Do you know how students choose their classes each quarter? In my home country, Japanese universities’ classes are usually already decided from the first year. However, in the U.S., many students take various classes in the first two years and find their major by the third year. In this blog, I introduce how I decide my classes every quarter.
I usually choose two required courses and one course that I am interested in. For fun classes, or electives, I have taken a beginning drawing class, a ceramic class, and a pilates class, which I couldn’t have tried if I hadn’t chosen these classes. LCC offers many fun classes, like piano, guitar, photography, and dance. It’s a good opportunity to explore your possibilities!
RateMyProfessors is a website where students can check teachers’ reviews. Many students use this website to check their teachers’ class style, the amount of homework, and the difficulty of teachers’ exams. When you have a hard time deciding on the classes, this is one of the best ways to find the teacher who you think fits you.
The most important thing is to check your own schedule. Even if you decide which classes
to take, the class schedules might overlap. Also, some of you are morning people,
but some are not. Many classes start from 9 am, but don’t push yourself too hard if
you are not good at waking up early! I’m not good at waking up early, so I always
try to take afternoon classes. Building your schedule based on your lifestyle is also
a key to enjoying a comfortable study abroad experience!
When writing this blog, my advisor recommended that I also tell you about talking
with your advisors. Advisors help make sure you are taking classes for your major
and are on track to complete your program. At LCC, you will have an Academic (“Pathway”)
Advisor, Faculty Advisor, and International Student Advisor. For athletes, you also
have an Athletic Advisor. So many people to support your success!
I really like how American universities often offer flexible course registration, allowing me to choose classes to my liking each quarter. Especially the idea of structuring my schedule around my interests is a good opportunity to broaden my horizons! Personally, taking a drawing class made me like drawing, and having my pottery pieces exhibited in shows really boosted my confidence. Just be sure not to forget any required courses! I hope this blog post made the American university course registration process a bit easier to imagine. Thank you for reading to the end!
Enjoyed this article? You may also enjoy: Majors at U.S. Community Colleges