I have a character that goes to university in Australia within the years 1984-1987. He would be studying 'Bachelor of Education (secondary)'. I have created a mock-timetable, but I don't think it's good enough and like to have help with it. He would be in the Drama Society, and I want to give him a job, so he doesn't rely too much on his dad, but I don't know how to fit it in with him. He has a few friends and likes to help out his family as much as possible if he is not too busy and attends church on Sunday.
You mean like a class schedule? I'd go to the website of a university you are basing yours around and locate the course curriculum in that major. Typically, couses have when they meet... For example "MWF at 6pm" Then you can build your characters weekly schedule based on that information.
Okay, I think I already have that. Would the classes go for a whole week or a few days for his first year of uni? I wondered if it possible for him to do drama club, work and a tiny bit of a social life. Monday - 8.35 am to 9.35 pm: Studying at the cafe - 10.00 am to 12.00 pm: Lecture - 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm: Lecture - 3.00 pm - 5.00 pm: Lecture Tuesday - 8.35 am to 9.35 pm: Studying at the cafe - 10.00 am to 12:00 pm: Lecture - 1.00 pm to 2.00pm: Tutorial - 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm: University Drama Society Wednesday - 9.35 am to 10.35 pm: Studying at the cafe - 11.00 am to 12.00 pm: Tutorial - 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm: Lecture - 2.10 pm to 4.00 pm: Study at the Library - 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm: University Drama Society Thursday - 8.35 am to 9.35 pm: Studying at the cafe - 10.00 am to 11.00 am: Lecture - 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm: Lecture - 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm: Tutorial - 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm: University Drama Society Friday - 9.35 am to 10.35 pm: Studying at the cafe - 11.00 am to 12.00 pm: Lecture - 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm: Lecture Saturday - Free / Depends on whats he doing Sunday - 10.00 am to 11.15 pm: Church - 5.00 pm to 8.30 pm: Sunday Dinner ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Semester 1 Commence: 30 January 1984, Monday Semester 1 Recess/Break: 12 March 1984, Monday - 30 March 1984, Friday Semester 1 Resumes: 2 April 1984, Monday Semester 1 Concludes: 21 May 1984, Monday Semester 1 Formal Exams: 11 June 1984, Monday - 22 June 1984, Friday Semester 1 Results Released: 15 June 1984, Friday Results: 6 July 1984, Friday Semester 2 Commence: 9 July 1984, Monday Semester 2 Recess/Break: 3 September 1984, Monday - 14 September 1984, Friday Semester 2 Resumes: 17 September 1984, Monday Semester 2 Concludes: 19 October 1984, Friday Semester 2 Formal Exams: 29 October 1984, Monday - 9 November 1984, Friday Semester 2 Results Released: 25 November 1984, Sunday
It depends on the class. I've had a class that was once a week, and ive had classes that were 3 times a week. Freshmen Seminar was a 30 min class that met twice a week for half a semester. Typically, thats your schedule for the semester. It is possible to do extra curriculars and still have a social life and a job. I worked on campus for a while and then in town, and juggled athletics and honor society, and hanging out with friends. And, in the words of my mom who was in college in the 80s, "i went to school full time, had 2 part time jobs and STILL had time to go out and have fun"
With the dates that I have. I went on the university website and found the 2021 dates for the current classes, gone on my phone's calendar, and scrolled back to 1984. I swapped the dates to go with the days from the 2021 classes and wrote them down in my notebook from months ago. I'm not sure how many days the drama club would have and if the time would be right.
Unless you are using a real university, i feel like you can take liberties and make stuff up. Even if it is a real university thats in your story, i think you can get away with having a club last longer than it did back then
I am using a real university and what would you mean by the club lasting longer? By the way, I can be bit dense at time when it comes to understanding things as I have ASD.
And when would assignments be important during the year, did I put too many lectures in and how many exams he would do during the formal exams. I imagine that universities have changed over the years.
my answer was in response to this: its also up to the professors as well. I dont know about large universities... i went to a small one. i dont remember many exams that were semester finals. My Art History professor had an exam after each unit. My Psychology professor had quizzes weekly. Other than that, I had weekly papers. the area of study also dictates how the assignments and lectures will go. I've had friends who had to take 2 of the "same" classes, though one was the "Lecture" part of it and the other was the "Lab" part. They were science majors.
I don't think it's unreasonable that your character would have time to go to school, work, see his friends, etc.... Sounds like just about everyone's college career I'm familiar with. What's the main issue as far as the writing goes? Unless you're planning on writing a blow by blow, minute by minute account of your MC's week--which would be extremely boring--I think you're fine having a scene at school here, a scene at work there, a little social interlude, and whatever else. The reader isn't going to care about the time constraints, if that's what you're worried about.
I understand, I just like to know all of the details of each character that I have (the main ones really), so I know when they would be available, what would they be doing that kind of thing. I'm also having trouble with what type of job he should get.
ETA: i dont remember what those classes were, so i had to go back and look them up. Wow that was a fun semester! Intro to Crime Scene Investigation, Major British Writers section 1, Ancient History, Shakespeare, Contemporary Childrens Literature. (I thought i clicked "edit" not reply...)
Bartender will give you the most creative freedom. Any random character can walk in at any moment. And your MC can meet anyone they need to without any plot-jiggling. And in real life, probably 75% of my bartenders have been college students. And the other 25% started when they were college students and never left.
Depending on their age, the character might not beable to work as a bartender. Isnt it like you have to be 21 and older to be a bartender today? Was it different in the 80s?
I was in college around your timeframe and I couldn't tell you what my schedule was now. I cared only a little bit more back then and mostly if a lecture started too early in the morning. Some of our teachers targeted the hung over without mercy. No-one is going to check the accuracy of the broad schedule you create and probably won't read much further if it starts to look like something from the admin department. You have enormous scope to fill your characters' time however you choose and only very obvious anachronisms (like accessing the internet for guidance in 1987) will be questioned by your reader. Regarding how long the extracurricular activities would last, this varies wildly from year to year and uni to uni. If 2 people show up for the drama group, its days are probably numbered. If 30 show up, it might thrive or fall apart in recriminations and litigation. That's where the writer comes in and makes the story. If 100 show up, they might break into more than one group. The schedule details are entirely unimportant and only serve to format your story.
Thank you And some of the subject that you have, is what Michael would be interested in (that is his name)
18 to legally serve alcohol in the US. Not sure about Australia, but I'd imagine nobody cared in the US.
The drinking age in Australia is 18. There is a book store that is near the cafe that he frequents in the story and I thought about having him work there part time, just not sure how long he should work for.
As others have said, I think the main thing to be careful of is that the total course load or weekly/daily hours in class are realistic. No one is going to care if it turns out that 'Intro to Philosophy' was only taught in the Fall. One thing you may need to care about is, for example, that some computer science concentrations may not have existed back then, but based on your character's major that shouldn't be an issue.
I think what you said here in your opening of this thread is all the information you need for character building. It's easy enough to say he had early morning English classes three times a week or whatever. I can't see how creating an exact schedule is really going to help you write the story. It could even end up restricting you if you spend so much time creating it that you then feel tied to following it.
