How to Find an Easy A

This week, I am going to give you advice on how to find easy classes of your own. Each person will have a different idea of what makes a class easy. Some people prefer classes with no homework, while others prefer classes that don’t require attendance or have in class quizzes. Finding an easy class can sometimes be time consuming, but it will pay off later on when you don’t have to do any work for the class.

1. Look at classes from every department. Don’t limit yourself to areas that you feel comfortable with. I would never have thought to take a class about religion, but RELI 101 could possibly be one of the easiest classes at Rice. I have also had many people tell me that they would have never thought to take a BIOE class, but missing out on bionanotechnology would be a shame. 
2. Look at 100 level distribution classes. Many low level distribution classes tend to be geared for people not in that major and are much easier than would be expected of people in that major. 200 level classes sometimes work too, but those can be a bigger risk.
3. On a similar note, avoid classes that are required for the corresponding major. For instance, ASTR 202 is a ridiculously easy class because it is not required for the astronomy degree. In many classes like this, the professors literally have no expectations of their students. In classes that are required for the major, you have to compete with students that actually know what they are talking about.
4. Ask your friends for recommendations. Firsthand experience is always valuable. Numbers that you find on ESTHER mean a lot less than the stories your friends tell you about how insanely easy a class is.
5. However, you should still read ESTHER reviews. Your friend may think a class is really easy because he is actually good at it. That doesn’t mean it’s actually the class for you. However, if the majority of people on ESTHER think it’s really easy, than it’s probably a safe bet. You can also learn a lot about the workload of the class from those comments.
6. Register for a lot of classes, even if you don’t plan on taking them all. If you find 3-4 classes that could possibly be good, just go ahead and sign up for them. You’re allowed to drop classes well into the semester, so there’s no harm in doing so. This allows you to see the syllabus, and to get an idea of what the professor is like. Just drop the harder ones, or the boring ones later on.
7. Read this blog. It’s awesome. No explanation necessary. Also, click on the ads. (Yes, I have no shame.)

Hopefully you know how to find your easy A's now. If you stumble upon anything good, be sure to share with everyone here. Maybe I'll even get the chance to dedicate a blog entry to it.