Her Campus Guide to Shopping Classes

When selecting your class schedule every semester, certain priorities are non-negotiable. You need to balance a minimum number of points with a demanding list of requirements, while keeping in mind the specific demands of your major/minor. However, there are a whole slew of other factors to keep in mind when creating the perfect academic agenda. These are those factors. 

So, how do you separate the good classes from the bad and/or GPA obliterating ones? We put together two lists — one pro, one con — to help you size up a classroom with minimum doubt and maximum time efficiency.

Good Vibes:

1) The teacher keeps stressing the importance of participation: any class with a weirdly high participation grade is essentially a no brainer. This prof is trying to give you good grades for having the amazing personality with which you were born. An obvious exception to this rule is huge, boring-seeming lectures. If you think you’re going to struggle to make it to class, it might be time to take your education in a new, vaguely engaging direction. 

2) There’s a dope ratio: The art of the ratio is a delicate and highly subjective one, based on personal goals and objectives. If you’re really trying to make this the year of not dreading Valentine’s Day, you might be shopping for a classes filled with STEM men, American Studies boys, and so on. If you’re trying to actually learn something and feel comfortable and confident in an academic space, a more lady-heavy ratio might do wonders for your semester. Welcome to Women’s and Gender’s Studies, folks—you can knit here.

3) No syllabus: If your professor hasn’t managed to summon the energy to produce a working syllabus for the first week of class, it’s safe to say they give zero shits. Whether they’re working on their next book, pursuing a very demanding vacation schedule, or just don’t care about undergrads, expect a surplus of pushed back readings, class-wide extensions, and generally goofy times.

4) Good elevator access/general accessibility: If it’s not an issue now, trust me: at some point it really will be.

5) It’s a two hour seminar and the professor smokes: This example might seem extremely specific, and it definitely is. However, a professor who smokes versus a recent quitter could be the difference between two hours of straight learning and ten mid-block minutes of blessed freedom. 

Deal Breakers:

1) One boy in your class prefaces a comment “As a feminist…”: Ladies, we as feminists can tell you that that’s suspicious — and a deal breaker. 

2) It’s a six hour film class: Why?!? No.

3) Your ex is there: No, this isn’t a sign that you “have so much in common!” If you were meant for each other, you wouldn’t be exes. Just remember that you’re not going to be serving up adorable first-day-of-school looks every class of the semester. Save yourself the emotional trauma/extensive daily makeup routine.

4) It’s an 8:40 AM class: So, you’re telling me that you’re actually going to wake up at 8:00 AM two days a week, shower, get ready, and go to class? Who do you think you are, Malala? Skip the heroics and make better decisions for yourself. 

5) Your prof can’t work the projector: If I wanted to help someone learn how to use technology, I would call my mom back. By the fifth episode of Professor vs. Computer, you’re gonna be reaching for that Add/Drop form.

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