Every Emory student knows that Thursday nights can get pretty crazy. But what happens when you’re out at Maggie’s until 3am and then have to wake up for a 9:35am Meteorology lecture on Friday morning? Well, from some first-hand experience, I know that this might involve running late to class with last night’s makeup on and your hair looking not so cute.
As I sport my usual I’m-totally-late-but-there’s-no-chance-I’m-running power walk from Longstreet-Means to the Math and Science Center, I remember to look up at the sky and evaluate what types of clouds are out that morning to prepare for my daily quiz on cloud type. However, I often find myself looking up (way past the clouds) and just thinking “Why am I in this class?!?!?!” The reason consists of only three letters: G,E, and R.
Emory’s GER requirements were probably appealing as a prospective student because you knew they’d ensure a well-rounded liberal arts education. But when you spend hours in the stacks to study for a class you find dreadfully boring and know will never be useful to you, you’re not going to be so thrilled to drag yourself out of bed to get to class. However, the GER requirements are an integral part of Emory’s education, so whether we like it or not, we must learn to embrace them. Here are some ways to make the process a little less painful:
1. Take classes over the summer: Emory is a top 20 university, and the classes are definitely rigorous. Taking classes to fill your GER’s over the summer can be useful because…
· Depending on where you take them, you can probably find classes that fulfill the same GER’s that the more difficult courses at Emory satisfy.
· If you fulfill some of your GER’s over the summer, you can free up your schedule at Emory to take classes you are actually interested in, or maybe add another major or minor!
· You’ll have more time during the summer to concentrate on a class without all of the distractions you normally have at college. So if you’re not exactly proficient in a certain GER area, you can allow yourself more time and energy to put into that class if you take it over the summer.
2. Look out for HAPW’s, HALW’s, and HSCW’s: Knock out two birds with one stone! The classes with this GER tag fulfill two requirements in just one class, one of them being the hard-to-find Continued Writing (W).
3. Don’t make it a morning class: While early morning classes should be avoided altogether, you should especially avoid scheduling your most dreaded one early in the morning. If you’re taking a class “just to fulfill a GER” and not because you want to take it, reconsider because…
· You’re less likely to wake up for it. If you don’t actually want to go to a class, you’re going to “accidentally” press that snooze button instead of getting up.
· Even when you make it to class on time, your mind is bound to be elsewhere (aka: Am I going for Einstein’s or Freshens after this? Who was that cute boy I met at the pre-game last night? Most importantly, why am I awake right now?). Studies have shown that young adults learn best in the afternoon or evening, so trying to pay attention to a class you find uninteresting to begin with in the early morning is never a good idea!
Follow these tips and you’re bound to make completing your GER’s less of a chore, and more of a positive learning experience!