Aside from Becky’s birthday, my favorite days are when class schedules are released. Which means that this past Friday was objectively awesome. Is there anything more intoxicating than trying to decide what one’s semester will look like? The feeling is bittersweet this time around, because I will be picking classes for the last time in law school. Still, I won’t let that ruin things. I love exploring the myriad ways in which I might compose a schedule. There are timing, credit load, and professor evaluation factors which require careful consideration. Often overlooked is the subtle interplay of the subject matter of the courses - if I take two “numbers” courses in a semester, will that overtax that half of my brain? Or will I enjoy benefits from the constant exercise?
The biggest trap for the unwary is overestimating how much you’re actually able to handle. In Spring 2009 there at least a dozen courses I am highly interested in taking. Realistically, I probably can’t take more than four of them and still able to absorb anything that I’m supposedly learning. But the temptation to load up is strong. I’ve seen many other people do it, and by this point in the semester, they almost always regret it.
I have until December 1 to “pre-register” through Columbia’s rather Byzantine system. Until then, I’ll be playing with my course-selection spreadsheet..