Time has crept up on everyone and it’s almost time to register for classes. Shifting through all of the courses that Washington University offers can feel overwhelming. Much of the time, students’ best resources for choosing classes can be other students. Our Editorial Board has gathered a list of courses available next Spring semester that we have taken and recommend in order to provide a reference for those struggling to fill their registration worksheet.

L33 Psych 3604: Cognitive Neuroscience

T-R 4:00-5:30 p.m.

If you’re looking to take a science class that branches outside of the standard introductory courses, this may be up your alley. After a while, the material of introductory science classes can seem to blend together. This class, however, is different from the others, as it demonstrates the science learned in a more tangible way. We looked at different research experiments and cases which provided a more specific, directly applicable look at science. Particularly for pre-meds, this course is excellent in showing real-world scenarios and cases about neurological disorders.

— Kya Vaughn, Senior Forum Editor

L14 E Lit 334: A History of the Golden Age of Children’s Literature

T-R 1:00-2:20 p.m.

If you, like me, are an English major, or even if you’re just looking to fill one of your humanities credits, this class is worth your while. It is a lot of reading—a novel per week—but the books are geared towards children, and as such are going to be a lot different than what you would normally be reading for an English course. The class dives deep into the history of children’s fiction as a genre and, as it is a discussion-based class, gives a lot of insight into other students’ areas of study—personally, I learned a lot about children’s studies and about the ideas behind elementary education.

— Isabella Neubauer, Senior Cadenza Editor and Copy Chief

L38 Span 308E: Advanced Reading and Writing

MWF Multiple Sections Offered

On the one hand, Spanish 308 is the same type of literature class you were forced to take in English from 8th-12th grade, with reading assignments supplemented by discussions about authors’ backgrounds, political and literary movements that influenced them (and that they influenced), and position-based but not necessarily argumentative essays. The difficulty is compounded, of course, by everything except the syllabus being in Spanish. But on the other hand, the novels, short stories and other works you read are consistently captivating and entertaining, at a level I’d only ever expected from fiction writing classes. Moreover, if you’ve labored up through 307 to get here, it’s an amazing feeling to put the grammar tests aside and finally work with the Spanish language and cultures.

— Jonah Goldberg, Copy Chief

L75 JIMES 373: Topics in Near Eastern Cultures: Democracies and Dictatorships in the Middle East

T-R 10-11:20am

I’ve always been interested in keeping up with news about the Middle East, but, until taking this class, could never get a grasp on what exactly was going on. This is a great choice for anyone interested in learning more about the history, politics and cultures of the region’s countries and regimes. Professor Rettig does a great job of providing a strong, nuanced overview of each country of study in a clear and engaging way. You’ll learn a great deal of political theory and see how all those concepts actually play out in past and present regimes across the region.

— Jaden Satenstein, Senior Scene Editor

L13 Writing 305 01: Modern Humor Writing

T-R 10-11:20 a.m.

As is evident from the title alone, this is a fun class. You get to read a collection of great humor pieces written by comedians such as Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey and Steve Martin and dig deeper into what humor is and why some things are funny (and why other things sadly are not). This class is by no means something to laugh off, however, as making jokes under pressure takes more effort than one might initially think. Still, Professor McPherson creates a great environment in the classroom and is always happy to help when you feel like maybe you just aren’t funny after all.

— Lauren Alley, Managing Editor

L27 Music 1022: Popular Music in American Culture

M-W-F 11-11:50 a.m.

This is by far one of my favorite classes I’ve taken in college. Popular Music in American Culture gives a full overview of contemporary music in the U.S. since the 1800s. It examines the development of genres and what it means for music to be “popular”. And the best part is that the assignments for each class are just to listen to an assortment of songs that serve as examples for each lecture. If you want your homework to just be a few Sam Cooke and Led Zeppelin songs, this is the class for you.

— Tyler Sabloff, Senior Forum Editor

E81 CSE 131: Introduction to Computer Science

T-R Multiple Sections Offered

I had never done any sort of coding or computer science before starting with 131, the intro course, this fall. I’ve since fallen in love with the material. The class is structured in a way that emphasizes practice and understanding, allowing seemingly complex material to become incredibly accessible. Working through tough computer science problems has encouraged me to expand my creative thinking abilities and has made me a better self-advocate. The course does a good job of providing helpful resources for when we inevitably get stuck, and I have many friends who are considering a minor in computer science after taking this class. It is hard, but very rewarding, and you will be glad that you’ve taken it in the end.

— Matthew Friedman, Senior Sports Editor

L28 P.E. 239: Topics in Physical Education: Beginning Tennis

M-W 1-2:20 p.m.

I played tennis for about a year in middle school, so I came into this class knowing just about the bare minimum. After a few weeks of drills and playing tennis, I’ve found that my skills in tennis have gone from dismal to mediocre. Although I might not be a tennis pro after half a semester of beginning Tennis, I have had a lot of fun in the class. It forces me to be active for about an hour twice a week, and that in itself is good. With half of the class period being dedicated to hitting the ball around with other people in the class, beginners tennis allows you to take things about as intensely as you want. Beginning Tennis is a lot of fun, and I would recommend it if you want an excuse to be a little more active or if you want to learn the basics of tennis.

— Josh Zucker, Associate Editor

L13 Writing 220: Creative Nonfiction Writing

M-W or T-R Multiple Sections Offered

Whether you are a Writing minor or just someone who generally enjoys making observations of the world around you or keeping a journal, I cannot recommend this class enough. I took it the fall of my freshman year of college before I took College Writing and absolutely loved it. Thanks to this class, my freshman year is documented in a hilarious journal and multiple odd writing assignments. Typically it’s taught by a super nice MFA student who will probably tell you that you’re writing is “inspiring!”, even if you think it sucks… It’s a great class for you to find your voice and hone in on your writing skills with a small group of students who’ve got your back.

— Danielle Drake-Flam, Managing Editor