Ali Jackson | A pre-registration cheat sheet

Look at yourself. Sitting there, calmly reading a newspaper, not a care in the world.

Well, news flash: your future is calling, and it hangs up on April 1. Ladies and gentleman, hold onto your hats: pre-registration starts today.

If you're like me, you probably haven't given this a second thought after deleting an e-mail from that advisor you've never met. Next semester seems distant and besides, you have three (two? one?!) years to meet those pesky requirements.

But who are you kidding, we all know you're going to take the same old things everyone does. Suppose you want to mix it up - take something interesting, enlightening and off the beaten path. Well, my friends (and by 'friends,' I of course mean people I've never met), have I got the solution for you.

I spent the last week talking to students and professors from all majors and departments and have compiled a list of lesser-known classes that fulfill general requirements. Consider it your pre-registration cheat sheet . enjoy.

Sector I: Society

Psychology 170: "Social Psychology." Let's face it - you took Psych 001 with the rest of your freshman class, so you're eligible for this class. If learning how to attract a spouse (or that cute girl sitting next to you), why no one talks in an elevator or what exactly compelled you to crowd surf when your friends told you to sounds interesting, then Psych 170 would suit you perfectly.

Sector II: History and Tradition

Linguistics 115: "Writing Systems." Not your typical history class, it examines how language has evolved from ancient times to today. Now, before you fall asleep, hear me out. Associate professor Gene Buckley, who will teach this class in the fall, said, "It's a different perspective on history, not talking about rulers or political turmoil."

In other words, forget about memorizing names and dates. Instead, you can study ancient Egyptian and modern Japanese. But don't worry - "It's really fun," Buckley said.

Sector III: Arts and Letters

Urban Studies 244: "Metropolis: Culture of the City." Ever want to relate Seinfeld to life? Associate professor Catriona MacLeod said, "We look at the seen-it-all attitude of the Seinfeld characters and how it relates to the way people in cities see life." Film screenings and class readings tie together to look at the growth in cities in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Music 021: "Introduction to the History of Music." Don't let the title of this class scare you - Music 021 is more about analyzing music and learning how to recognize stylistic elements than memorization. College sophomore David Joseph said, "It's a must-take for anyone. . It gives you a solid idea of what to look for when you're listening to music." And best of all, "You can really impress people with your knowledge later on," he exclaimed.

Sector IV: Formal Reasoning and Analysis

Sociology 120: "Social Statistics." While many people (including myself) run screaming from anything involving the word 'statistics,' this class could be incredibly useful for any major. College junior Chris Falcone said he still uses the material from this class in all his coursework. Of the professor, Camille Charles, he said, "She was interesting and communicated the material well." And for all you exam-phobes, get this: There are no tests!

Sector V: The Living World

Like I said, you already took Psychology 001. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for? Just make sure to go to class (not just read) or you'll be surprised on the exam.

Best Wharton course

OPIM 291: "Negotiations." One phone conversation with Legal Studies and Business Ethics professor Kenneth Shropshire and I was convinced that I must take this class. "It's one of the most fun classes to teach," he said. "You have the chance to get to know students."

This class allows you to interact with your classmates in exercises that build your negotiation skills for the real world. "I try to get them in the frame of the mind that anyone can be good at this," Shropshire says. "It's a class where you get out what you put in."

Maybe if I got an entire newspaper to myself I could rave about all of the great classes I came across during my research. For now, I'll leave you with some honorable mentions: Anthropology 102; English 091; Theater Arts 100; Philosophy, Politics, & Economics 110; Music 070; Comparative Literature 240; Philosophy 225; and Legal Studies 207.

Still not satisfied? Try actually reading the course catalog - you'd be surprised what random things you'll find hidden in there. Who knows, maybe you'll even find your dignity from that time you took Rocks for Jocks.

Ali Jackson is a Wharton and College sophomore from Cardiff, Calif. Her e-mail address is jackson@dailypennsylvanian.com. A Little Person-Ali-ty appears on Mondays.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.