| Having survived a difficult freshman year last year,
I feel quite inclined to offer some advice to those
freshman desirous of getting all they can out of their
Columbia education. Although these hints / words of
advice can apply to all freshman, those which
correspond to classes specifically refer to the SEAS
core Rule #1
First and foremost, never let anyone tell you that you
won't be able to do ANYTHING. If you won't be
able to handle something, at least find out for yourself.
Maybe you won't be able to be the star running back
for the football team and balance a course load of 20
credits, but you won't know until you've tried. Push
yourself forward! If you have to cut back either in
classes or extracurriculars, do so; at least you will
have discovered your "limits" by yourself.
Credits and the Big Three
On the topic of credits, advisors will recommend
somewhere between 14 and 18. Since most classes
are either three or four credits (labs and seminar
classes are one credit, usually), this equals four to six
classes, giving you room for your required chemistry,
calculus, and physics sequence and one to three more
classes. Depending on the strength of your high
school preparation, you might place out of a semester
or two of calculus, or place into higher sequences of
physics and chemistry. You always have the option of
getting the potentially "easy A" in the lower level, but
why repeat what you already know when you can
move on to something that might challenge your
intellect? If you're not sure if a higher level is right for
you, talk it over with the professor, your advisor, or
get some advice from an upper classman.
Other Classes
Aside from your calculus, chemistry, and physics
sequences you have other required courses which you
can take early to avoid having them haunt you in your
sophomore year. If your name is in approximately the
first half of the alphabet you will be required to take
either Intro to Logic and Rhetoric or Logic and
Rhetoric in the first semester. This class will be either
a great learning experience or the greatest torture you
may ever face, depending on your attitude, your
teacher, and your previous writing background. Aside
from these, other classes that you may want to take
include: computer science (there are a couple to
choose from), economics, art humanities or music
humanities, and/or physical education.
No Limits
Don't feel confined to take the "maximum" 19
credits.With approval from your advisor (make sure
you get it), you can take as many as you
want/allowed. Don't expect to see much daylight
(except through your window or your walks between
classes) if you take any more than 26.Remember all
the other things you should be doing as a freshman:
making new friends, breaking out of your high school
shell, visiting the city, playing monopoly until 4 in the
morning... Your goal in the first semester of your
freshman year should be to branch out as much as
possible and cut back only if you must. In branching
out, however, make sure you find balance.
Extracurriculars
Get Involved! If you are interested in a club or
activity, sign up for it, attend a meeting, maybe get a
friend to go with you. Play in a band; write for a
newspaper; join an athletic team; just do something to
have fun and break the routine monotony of going to
classes and doing the assignments. If you find yourself
at a meeting which proves not to be as wonderful as
you hoped, leave quietly. Find something else you
might like and go for it. Again, you will not know
unless you check it out for yourself.
Meet Your Professors
This almost goes without saying. Sit in the first row,
go to your professor's office hours, ask a lot of
questions; remember, your professor is the one who
decides if your grade rounds up to the A+ or not. As
a corollary, meet any Teaching Assistants for your
classes. Sometimes, they possess a good
understanding of the professor's expectations.
Thinking ahead, you should definitely inquire whether
your professor's exams are based more on lectures
than on notes. This may serve as a guide on how to
allocate
time during the semester and especially during the
limited time you have to study before midterms and
finals.
Test Time
Midterms and finals count for a very LARGE
proportion of your final grade. With this in mind, try
to keep clear notes which can be quickly glanced
over the night or two before your exams. The week
before the exam, plan your studying wisely. Not too
many of us have the ability to cram everything the
night before and still "ace" the test. You should spend
about half an hour to an hour each night going over
notes, bookmarking pages of useful info, and possibly
getting into study groups with some friends in the
class. The night before, nothing can help as much as
plenty of sleep. Remember, 50 percent of your grade
or more may be dependent upon just one exam. Do
not give yourself any excuse for not doing your best.
Need Some Help?
Diagnose your problems early: If you find a class
becoming overwhelming in its workload, either find
yourself a tutor or start a study group. The latter is
generally the better alternative as long as all members
are equally concerned with studying. Don't start a
study group to give you a foolish sense of confidence
that you are studying for a class. If you
have to find a tutor, do so and be sure to follow up on
him/her. If you need a tutor, it is your responsibility to
find one.
Good Luck
If you take nothing else from this article, know that it
is all up to you to do the things you want to do. Well,
good luck and have a great freshman year.
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