Here’s how I ended up taking more classes than ever before in my last semester! 

I absolutely used to swear up and down (and also left and right) that I would never, ever take 5 classes in one semester. A big statement, I know, but I was committed to it. As someone who’s involved in a bunch of extracurriculars, including a sport, I knew I wanted to spend that portion of time I would normally spend on a fifth class devoting myself to other activities, and also getting to see my friends every once and a while.

The only time – before now – that I broke this was my junior spring, when I ended up being enrolled in Neuro 91 (Lab Research) as a fifth class. This only really lasted for a few weeks, since this was also the semester the pandemic broke out and in-person research shortly became impossible even though I was still technically enrolled!

So, fast forward to now, you’re probably still wondering why I’m taking 5 classes in what is supposedly supposed to be the most fun semester in college. The answer is simple, really. I just couldn’t choose! 

Going into virtual shopping week, I fully intended to enroll in 4 classes, as per usual. As I was looking for the classes that I most wanted to take, I realized that a lot of the classes I found most interesting were lotteries, or capped, courses. Naturally, being the ball of nervous energy that I can definitely sometimes be, I took this as incentive to find even more courses I was interested in, which I could enroll in. Backups, if you will. 

Now this was all well and good, but obviously, I got sucked in and too interested in too many classes, and after I thankfully got most of my lotteries, I was in too deep to back out! 

As of now, it’s still going well – I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to handle my workload comfortably, while still making time for all the fun things I can (COVID safely!) get up to on and around campus this spring. I do think that in some ways, our current Zoom state of mind makes taking more classes a little bit easier – I don’t have to worry about spending time going between places, and extracurriculars are a little toned down right now. If I do start freaking out, at least I have until the fifth Monday deadline to drop a course! 

Overall, though I honestly never thought this is what my senior spring schedule would look like, but I think it’s for the best #growth! I’m really excited about my classes, and I’m glad I get the opportunity to explore one more time before I have to leave Harvard for good.

P.S. For anyone who’s curious, I’m taking Astrosociology, Modern Women Writers, Memory in Asian American Literature, Black Women Voices in the #MeToo Era, and Leaning In, Hooking Up: Visions of Feminism and Femininity in the 21st Century!