Tips for Picking Courses and Successfully Navigating Advising Week

HENRY WU ’21
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
During advising week, Trinity students struggle with the selection of courses for next semester. Students have to decide which courses they want to take, worry about meeting major and general education requirements, and meet with their academic advisors to get the enrollment hold lifted. Since advising week can be stressful for all college students, here are some tips on picking courses wisely and organizing your schedule effectively.
Arranging your schedule is a tough job, especially when you have to decide when you’d like to take certain classes. Some students tend to pick courses offered during lunch or dinner hours and therefore do not have any spare time to obtain the energy they require. After they finish their classes, they are already both tired and hungry and have to purchase food elsewhere, since Mather Hall closes relatively early. Without adequate nutrition, they have no adequate energy or stamina to continue the rest of the night, and even a nap cannot recover the lost vigor. This lack of energy can also lead to unexpected illness or collapse.
Additionally, students should to take into account the rigor of the courses they’re planning on taking next semester. Some courses are mentally taxing, requiring extreme thinking skills and analyzing abilities. If students enroll in too many impossible classes, they will not pay much attention to the professors’ lectures, leading to negative impacts on their grades. It is important that students think about time conflicts and are conscientious about not loading up on too many difficult courses.
Furthermore, students should be aware of the benefits of selecting the courses in which they are interested or eager to commit themselves to. By the end of sophomore year, Trinity requires students to declare their major(s), deciding on their field of interest. If you are unsure about what you’d like to major in, it’s helpful to read course descriptions online and enroll in classes that sound interesting. We are lucky enough to have a variety of courses offered to us, and there is bound to be a handful of courses that will spark your interest. Trinity students have the ability to explore many areas of study including International Studies, Political Science, Mathematics, and many more. As the old saying goes, “course selection is a form of art.” Choosing classes resembles an art since everyone is eager to create a magnificent map for their schedule and avoid time conflicts between class-es. In order to successfully create a schedule for next semester, students should be wary of scheduling conflicts, budget enough time to practice proper self-care, take courses of interest, and meet with academic advisors prior to course selection. Good luck this week!