There’s a lot more to consider when picking college courses than picking high school courses. You have to consider requirements, fall vs. spring semester courses, conflicting time slots, professors, locations, and your interests. Luckily, your pre-major advisor will guide you in the right direction once you are on campus. In the meantime, here are a few things to consider!
The one requirement: WRT-105
Now is the time to check out all the awesome writing course variations you have to choose from. Each course is unique in its theme, but they are all unified in how they prepare you for academic writing and discussion. Have a few back-ups; these courses are in high demand. Also look into which version of the writing course is right for you: WRT 105, WRT 105 E, WRT 105 A&B, or EAPP. One of your first college homework assignments (!!!) will be to take a “Writing Self-Placement Survey” on Blackboard to suggest which version best suits you.
Major requirements
Research your major to find the requirements (and possible prerequisites!) you’ll have. Even if you are not completely certain about your major, it may be helpful to get requirements out of the way just in case. Taking these courses could help you decide whether you are truly interested in the subject.
Life requirements: Explore!
College is the best time to try new things and learn about a vast amount of subjects. It is an exciting opportunity! One of the great things about the Rochester curriculum is that the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities clusters encourage you to take a diverse course load. If anything interests you in the slightest, check it out! It may turn out to be one of your clusters… Or maybe it will blossom into a major or minor! Exploring different courses (ones that actually interest you!) will help you narrow down what you want to study as a result.
Last piece of advice
Try to preregister online before you get to school. If you preregister, that course load is not set in stone. It only helps you secure a spot in a course that is competitive (WRT-105, for sure). If you decide you don’t want to take it later, no problem! You could even just preregister for one course, and leave your other spaces open for ideas come August. Preregistering will also motivate you to initiate the search for fall courses! Best of luck!
Check out the long list of courses at the Course Description/Course Schedule website.
Also use Skedge to roughly map out your weekly schedule for your first semester at college.