Hacking your course registration

I remember the summer before college when I was still scoping out my future through "A College Day in My Life" videos. I followed a YouTuber’s advice to make a four-year course schedule ahead of time. I spent hours researching classes, making a (seemingly) seamless schedule and imagining my life was all set — which now seems like a bit of a pipe dream. I've been humbled by the difficulty of some classes and the evolution of my interests — I’ve changed majors three times!

As a rising junior, I feel ready to share some course registration hacks that won't just help you get through your degree, but also ensure that you’re genuinely interested in your courses and that you maintain a healthy balance.

Tip one: Get creative with your distribution requirements

If you need classes to fulfill your distribution requirements outside your major, don’t just stick to those 200-student “Intro to” classes. Spend some time playing around with SIS’s advanced search to see what courses fit your open time slots with different distribution tags (“Writing and Communication,“ “Science and Data,“ etc.). You'll probably find classes with eye-catching and creative titles, perhaps newly offered for the upcoming semester. These classes are often smaller and taught by passionate professors who design the class around niche interests. Try to approach meeting the distribution requirement as a treasure hunt through Hopkins’ course offerings and finish them with a sense of novelty and excitement.

Tip two: Writing intensive requirements

Besides fulfilling distribution requirements, Hopkins offers multiple ways to complete your writing-intensive requirement. Look beyond the obvious courses in English, Writing Seminars and the somehow cheesy “Leadership Theory,” which I never managed to get into. Many departments offer writing-intensive courses that might align more closely with your interests or major. Check the course catalog for these opportunities.

Tip three: Find syllabi and balance your classes

When narrowing down your options, try to find syllabi for the classes you're interested in to get a better understanding of the workload and grading components. Most importantly, try to balance classes based on exams, projects and papers. This is a great way to prevent finals week burnout. Also, note that our school releases the finals schedule in advance. Google “JHU final exam schedule” and use it to avoid having multiple finals on the same day.

Tip four: Prioritize practical classes with real projects

For students hoping to jumpstart their careers after college, practical classes that provide chances to address real-life problems for clients and work with a small team on a project can be incredibly beneficial. It might sound strictly practical, but these classes not only enhance your learning experience but also provide tangible outputs that you can put on your resume and discuss in interviews. Plus, they can be a refreshing break from long, boring lectures. Balance these types of courses with theoretical ones when planning your schedule.

Tip Five: Consider winter and summer courses

If you want to graduate without taking crazy 21-credit semesters, Hopkins is offering more classes during the winter and summer sessions, including those that are typically in high demand. Winter courses are usually fun and relaxed classes to fulfill credit requirements, while summer courses can help lighten your load during regular semesters or catch up if you feel behind. Check out these offerings and plan accordingly. Still, remember that breaks are crucial for recharging and touching some grass, so don’t overwork yourself if you feel like taking a vacation.

Lastly: Be flexible

I totally get the urge to stick with a class once you’ve registered and the temptation to get all your core requirements out of the way quickly. But honestly, you WILL finish your degree (unless you plan to drop out and start your own business in a garage).

It’s okay to drop classes and take them later. You might do better when you’ve built a more solid foundation from other relevant courses, or when you can carve out more time to focus on the class after you’re done with club recruitment, or when you know they’ve finally switched out the picky professor for a lenient one. These are all better than forcing yourself and burning out under pressure.

To wrap up, college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and isn’t just about academics. Make sure to leave room in your schedule for hobbies, friendships and rest. Good luck with your course registration — I know how good it feels to crawl back into bed for a couple more hours after a 7 A.M. registration scramble.

Yuyu Huang is a junior from Fujian, China majoring in Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Economics. She is the Leisure Editor for The News-Letter.