I walked into the dimly lit room as the sounds of nearly 100 chattering people echoed off the walls. It was freshman year, I was in Himes Hall and it was time to schedule classes. Even after two days of staring at my new LSU catalog scanning the course descriptions, I had no idea how I was going to schedule classes.
I remember in high school, scheduling was easy. I had five classes I was required to take and had about five options for an elective. But LSU is different. With more than 30,000 students walking across its campus, it has a lot to offer–especially when it comes to classes.
From Shakespeare to photography to Cajun French, LSU has it all. There are classes covering Tudor England, the American Civil War, microbiology … you name it, LSU probably has it.
One of my favorite classes was one I took my freshman year. It was a class offered through the Honors College. Ancient Western Civilization (Honors 1001 and 1003) was actually a combination of two classes. We had a lecture class and a seminar class, so it was worth six hours of credit.
I loved this class because even though the lecture section had nearly 80 students, the seminar section was very small, making it easier to approach the teacher. It also challenged me to think outside the box, which is necessary if you plan to succeed in a college atmosphere.
Last year my roommates took Communication Disorders 2051, which is a class that teaches beginning sign language. They would come home and practice signing books they needed to learn for class. Not only did they love the class, but it left such an impression on them that they still use the skills they learned.
There are many tools you can use to discover what classes LSU offers — the most important is your LSU catalog. In the back, it lists every class LSU offers and gives a brief description of the class and what prerequisites are necessary to take the class. However, not all classes are offered every semester, so be sure to check your schedule booklet to see if the class you want is available.
One of my favorite tools to schedule classes is a Web site called www.aroundu.com. Students have the opportunity to rate classes on this site, so it gives you a chance to see what some of the most popular classes are around campus.
Political Science 2056: Louisiana Politics was ranked No. 1 of favorite classes. I haven’t taken this class, but if you like politics or want to know how the Louisiana political system works, I suggest giving it a try.
Some other classes making the top 10 on aroundu.com’s poll include: History 2057: American History from 1865 to the present; Psychology 2000: Introduction to Psychology and English 2148: Shakespeare.
Be careful not to let the fact that it’s a favorite class lead you to believe it is easy. Many of my favorite classes were those classes that challenged me the most. But that’s what makes them good. They give you what a college class is supposed to give you: knowledge and the skill to think on your own.
So take out your catalog and see what LSU has to offer. Find your niche and make the most of it. You won’t regret it.