DOES IT FILL A REQUIREMENT?
Trust us, get these out of the way. If you’re a freshman, pay attention going forward that you fulfill one or more a semester. Give us one justificatory reason for being the only senior in a writing seminar—if you haven’t taken one yet, we can’t explain that joke to you.
Looking for double-counting tips?
Try:
MATH170: Ideas in Mathematics for Formal Reasoning and NatSci
RELS218: Saints and Devils in Russian Lit for Cross Cultural Analysis and Arts & Letters
AFRC176: Afro-American History 1550–1876 for History & Tradition and Cultural Diversity
HOW ARE THE RATINGS?
Aim to keep the professor’s score high and the difficulty low. Penn Course Review may not always have thorough comments, but when they do, read them for more intel about the prof’s style and course content.
WHERE AND WHEN DOES IT MEET?
Maybe you signed up for 9a.m. classes thinking you could be there every morning—but let’s be real, your bed in the morning is more persuasive than a 10% participation grade. Keep some things in mind: Is there a coffee shop in the building (shoutout to $1.25 coffee at WilCaf!)? Is your schedule compatible with 10 minute passing periods and a widespread campus? Do you have time for meals? We all want a three-day weekend, but not at the expense of nine straight hours of class. Make some choices, kiddo.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A CLASS WITH FRIENDS?
Misery loves company in a crappy class and for late-night study sessions. But sometimes, the cons outweigh the pros. Will your friend stop attending lectures and constantly ask for your notes (“the deadweight”)? Will their whispers drown out the professors’ spiel (“the gossip”)? Is your ex-hook-up in the same nine person seminar (or hell, 200 person lecture hall)? Might be red flags to reconsider. Sometimes, if you want to work hard, you have to separate your “play hard.”
