by Warren O. Brennan

Created on: August 04, 2009   Last Updated: August 05, 2009

Selecting which classes to take is the single most important part of success in college. In theory, all classes should teach you what you need to know in the subject area, evaluate you, and assign you a grade based on your performance. However, this is not reality. Teachers play favorites, classes get too large, and grading can become completely arbitrary. Here are some tips that will hopefully guide you through a sometimes grueling process:

Take classes you like

This is a very basic yet often overlooked piece of advice by many college students. Taking a class in a subject matter you are interested in ensures you will pay an adequate amount of attention as well as encourage you to engage in outside reading on the topic, which will enhance your participation during in-class discussion. Your electives should be carefully selected in an attempt to find the ones that most spark your interest.

Beware of requirements

While my first piece of advice on taking classes in a subject matter you are interested in still stands, the reality is you cannot take all auto-shop classes and still finish your Pre-Med degree on time. You should have a detailed plan on how you will meet the requirements for your degree. Be aware that some classes are only offered every few semesters and therefore you need to take them anytime you can get a slot.

Professors

Professors make all the difference as to whether or not a class will be enjoyable or a living hell. The best way to gage whether you will like a Professor's teaching style is to ask former students. Websites like ratemyprofessor.com are a great tool in this search, however cannot always be reliable. Some students are simply mad at a grade they received and write a professor a bad review while other reviews are written by professors themselves, in order to better their case for tenure. I would therefore be cautious when using these sites, but if a professor has bad reviews across the board I think it's time to find a different class.

Take a class with friends

I realize this is a bit of controversial advice, since friends can be a distraction from work, but friends can also be a built in study partner for a class. I wouldn't rearrange your entire schedule around your close group of friends, but ensuring you have at least one class with one of your close companions can really take away some of the stress of an otherwise difficult semester.

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