FS, and FGs). These courses should be taken within your first year.
- Fill in your remaining core and major requirements. Remember that your language courses must be taken in a specific order and may only be offered in certain semesters.
- Determine whether you have room for elective courses. You must complete a minimum of 120 credits to graduate.
  - At the corner of each semester box, total up your credits. Once you have sums for each semester, calculate your total credits.
  - Check the PAC website for a list of recommended pre-law electives.
  - Some students choose to utilize their elective credits toward pursuing another major, a minor, or a certificate. Check the Mānoa Catalog for more information and visit the respective department to learn about how to add it to your plan.

IV. Verifying Your Schedule

You are almost there! Now that you have added everything in your four-year plan, it is time to ensure that you are ready to go.

Check that your courses are correctly sequenced and that your course load is reasonable. Take into account study time and work time if you plan to work during school.
- As a rule of thumb, you should spend twice the amount of time studying outside of class for the amount of time you spend in class.
Show your advisors your plan. As a pre-law student, you have at least three advisors at UH Mānoa: (1) Pre-Law Advisor, (2) School/College Advisor, and (3) Major/Department. Refer to the “Notes” section of your program sheet to determine who your School/College Advisor and Major/Department Advisors are. Be sure to discuss your plans with each of them and ask them to confirm that your plan is correct and complete.

Congratulations!

You have created your very own four-year academic plan! Keep in mind that you can always add or move courses, depending on what is offered each semester. Avoid deleting any courses or credits without first talking to all three of your advisors. Finally, remember to check in with your advisors each semester to make sure that you are on track to graduate and apply for law school!