First Semester Classes: Some advice

When you enter college you are given a lot of choices. The clubs you’ll join. The dorms you’ll live in. The meal plan you’ll waste money on.

But there is one major choice that many don’t think about until too late: Class choices.

When you’re in high school you generally get to choose the rigor of your classes, but not the topic.

College changes this. Instead of a mandatory “History” class you can take “American History Through Jazz” or “Middle Eastern Cuisine and Religious Influence” or “History of Sports.”

While you have a laundry list of major and school requirements, you’re largely left to your own devices to choose. So when you’re planning to register the first time, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Watch the Rigor

            When you’re looking in a course catalog you might see that there are general classes, and then more specific, more interesting classes. While the specific topics catch your fancy, be very careful. Oftentimes those classes are going to be higher level. I would highly recommend that you stick to 100 and 200 level classes your first semester. 300 classes will often require background information you don’t have (even if you took the 100 level AP equivalent) and a writing strength I can promise you don’t yet have. Stick to intro classes for your first semester, then work your way up. 

2. Timing is everything

            In high school you just listed your classes and a magical machine made it work. This is not the case in college. Make sure you know when the classes meet, because overlaps are impossible to work out. Also pay close attention to the timing. 8am classes are brutal in college. You might be able to avoid Friday classes if you’re very careful. Also watch your “passing periods” if you’re taking classes immediately after one another. I can get from the two furthest points on campus in 10 minutes I’d have between classes, but there are other schools where that could take an hour.

3. Start Slow

            Most schools will require you to take 12 credits a semester to be full time, which is about 4 classes. You can usually take up to 18 (6 classes). While you, in your high school overachiever mindset might try to go for 18. Don’t. Start out slow because the transition between high school and college classes is a rough one that requires a lot of self-control. Don’t take on more than you can chew. Don’t take intro bio and intro chem for premeds at the same time. Be smart, check things out.

4. Back-Ups Back-Ups Back-Ups

            You’ve made it. Your perfect schedule of all afternoon classes that you’re interested in. But wait… they all filled up while you were logging onto the system.
Make sure you have at least 3 back ups for each of your classes. It could be a similar class, or the same class at a less ideal time. Just be prepared not to get your first choices. College registration is a cruel mistress.

5. Check out the professors

            When you’re choosing classes you might look at the description and go “that sounds awesome! Perfect” and end up in a terrible class. Why? The professor might stink. Or be hard and unfair. Check out what other students say about the professor (ratemyprofessors is a life saver) before you sign on.