Registering for Classes Part 2

In my last post I talked about the technical processes for registering for classes at Carleton. This time I’m going to go more into how I actually decide on what classes I am going to take.

Content

When I scroll through all the course options to choose I can’t help but form a list of 30+ classes I want to take in a given term. At Carleton with the trimester system we have 3 classes per term, 9 classes per year, and 36 classes over the course of our entire time at Carleton. My first instinct is to always look at classes that I want to take solely based on the content. I will say I have moved away a bit from this since becoming a junior because I now have major requirements that I need to complete before I graduate. Luckily for me (and I hope this goes for all people within their chosen major) most of those classes are courses I wanted to take anyway!

For me this strategy usually involves looking within the Geology, Political Science, and Classics departments. I occasionally take courses within the SOAN department, and I would really like to take a history class here before I graduate. Though I often stick to those disciplines I have also taken courses in Computer Science, Economics, English (my study abroad department!), and Mathematics.

Necessity

While in an ideal world I get to take exactly every class that I want to, sometimes you must learn things that will assist later in life such as grad school. This means that I must fulfill all the requirements within the geology major such as taking Physics, Math, and Chemistry. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is not a bad thing! Despite being a STEM major, sometimes I don’t feel super confident in my math abilities and it makes me hesitant to take classes I don’t feel super strong in. Major requirements help me get out of my comfort zone and try new things, which is really important (in all aspects of life) for personal growth.

Carleton also has liberal arts graduation requirements that must be completed by the time you graduate. I have found these requirements quite easy to complete, and I don’t think I ever had to intentionally take a class to complete the requirements! I just happened to fulfill them by taking things I was interested in. Taking classes in many different disciplines is a huge part of Carleton, and a liberal arts education really helps me make connections among subjects. It also is quite relevant to real life, because everything is inter-connected. You can’t have geology calculations without Physics, Chemistry, and Math, but you also need Sociology, Public Policy, and Biology for social and environmental considerations.

Time/Day

Time is a bit less important when it comes to choosing classes, but in an ideal world I have a schedule that has classes at times that work best for me! Though I consider myself to be a morning person, I have often stayed up late since coming to college to work on assignments so if I can avoid having a class that begins at 8 am. That being said if it is a class that I am quite interested in I will take it anyway.

At Carleton we have classes that are on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and classes that are on Tuesday/Thursday (and some weird ones that don’t quite follow either of these schedules). My ideal schedule is two classes M/W/F (shorter classes) and one class on T/Th (longer classes). I also usually prefer one class on T/Th because my lab sections for my STEM classes–which are usually four hours long–are often on those days.

Other Considerations

One more thing that I try to keep in mind: having a lunch period! This term I have two classes back to back followed by a four hour lab on both Monday and Wednesday. Because of this not-the-best schedule I only have 15-20 minutes to go from my class to the dining hall and to my lab. With occasional lines in the dining hall as everybody pours out of their classes to go get lunch, sometimes it’s hard to have a lunch where I actually get to sit down take a breath and eat what I want. To be clear this is avoidable! In the future I hope to have a better designated time where I can relax and each lunch before heading to my next activity.

Let us not forget variety! Carleton generally recommends taking classes in each category per term: One you need for major requirements, one you need for graduation requirements, and one just for fun! For the most part, I always find that most of my classes fit into the last category (while also fulfilling requirements!).

In general choosing classes is not as stressful as sometimes we make it out to be. Sometimes it’s hard to choose what to take, and sometimes you can’t quite fit in the class you wish you could, but there are so many great classes and professors at Carleton that you can always find something worthwhile.