On Crashing Classes

We've made it to Friday. Rejoice! Week one of classes (for me and my classmates, at least), is finally at it's end. A sense of regularity and calm is starting to fall over campus, contrasting dramatically with the confusion and chaos we faced at the beginning of the week. Classes are filled, and teachers are beginning to push past their "Don't cheat, plagiarise, or slap each other in my class" and "This class is called Spanish; if you thought you were going to learn how to juggle, now is the time to leave" dummy talk and into the real class. It's exciting.

But today is Friday, and I said I'd talk about crashing classes this week. So I will!

I didn't really end up crashing much. It was actually really easy for me. The classes I was already signed up for were pretty much what I wanted, except that the Wednesday night class needed to go. So I found Women in American Society and, through the Art of Knowing the Right People, I got my add code the first day, avoided the risky lottery, and dropped my Wednesday night class before Wednesday even came about.

So my number one piece of advice for course crashing is this: stand out. And I don't mean just sit around and play the amplified cactus on the street corner every night. What I mean is walk up to your professor, introduce yourself, and let him/her know you want to be in his/her class. Show them.

Don't show up late. I know some schools have it so if you want to add, you come after class, but you know what? Come before class. Get there early, talk to the professor, and if you're told to come by at the end of class, make sure you're there right away. Don't harass the professor, but stand out by proving that you care and you want this class.

Friendliness is such an important trait to have too, and it's something I know I need to work on. But when you can be both serious/determined and still friendly and cheerful, it's not just professors who will remember you. And being remembered (for good qualities, not bad) is beyond value; when someone knows, respects, and likes you, they're much more willing to do favours for you. Like put in a good word for you or recommend you.

You want classes? Prove why you, of all the people fighting for a spot, should have the spot. That, or either get really lucky on the lottery draw or just kill off students until there's room for you.