Hey Aska,
My program requires I take certain classes, however the class I want to take isn’t even offered. It’s listed on the programs website and listed as a requirement, but not available for selection. Apparently it was available in summer school this year, but I opted out of that. I would have really loved taking this course, and the strange thing is this course is (more or less) continued in a 4th year course which is available. There are alternatives, but I really want to avoid those alternatives at all costs. Why would the university do this? Meaning, why would they list a course as a requirement and give it to us as an alternative to the other courses, but not have it available to select? Does this mean the course will no longer be taught?
Secondly, how do you deal with a course you know you’re going to dread? Course selection is coming up very soon and it looks like the course I want isn’t going to be available. So I’ll be stuck in a class with course content I have no interest in. Not just that, the professor as well is suppose to be bad. I know you can’t judge a professor/course before you take it, but when sites like ratemyprofessor have over 50 reviews all claiming it to be the absolute worst, you get worried.
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Heyo,
U of T has courses that are offered every other year. My minor, for example, had first year requirements that weren’t offered in my first year but were in my second. In my situation not having this course didn’t stop me from taking the other courses so I just ended up taking it when I could. The real problem is if you decide to drop it or you fail it and you have to wait a year to take it again. There are some classes that are even offered on a rarer basis and those you just have to hope the course selection god will offer it in a year that you have a good start time for.
While there was a course or two that I dreaded and ended up liking, most dreaded courses are rough to get through. In my experience you can dread one part of the course and still survive; so you can either dread the time of the class, the prof or the course material, but not more than one. Professors are key. In my last two years I started picking courses solely on professors that were either highly rated (ratemyprofessor, or the Anti-Calendar), ones that I had taken before and loved, or ones fellow students recommended (Prof. Danesi is always recommended as an elective).
Life is too short, don’t waste it in classes with boring material, professors that you can’t understand and generally being somewhere you don’t want to be.
Saying all this hubbub though, there are some courses that you will just have to man up and take.
Side Bar Ted: 5 Ways to Get Through Dreaded Courses
1) Coffee
2) Snacks (lots of snacks)
3) Force a friend to take the course with you
4) Re-direct your essays into something you are interested in
5) Reward yourself with beer and nachos after each class
I combined all of the above to get through any dreaded courses of mine. You might have to change it up to suit your needs, but I have faith you can make it through.
coffee and cupcakes,
aska