Wow! It is amazing how fast this quarter has gone by. It is already time to start picking classes for the 2012 winter quarter. Thankfully this means getting out of the boring classes you took this quarter, but it also means continuing to the next and more challenging courses.
But before you make the commitment to a course, make sure you stay clear of this week’s myth.
Myth:
Just take random classes to fulfill credit requirements.
Reality/Advice:
OK, so I touched upon this subject before at the beginning of fall quarter, but it has come to my attention that many of you (specifically freshmen) didn’t listen to me and just picked random classes if you didn’t get into the ones you wanted.
The result? Time, brainpower and hundreds of dollars wasted.
Picking random classes just to fulfill 12 credits so you can qualify as a full-time student doesn’t mean you’re all of a sudden an intellectual being; it means you’re lazy.
You’re lazy because you aren’t taking the time to really think about how the classes you’re signing up for are going to count towards an actual degree.
I am not here to insult you, but if that’s what it takes in order to get through to you, then I must to what I have to do.
The school doesn’t create a hundred-plus page course catalogue so you can close your eyes, open any page, and sign up for whichever class your finger lands on.
Even if you don’t get into the class you need to fulfill your humanities requirement, it’s OK; just leave that class till next quarter.
The more credits you have, the sooner you are able to sign up for the next quarter, and since you have priority, you will most likely get into the class you didn’t get into before.
Look in depth at all the classes you can take that apply toward your degree and take the time to really read their descriptions. A lot of the time you’ll find a class whose description is nothing like the title and is actually something you’re interested in.
Doing this will help you find interesting classes that will either be your first pick or a back-up if you need it, and they all still count towards a degree.
Whether you are doing this on your own or with an adviser, make it clear that you have a plan and don’t want to take classes that don’t apply to what you are going for. And if you don’t know what that is, get your AA in arts and sciences to start with.
Please, just listen to me and I promise you won’t have to suffer the surprise of finding out that you are actually 25 credits short of a degree.
And for all the freshmen, now that you have had a little bit of experience here at BC, I am here to tell you that in general, it does get easier.
