How to Choose Your College Classes
College is exciting for a lot of reasons; you’re on your own, you feel like an adult and you’re meeting new people and learning new things. Best of all, you get to choose what you want to study, rather than abiding by a strict curriculum. But how do you know what to pick, anyway? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you’re flipping through your course catalog.
Your Interests
College requires hard work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun in the classroom while you’re at it. Relive your childhood dreams of digging up dinosaur fossils by taking an introductory archaeology or paleontology class. Get creative with a pottery wheel in a ceramics workshop. Test out your strength in a martial arts course. Let loose and sign up for a class that’s interesting to you.
Your Major Or Lack of One
If you declared a major, meet with an advisor and start figuring out which introductory classes you can knock out of the way freshman year. Without taking these prerequisites, you won’t be able to take other required courses later on. Both declared and undeclared majors should also get a jumpstart on any general education (gen ed) requirements. If you haven’t decided on a major, general education requirements can give you a better idea of what interests you and what field you’d enjoy working in.
You Career Aspirations
Consider which classes might be useful if you’re determined to pursue a certain career path. Journalism majors, for instance, may not be required to take U.S. government or statistics classes, but might find the knowledge useful once they’re in the industry. Those who want to work in business might find classes for communication theory and persuasion beneficial, plus healthcare professionals may find that foreign language eases communication with patients.
When You Want to Graduate
Most people head to college assuming they’ll graduate in four years. But some students may spend an extra semester or two on campus, spending more money on classes and missing out on real-world work experience. If you’re determined to finish in four years, keep careful track of what credits you have, what you need and which requirements you can finish immediately. Remember that on some campuses, certain mandatory classes are only offered only once a year.
