I wonder if any Pre-Med students get to experience summer break to the fullest, because I sure as hell don't know what that means just yet.
Readers and fellow bloggers, I just got done with my fifty millionth (or maybe billionth. Or trillionth) revision of my Fall 2010 schedule. In case you don't remember (and I hope you don't because then you're a creeper), here is what I had originally planned to do:
MONDAY
12:00PM - 1:20PM = INTRO TO WORLD LITERATURE
1:55P - 2:50P = PRECALC PART 2
6:40 - 8 = GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
TUESDAY
2:50 - 4:10 = THEATER APPRECIATION
5 - 6:20 = PRECALC
7:40 - 9 = WOMEN, CULTURE, & SOCIETY
WEDNESDAY
5:15 - 6:10 = CHEM
6:40 - 8 = CHEM
THURSDAY
12 - 1:20 = INTRO TO WORLD LIT
2:50 - 4:10 = THEATER APP.
5 - 6:20 = PRECALC
7:40 - 9 = WCS
So, the problem was that until I finish PreCalc 2 or PreCalc 115, I'm not eligible for General Chemistry 2, so that's out of the picture until Spring. My parents are a bit iffy about me taking too many BS classes, so Theater Appreciation had to get axed as well. Besides, BS classes tend to stay easy, so I can take it some other time. Intro to World Literature turned out to NOT be a Writing Intensive course, so I still needed Expos 2, Scientific & Technical Writing, Writing In The Professions, or some BS writing course - so in the end, here is what I came up with (and trust me, this list has been heavily re-edited since I made this post lol):
MONDAY
12:35PM - 1:55P = INTERMEDIATE SPANISH
2:15 - 3:55 = PRECALC COLLEGE MATHEMATICS
5:35 - 6:55 = MODERN DANCE I
TUESDAY
9:50AM - 11:10A = GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
12:35 - 1:55 = INTRO TO FOODS & NUTRITION
WEDNESDAY
12:35 - 1:55 = SPANISH
2:15 - 3:55 = PRECALC
5:35 - 6:55 = MODERN DANCE
THURSDAY
12:35 - 1:55 = SPANISH
4:10 - 5:05 = PRECALC RECITATION
FRIDAY
9:50 - 11:10 = GEN. PSYCH.
12:35 - 1:55 = INTRO TO FOOD
Alas, my dream of not having morning or Friday classes has come to an end. I even have a Friday morning class lol. Being able to understand another language is a pretty good skill in the medical field, so I'm back in Spanish (after I know I clearly said Peace Out Forever to it after my senior year of CBA, smh). I kinda sorta failed PreCalc 1 - so I'm taking the accelerated course to catch up. Taking 111 again and then 112 would be a huge waste of time. I'm taking Modern Dance to hopefully improve my control and help me dive deeper into a style of dance that I don't normally do, which is good for you as a dancer. = ] But if it sucks I'm totally dropping it haha. Psych is extremely valuable as a Pre-Med student, and like my last post said, it is the Prerequisite for nearly every other Psych class at Rutgers. Intro To Foods is probably going to be a good class to take to prepare for Nutrition for the Developing Child, which is a good course for aspiring Pediatricians.
So all in all, this schedule is permanent, as long as none of my professors turn out to be evil. While I'm busy lowering my heart rate, let's go a bit further into picking out classes.
When the day comes, make sure you're on a browser you can rely on. I love Firefox, but that shit crashes sometimes, so you might wanna get with Google Chrome (which is supposedly better). Also, have the following tabs open at all times:
1. Course Schedule Planner - Build your schedule before you go for the big registration. If you're registering for the Fall or Spring from scratch, you can register directly from the website, which will come in handy.
2. RateMyProfessors - Have the RU page up and ready to check with different teachers. Go for ones that when you search them, a smiley face comes by their name (faces are based on Overall Quality). High easiness is a plus as well, but if you have a choice between two teachers and the easiness difference isn't too great (I'm guessing 0.5+), sign up for the person with a higher overall quality, because it's college. You're going to be somewhat challenged either way.
3. WebReg (Course Lookup) - This is where the real hunting starts. Here is where you'll find out what's open and what's not (sometimes changing with a click of the "Refresh" button), and you can register.
4. WebReg (Manage Registration) - If you need to drop a class, or add one by its index / special permission number (SPN), here is where it happens.
5. WebReg (View/Print Schedule) - This is where you should be checking when you are or aren't free before registering for a class. I use the "List By Day" option.
6. Degree Navigator - Use this to see what requirements each class will do for you by picking out future sessions. My suggestion would be not to waste too much of your time with classes that don't fulfill any requirements. (like Modern Dance, if you're an SAS Bio Major like myself haha.)
7. www.rutgers.edu - In case you are considering a class you know nothing about, you can look it up (and hopefully the syllabus) on the RU main page. Don't take classes you aren't interested in, because you'll hate yourself lol. Kinda like me with Death & Afterlife. *shudder*
I think that switching up your schedule during the summer is a little less stressful because it's not like you're fighting your entire class / school for sections (or maybe I still am and I don't realize it). But either way, say your prayers beforehand, and be vigilant and attentive to what's happening on your computer screen. Good luck this fall, kids. = ]
Tune in next week for my analysis on my summer class at Brookdale Community College. :-P
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