As we all know, the end of the school year is approaching soon, meaning it’s time to sign up for fall classes. This is my sixth quarter here at UCI, which means I have done the whole class signing process a total of six times, which one would think would be enough experience. Alas! Unfortunately, as soon as the “schedule of the class” gets uploaded for the upcoming quarter, I start having major anxiety about what class to take and how I will ensure I have an effective schedule. I think one of the major differences between high school and college (and there are many), is signing up for classes. You go from literally being handed your class schedule to having the autonomy of doing whatever you want. Well, “whatever” might be an exaggeration, but there is definitely more freedom in college when deciding what your week looks like.
With the freedom, however, comes a lot of anxiety, especially for me. Being an undeclared student for the first year, I had so much trouble figuring out what classes to take. In addition to that, I was a freshman during the startling year of 2020, meaning I spent my first year at UCI, not really at UCI. As everything was online, I was unsure of how to proceed as everything was new to me. Whether it was logging onto Canvas or figuring out what the schedule of classes meant, I was constantly worried about messing up. So for any incoming freshman reading this, my tip would be to seek help, which I thankfully did. I highly recommend everyone meet with a counselor every quarter to ensure that they are on track with everything. Although the fall quarter is the last thing on our minds right now, unfortunately, registration is fast approaching. Hence, for anyone looking to fill up some classes, here are some recommendations from my end of a few classes that I have enjoyed so far.
A quick heads up, since I am a student in the School of Social Sciences, most of these courses will focus on subjects like sociology and humanities!
Sociology 63: Race and Ethnicity
I took this class during the winter quarter with Professor Jason Mueller. It is a lower-division, four-unit course. The class meets twice a week and has a discussion section. When I took the class, the assignments mainly included essays. The course content was extremely interesting, and the books we read for the class were enlightening, to say the least. This course provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about the complex history of the United States and helps you explore more about race and ethnicity, as the title suggests. The readings can feel like a lot, but if you wish to widen your horizons regarding our history and learn about influential people and events that rarely get talked about in high school curriculums, this is the perfect course for you.
Chicano/Latino Studies (Medical Anthropology 178A)
I am currently taking this course with Professor Sherine Hamdy. This is an upper-division, four-unit course that meets twice a week. It does not have any official discussion section. If you are interested in public health or are in any pre-med track I highly recommend this course. I, despite being a sociology major, have found this class very helpful. The topics discussed in this class include social determinants of health, chronic illness, medicalization, and much more. This class is very eye-opening as you learn how our socio-economic background impacts our illnesses. Professor Hamdy makes use of multimodal modes of learning, and if you like comics, then you are in for a treat. Although the essays and quizzes can be a little challenging, the course content is fascinating and makes you want to learn more.
Asian American Histories 50
I took this course during the winter quarter with Professor Dorothy Fujita-Rony. It is a lower division course that fulfills the general education requirement ((III or IV) and IV). The class meets twice a week and has a discussion section that you attend once a week where you discuss the topics discussed in the lecture. There is an essay as well as a midterm and final. The course is very engaging, despite the content feeling like a lot at times. As an Asian American immigrant myself, I was surprised to realize how I had little to no idea about Asian American history. You will also be able to hear from guest speakers who have very informative presentations regarding the topic. Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in learning more about the intricate history of Asian Americans and how it continues to grow today!
Some honorable mentions: Sociology 3 (Social Problems), Introduction to International Relations, Abnormal Psychology. All the best, and happy course searching!