Setting Up and Managing Classes
In Helium, your academic life is organized around Class Groups and Classes. A Class Group typically represents a term or semester, and the classes within it represent your individual classes. Setting up your classes correctly is what makes grades, assignments, and your recurring schedule all work together.
Class Groups
Before adding classes, you need at least one Class Group to hold them. Class Groups set the overall date range for a term.
- Open Classes
- Click the group menu at the top and select Add Group
- Fill in the group details:
- Title — e.g., “Fall 2025” or “Spring 2026”
- From / To — the start and end dates of the term
- Hide this group’s classes and assignments from the Planner — check this to temporarily hide the entire group from your calendar without deleting anything
- Click Save
Adding a Class
With a group selected, click the + button to add a class. Class setup is split across four tabs: Details, Schedule, Categories, and Attachments. On mobile, you’ll step through them in order when creating a new class.
Details Tab
- Title — the name of the class (required)
- From / To — the start and end dates for this specific class; defaults to the group’s date range
- Website — a link to the class’s page, LMS, or other online resource
- Teacher — your instructor’s name
- Email — your instructor’s email address
- Online — check this if the class is fully online; unchecking it reveals a Location field for the room or building
- Color — the color used to represent this class across Planner and Grades
Click Save to create the class and proceed to the Schedule tab.
Schedule Tab
The Schedule tab is where you set when your class meets each week. Once configured, Helium automatically generates recurring Class Schedule items on your Planner for every occurrence within the class’s date range.
- Select the days your class meets using the Class Days toggle (click each day to include it)
- Set the Start and End times for class
- If your class meets at different times on different days (e.g., a lab on Fridays runs longer), check Varies by day — this lets you set independent start and end times for each selected day
- Click Save
Class Schedule items appear on the Week, Day, Month, and Agenda views of the Planner. They do not appear in the Todos view, which shows assignments only. If your schedule isn’t showing up, see Why Items Aren’t Showing on the Planner.
A schedule is optional — if your class has no fixed meeting time (e.g., a fully asynchronous online class), you can leave the Schedule tab with no days selected.
Categories Tab
Categories let you organize assignments by type (Homework, Quizzes, Exams, etc.) and optionally assign grade weights to match your syllabus. See Setting Up Weighted Grading & Assignment Categories for full details.
Attachments Tab
You can attach files (such as your syllabus or class packet) directly to a class. Click the + button on the Attachments tab to upload a file or photo from your device.
Related Articles
- Setting Up Weighted Grading & Assignment Categories
- Cancelling Class Sessions and Setting Term Holidays
- Why Items Aren’t Showing on the Planner
Helium Classic
In Helium Classic, classes work the same way conceptually. The key navigation differences are:
- Classes is found under the Planner menu
- To add or edit a class, click on it and then use the tabs (Details, Schedule, Categories, Attachments) — the same four tabs exist in Classic
- The category weight field is labeled Weight (not “Weight (%)”)
- Class Groups are labeled by term and work identically
Helium Classic will remain available until July 31, 2026.