Choosing your courses: how to be a wise shopper

When it comes to selecting your courses, tons of advice will fly your way. The bottom line, however, is that choosing classes comes down to you and your Blue Book. Officially known as The Yale College Programs of Study, this sacred tome will arrive in your mailbox in August, listing between 1,500 and 2,000 courses, most of which are open to you. Somehow you will have to narrow down your choices-- from the thousands to four or five. Here are some things to keep in mind while deciding:

Shopping Period

Shopping period is a Yale luxury--ten days at the start of the semester in which you can go to as many classes as you choose. This low-key week and a half gives you the freedom to test out classes and professors while your friends at other colleges blindly register for their courses eons in advance. If you decide to take a large lecture course which splits off into smaller discussion sections, also be sure to shop these groups. You'll probably interact more often with the teaching assistant leading your section than the professor of the course. Beware though, as some teachers don't seem to have heard of shopping period, and may start assigning massive amounts of reading from day one. It's easy to fall behind, so don't take your shopping too lightly.

You can get a head start on shopping period by pre-registering for some of the bigger freshman classes. In the first few days of school, you must pre-register for the most popular intro classes, such as English, chemistry, and economics.

Gimmicks for picking classes

There's no one right way to select your courses, but many Yalies consciously choose the path of least resistance. Gimmicks abound for those who want to use them. Strategy 1: Only take classes that are known to upperclassmen by the first or last name of the professor [see page 26]. You'll have to share the professor with 300 to 400 other students, but the classes are packed for a good reason.

Strategy 2: Only take classes you have already taken in high school. Try some low-numbered math classes or introductory language courses (maybe even in the language you speak at home--English doesn't count).

Strategy 3: Avoid the shopping rush completely and just register for things that sound good. Then spend the next two weeks sleeping in and visiting every room on Old Campus. But remember, those courses that looked so good on paper could turn out to be incredibly boring. You may find out the hard way that you can't possibly sit through 75 minutes of the driest speaker in the world, even if the topic is sexual deviance in college students.

Strategy 4: Sign up for five classes and drop the worst one. This scenario implies one of two things--either the class sucks, or you suck at the class.

CR/D/F

People do actually use this option. Taking a class Credit/D/Fail lets you try a course that's wild and exciting, without the fear that it will damage your GPA. It also lets you stress a little less and gives you time to do other things. Just remember: you do have to do some work to avoid a D.

You can sign up for a maximum of two courses CR/D/F each semester, and since this is your first semester here, don't hesitate to do it. Remember, however, that you can only take four CR/D/F classes in your four years at Yale. Consider enrolling in a class CR/D/F even if you plan to take it for a grade; you can always switch to a letter grade when you have a better assessment of how well you are doing. It is possible to change CR/D/F to a grade up a semester's midterm, but you can't change a letter grade to CR/D/F--although you might want to after that first exam.

Advisors

If you're more serious about shopping for courses, you might want to listen to what your faculty advisor and frosh counselor have to say. Just remember to take their words of wisdom (just like everyone else's) with a grain of salt. If your advisor is a chem professor for example, he or she may steer you towards freshman organic chemistry--even if you've never handled a beaker in your life. And if you think you're ready for Anthropology 450 because of your two-year apprenticeship in the Galapagos Islands, then take it.

You need to have your advisor and your freshman counselor sign your schedule before you turn it in to your college dean (which must happen by the end of shopping period). Otherwise, you'll be fined $35, and you forfeit the option of taking any classes CR/D/F. Many faculty advisors are particularly tough to get in touch with, so set up an appointment several days before the deadline.

Distributional requirements

The Blue Book's description of these requirements is convoluted, but all you need to know is that in your first year, you must take two courses in Group I or II (language and humanities) and two courses in Group III or IV (social and hard sciences). You have to take at least eight courses this year, so it shouldn't be a problem. By the end of sophomore year you must have two credits in each of the four groups, and by the time you graduate you must have taken 12 courses outside the distributional group of your major. This includes at least three credits in each group, with two natural sciences in Group IV.

Foreign language requirement

Many shiver at the thought of facing the foreign language requirement. You must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language--which is equivalent to two years of study at the college level. If you received a four or five on a foreign language AP, you're excused. You can also opt to take the proficiency exam, administered before classes start, to try to "pass out" of the requirement or to place into a higher level course [see page 24]. You should probably take the test even if you're out of practice. If you aren't proficient, you face two years of early morning language classes, which meet five days a week and generally require attendance.

Times and Meeting Places

When you arrive, you'll be given a supplement to the Blue Book that lists times and locations of every course. Check times carefully and keep in mind that 8:30 a.m. is too early for anyone to have class. Just because high school started then, don't think you won't have a problem with it in college--your sleeping schedule will change. Don't forget to schedule time for lunch. Also consider the locations of courses that are scheduled back-to-back, since a trek from Science Hill to LC in 10 minutes is a physical impossibility.

College Seminars

Every college sponsors seminars that admit only 18 students and are taught by visiting instructors. Some are interesting, others very specialized, and most quite eclectic. They are often, but not always, less demanding than other courses. You'll receive a list of seminars in your registration packet. While upperclassmen often get the seminar spots, you have a better chance of being admitted if it's an obscure seminar or one sponsored by your college. If you are rejected, remind yourself that Howard Cosell rejected a freshman named Ron Darling, DC '82, from his seminar.

Finals

Don't forget to check the final exam schedule for your classes. You don't want to end up having all your finals squeezed into one or two excruciating, miserable days. To see when each final will take place, look in your Blue Book and check the number in parentheses next to the course title. Cross-check it with the chart in the front that lists the exam schedule and make sure that you don't have five exams in three days, or three exams at one time.

Majors

You don't need to worry about your major right now. Most people don't declare their major until junior year. If you are considering a major, however, with a large number of requirements or if you plan to be pre-med, take some of the core courses soon. Also, keep in mind that Group IV majors must declare by the beginning of sophomore year and that some majors, such as Ethics, Politics, and Economics (EP&E), Humanities, and Theater Studies require applications somewhere down the line.

Last Words

This is freshman year, so don't be afraid to go for variety. Don't hesitate to take a class simply because it strikes your fancy, even if you think your career goals are set in stone. You may discover a new area of interest, or at least confirm that your original plan is the right one.

The first days of shopping are extremely hectic, but don't worry, it all works out in the end. You have two weeks to finalize your schedule, and somehow, miraculously, by the second Monday of classes, everything manages to fall into place. Then it's just a matter of doing the work.

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