The excitement students experience when course listings are released each semester often quickly fades to confusion and stress. After hours staring at pages of class names on Lou's List, many still have trouble nailing down their ideal schedule. Whether students are looking for something interesting or just a requirement filler that's on the easier side, their fellow classmates are always the best resource for suggestions.
For the non science-leaning student in need of a requirement, second-year College student Brittney Leach suggests ASTR 1210, "Introduction to the Sky and Solar System."
"It's like eighth grade science," Leach said. "We learned about the planets and their orbits."
As far as fun and popular science classes go, everyone knows about Physics Prof. Louis Bloomfield's "How Things Work" class, but fewer students know about Astronomy Research Scientist Greg Black's course. Black, who has collaborated with NASA in the past, teaches "Introduction to the Sky and Solar System."
Leach said Black's exciting history and knowledge of the subject keeps the class lively and entertaining.
But students heading for their SIS sign-up times have more to think about than just requirements. It's important to have engaging electives as well.
Third-year College student Lena Witek said her favorite class so far has been ENAM 3180, "Introduction to Asian American Studies," with Assoc. English Prof. Sylvia Chong.
Witek described the class as interdisciplinary, touching on issues of immigration, labor, assimilation and politics for Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Pacific Islanders.
"It was an absolutely incredible class," Witek said. "Prof. Chong kept it very engaging by using lots of different mediums like comic books, movies, personal narratives and history books to analyze the topic."
For those that still have room in their schedule and are feeling philosophical, second-year College student Amar Gulati recommended Allan Megill's HIEU 3802, "Origins of Contemporary Thought."
"It was a good mix between history and philosophy," Gulati said, "and [it] teaches you how to view things in an abstract way."
The class covers the history of intellect since the mid-19th century, focusing on the works of Darwin, Nietzsche and Freud. Gulati said although the class requires a lot of reading, he has found that it contained concepts which are applicable to many other fields of study.
But what about those students with more restrictive schedules? Upperclassmen Architecture and Engineering students explained that, though challenging at first, some of their best course experience has come from required classes.
Those in the Architecture School need not fear ARCH 101, "Lessons of the Lawn," a required course for all first-year Architecture students.
Second-year Architecture student Emma Wilkinson said it is the most critical and interesting class for students in the Architecture school, but that there is a bit of a language barrier to get past first.
"[The professor] introduces a certain type of architectural language [in this class] that none of us were familiar with being first-year, first-semester Architecture students," Wilkinson said. "Basically, we had no idea what he was talking about until after we were out of the class and had more experience with design."
Although ARCH 101 was "the weirdest class" she had ever taken, Wilkinson said she now finds the material helpful and believes it makes much more sense once applied in the studio.
Architecture students who decide to take the Urban and Environmental Planning route will have to take PLAN 3030, "Neighborhoods, Communities, and Regions." Although it is a required course, fourth-year Architecture student Leah Stockstrom said it was her favorite class.
"It discussed how our cities are globalizing and that if we want cities to be competitive in the future, we must plan for it in a global context," Stockstrom said. "It was an interesting and useful class."
There are also options for Engineering students looking for a creative addition to their course load.
Third-year Engineering student Marisa Mutty said she took her required Science, Technology and Society class during a January Term session, in which she studied the making and cultural impact of wine from a socio-technological perspective.
In the class, called "The Curious History of Wine in Virginia: A Sociotechnical Systems Approach," students went on a field trip to a vineyard and learned about the process of growing grapes as well as the importance of soil fertility levels.
"We learned about wine as a technology and about how it has played a role in history and in different cultures," Mutty said.
Third-year Nursing student Tiana Daubach said her favorite classes so far have been NUIP 3210 and 3220, "Pathology and Clinical Management I and II", the first course of which is taught by Nursing Prof. Valentina Brashers. "The material is very hard," Daubach said, "but the way Brashers teaches it makes it easy."
Daubach said Brashers holds help sessions after lectures to further assist students in their understanding of the coursework.
"She is awesome," Daubach said. "You can tell she loves the class."
Dealing with class scheduling is always a stressful process, but hopefully these tips will help students overcome some of their SIS anxiety this time around.
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