Zen and the Art of Course

Selection

College Rules! Chapter 4

Balance

�  Balancing Tasks �  Balance between heavy and light courses

�  Balancing Time �  Morning classes vs. afternoon classes �  Resist overloading!

�  Balancing Interests �  Spread out your courses throughout the semester. �  Do not wait to take your least favorite “required”

course

College Advisors

�  Always, always, always, ask questions!

�  What type of things to ask your advisor: �  Course and degree requirements… �  Which professors to take… �  Internships… �  Summer jobs… �  Studying abroad opportunities…

Picking Professors

�  Professors > Courses on level of importance

�  Find out from other students from their experiences �  Style of teaching �  Size of classes �  Grading procedures �  Overall level of difficulty

�  www.ratemyprofessors.com �  Rates professors from different universities on quality,

helpfulness, clarity, and easiness.

Planning it out

�  Make a timeline of what you plan to take

�  Figure out how long it will take for you to get your degree

Withdrawal •  You can drop a class if

it’s in your best interest •  Too overwhelming •  Failing the course

and can’t pull up the grade

Interview Questions

1.  How do you balance your courses? (for example, when choosing courses, do you balance between heavy reading courses and those that require less reading, do you take all math courses, etc.)

2.  What time are all your classes? Do you take morning classes or do you prefer to sleep in and take classes later in the day?

3.  Do you have any "core" courses that you are required to take but you don't like? Have you already taken them or are you pushing to take those less interesting classes to the last possible semester.

4.  Are college advisors helpful?

5.  Do you like all your professors? Why or why not?

6.  Do you have a plan of all the courses you will take for the next four years (like a timeline)?

7.  Have you dropped any classes?

Interviewee 1: Gina Lu 1.  The best way to balance the courses is to take two core/hard courses (usually 10

credits) and balance them with one or two easy courses (5-8 credits). I found this out the hard way since I kept taking 3 core classes…

2.  This quarter my classes begin at 10.30am and 8.30am and usually end before 2pm. I prefer afternoon classes but its quite impossible as most core classes are in the morning.

3.  I liked all of my core courses. 

4.  College advisors are not exactly always helpful.

5.  Some professors are really good, but others are useless, I don’t learn anything.

6.  Yes, I have a plan of all the courses I will take before I graduate.

7.  Yes, I have dropped classes.

Interviewee 2: Shaun chen 1.  Since the UC schools require students to take general education classes (classes that have nothing to do with

your major), we use these classes to balance out with our main classes.

2.  I learned my lesson about 8 am classes, so i moved my earliest classes till 9 am. It is better to take some morning classes, since it gives you more time in the afternoon to do other work.

3.  None of my core courses are classes that I don't like. I am trying to double major, so I would need to take more courses each quarter.

4.  College advisors can only help you to a certain extent. The rest is on your own.

5.  Most of my professors are ok. Beware of professors with strong accents or harsh grading curves. Each college usually have a website with student evaluations of each professor. Checking that out would help you choose between lectures.

6.  Planning out is definitely helpful. It really makes you think about how many classes do you need to take to complete your major.

7.  I haven't dropped any classes. But some schools have a pass or no pass policy, which means that the grade for that class cannot be counted in your GPA, while still giving you the credit.

Interviewee 3: michelle hao 1.  It's best to have a four-year plan going into college. Every major has its required courses...if you can

choose what order to take them in, try to pair up a hard class with an easy class. 

2.  Everyone's college schedule here changes a ton depending on the semester. Sometimes the class you need is only offered at 8am and maybe 6 pm. Also, we don't have a personal college advisor until we declare our major. And most people in Berkeley declare their major in the sophomore year.

3.  Berkeley has an "American Cultures" requirement and several others depending on your high school coursework. I think, at a big school, there are always enough options to find a great class. 

4.  The reliability and helpfulness of college advisors depend on how many students they are responsible for. Your peers are another really good resource.

5.  None of my professors are mean, but some are better lecturers than others. Online course ratings give you a good idea of a professor's personality and exam difficulty level.

6.  I do not have a plan for all the courses, but only for the courses required by my major

Interviewee 4: Jonathan Jacob 1. I think you should choose courses that go towards your requirement. However, you should be smart about it. Say, you're a business major, but you're not so good at math. You should take business courses that require the least amount of math. I stay away from math and reading-intensive courses.

2. My classes start at 11 AM everyday and end at 6 PM everyday. My Friday is usually free. I like classes later in the day because I am more aware and conscious in the afternoon. Trust me, do not take morning classes especially in your first semester of college. There are so many things to do everyday. I stay up to 4 AM every night socializing with people. I had 9 AM everyday my first semester and I was late to class half of the time. But in the end, it's your choice.

3. You should get your requisites out of the way as soon as you can. But for your first semester, take classes you enjoy. TAKE A WEIRD CLASS - a class you never thought would take. It will enrich your college experience

4. College advisors can be helpful, but it really depends on who you get. You know who's helpful? Upperclassmen. They always have good advice and would usually direct you where to go. These students have been through what you're going through so they know best.

5. I do like my professors for the most part. In a small college like Brandeis, the faculty to student ratio is low and you get a lot of personal attention. Make sure you go to your professor's office hours - they are very helpful and it's a good way to build friendly relations with your professors. You might need their recommendations in the future so it's a good idea.

6. No, I do not plan them in a timeline. I plan my classes for every semester because you are always going to change your mind on what you want. It's not a good idea to strictly follow a formula of courses. You should keep in mind what classes you should take, but you should never restrict yourself this way.

7. Yes, I dropped a writing seminar course my first semester because I did not identify with the topic at all (US-Israel Relations). It's not bad to drop a course before the deadline. Even then, you can drop a class with a W (Withdrawn). But of course, it looks better if you drop it before a deadline. That way, your transcript says that you never took the course. Make sure you make up for your dropped course. At Brandeis, you have to take a minimum of 7 courses in a year.

Interviewee 5: Rudy Wang 1.  For a lot of courses, it's difficult to balance them out because they are required

courses. Most of my friends focus on time management to get their work done.

2.  This semester, I have 9:30 AM classes followed by afternoon 2 PM classes. Morning classes are not bad as long as you don't select an 8 AM course. But then again, if you're one of those people who sleep late at night, like my roommate, make sure to get an 11 AM or later course.

4.  For me, I didn't think the college advisors are that helpful. Make connections with upperclassmen so they could help you through planning schedules and stuff. Ask around your friends, too, since they probably know more than the college advisors

5.  Yes, I do enjoy most of my professors, because they are patient and willing to take the time to help you out.