In selecting your first-semester courses, there are many things to consider. These include Trinity’s distribution requirements, any preliminary ideas you have about a major field, and curiosity about particular subjects, along with input from your parents and teachers. Ultimately, the responsibility for course selection is yours, but here are some tips to keep in mind as you select your courses:
Foundational requirements: You should begin making progress in fulfilling your foundational requirements in writing, quantitative literacy, and a second language early.
Exploration: Every first-semester schedule should include courses that explore your academic interests (i.e., including a potential major), intellectual passions (i.e., things you are excited to take), and discovery (i.e., something new). Look for courses that might be less obvious to you and are open to first-year students.
Balance: Try to balance courses in terms of workload (try not to load up on reading and writing intensive courses), size of class, departments/programs, “safe” courses vs. those less known, etc.
Do not spend too much time trying to create your “perfect” schedule. Concentrate more on the course topic/content rather than when it meets since you will not be selecting specific sections of the course.
Many courses reserve seats for incoming first-year students. Be sure to look broadly at course options and pay attention to course pre-requisites.
