From Core Classes to Large Lectures: A First-Year Guide
by Mary Anne Feeney

Originally published in late Summer 2000 on studentadvantage.com.

It's freshman year, and it sure isn't high school any more. You're entering an entirely new learning environment that's unlike anything you ever experienced (cue background music to a "A Whole New World" from the Aladdin soundtrack). No more 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. jam-packed days of classes and gym and lunch and recess. No, you're on your own. You have to make up your own schedule and become familiar with terms like "core requirements." Sounds wonderful and liberating, doesn't it?

Not so fast. Before you sign up for five classes that you never attend, keep this in mind: Many students attending college classes for the first time make mistakes they come to regret later on in college. Most new freshmen don't realize how important the core curriculum actually is and how you they'll come to use it. Heck, some of you might not even know what a core curriculum even is.

In order to help you make the most of your freshman year, we've gone to some experts for advice: students who have been there, messed up and lived to pass on their words of wisdom to you.

Core: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

The classes you choose freshman year will affect you for the rest of college. You want to be sure that what you choose now isn't a source of trouble in years to come.

The first thing you should think about are your college's core requirements — a set of classes that every student has to take. Some colleges are very strict, with a predefined course in each discipline that each student must complete. Others schools are more flexible, allowing you to choose from a broader selection of classes to fulfill your requirements.

Most colleges don't impose a set time frame in which to complete core classes, so many students put off taking these requirements so they can get into the field they are interested in right away. This might sound more appealing, but beware: If you dive into a full semester's worth of psych classes because you're sure that's what you want to major in, then change your mind after a semester, you'll be stuck with a bunch of psychology credits that fulfill very few of the requirements you need to graduate.

"If I could choose my freshman year courses over again I would take more core classes and less courses that dealt with my intended major, because I ended up changing majors. Now those classes that I took don't fulfill any requirements," said Tricha Higgins, a junior at Binghamton University.

If you're not sure what you'll major in, core classes can help give you some direction and discover where your interests lie.

Core classes are meant to give you grounding in a variety of different subjects. Some of the subjects may seem tediously dull and useless at the time. But believe us: Semesters later, while writing a paper for your major, you'll find yourself trying to remember something you learned in one of your intro classes and wish that you had taken those classes more seriously.

"I think it's extremely important to take core classes early in your college career and get them out of the way," Edwina Hay, a junior at Fordham University, said. "English is essential in the freshman year because not everyone comes into college on the same level and you will use mostly everything you learn in 90 percent of your college classes."

Most students recommend getting core classes finished as soon as possible. However, this doesn't mean that you should only take requirements during your first year. If you see a class that looks interesting, then go for it. There are such things as electives and taking a couple in your first year or two won't hurt you. However, remember not to get caught up filling your freshman schedule with too many electives, because you may pay for it later.

Keep in mind that you're in college to learn and you're investing money so you can improve yourself as a student and as a person. Although completing requirements is crucial to doing well in college, don't let yourself get overwhelmed by core classes. Hay agrees: "If you want to take something that interests you, do it!" she said.

A Number in the Crowd: Large Lecture Classes

At large universities, core classes are often huge lecture classes ranging in size from approximately 50 to 500 students. For many freshmen entering these large lecture halls for the first time, they may have difficulty adjusting to the unfamiliar classroom setting.

"I have taken several lecture classes and the biggest mistakes that students make in these types of classes is not attending," Higgins said.

Many students know that the professor isn't going to be taking attendance because the class size is just too large, so, they don't go, said Robert Becker, a student who attended University of Texas, Austin, for his freshman year.

"[Freshman year] there were some classes that I wouldn't go to," Becker said. "You don't realize how it will come back to haunt you." In those large lecture classes no one's going to check up on you.

"It's so easy to get lured into not going," Becker continued, adding that nothing will happen to you until you get that grade that brings down your GPA. "Not going to class is the recipe for disaster."

In lecture classes, it's very easy to get lost in the crowd. Besides making sure that you go to class, nearly everyone offers the same three pieces of advice:

• Go see your professor during office hours. "Even if you don't have any questions about the subject matter it is a good way to get acquainted with the professor on a one to one basis," Higgins said. "Professors like to see that students have a genuine interest in doing well in their class."

  Visiting the professor helps you stand out, and even if you don't develop a relationship with your prof, at least the person handing out your grade will have a face to put with the name or number in the grade book.

  "Going to office hours can also help when it comes to your overall grade in the class. If you are on the borderline of an A and a B and the professor remembers seeing you during office hours a few times chances are you will get the A," Higgins said.

  It's especially important to establish a relationship with a professor in a class you like or in the field you're planning on studying. When you need recommendations or advice later, they'll be invaluable.

• Sit in the front of the class. This may sound so simple, but it can make a huge difference in what you get out of the class.

  "If you don't sit in the front, forget about participating," Becker said and explained that you'll get lost in the crowd in the back of the room.

• Do the reading. It seems obvious, but many people think they can get away without reading the books, or leave them until the last week of the semester. Wrong!

In addition, large lectures are often broken up into section groups taught by teaching assistants (TAs) who can influence your grade. These discussion normally consist of about 20 students and meet about once a week for an hour. They can be helpful to clarify any concepts that may not be clear. They're also used to review exams. Though sections can be very important in helping you understand the subject matter, most only account for a small part of your grade.

Jeanne Wong, a junior at Penn State, said her smallest course at Penn had between 45 and 50 people. To succeed in large classes she suggested starting a study group. Try to find people you can work with and "try to start a study group with a variety of people," Wong said. "Some people are better teachers than others."

Making the Grade

Whether you're at a large school or not, taking good notes is essential to doing well on exams. In high school many people get straight As without ever picking up a pen in class. Although it's possible, it's not likely you'll meet too many people like this in college.

Note taking is especially important in lecture classes where you have less contact with the professor and other students around you. "When exam time comes around many of the questions on the test reflect information that was given in class and cannot be found in the textbook," Higgins said.

Taking good notes helps you stay organized and saves you a lot of time when you're studying for exams. Most college classes meet between one and three times a week, instead of every day. This makes it more difficult to retain all the information from a particular class that you'll need to ace your test.

To take good notes, don't write down everything the professor says — that's impossible. Pick out key phrases and abbreviate. You'll develop your own personal language that you'll get used to writing and reading when studying.

Another tip: Go to class. It's so easy and tempting to cut classes freshman year. That's why a lot of people spend sophomore and junior year trying to bring up their freshman GPA. Don't get stuck.

Listen to us and you'll be a better, more successful student in the long run. Oh, and you'll probably have some time left over to waste however you want!

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