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Course scheduling is such an exciting time. At Michigan, there is a wide variety of classes in nearly every subject imaginable. Looking at the LSA Course Guide, it is simply impossible to browse through it without turning on some sort of search filter because there are so many options.

See! Even just the letter ‘E’ can be overwhelming!

Options and transparency

One of the best parts about Michigan is that you can take almost any class available, even if you aren’t in that major or school. Barring any prerequisite requirements, you have the freedom to explore anything!

The LSA Course Guide has links to view the Course Profile (ART), where you are able to view the grade distribution and see how people who have taken the class have rated the class’s workload as compared to classes of the same number of credits. With information about how previous semesters’ students have rated their professors, you have more information you might need to make the best, custom-made schedule that’s right for you.

What if I don’t get my dream class?

Fear not! At Michigan, instructors are extremely sympathetic, and there is a lot of movement on waitlists in the first week of the term. Be sure to attend the first few classes and let the instructor know that you are still interested in the class -- this can tremendously help your chances of getting in.

During my first semester, this strategy helped me get into my favorite class of the year: “STATS 280, Honors Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis.”

No required “gen eds”

At Michigan, there is no such thing as a set of required general education courses. Instead, most schools within the university have broad distribution guidelines that you can satisfy using a wide array of classes.

For instance, you could take “MUSICOL 346, Science Fiction Film Music,” to fulfill some of the humanities requirements in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Because I’d prefer to take a class that is more math intensive than writing based, I’m swapping three credit hours of social sciences for three credits in mathematical and symbolic analysis through “MATH 214, Applied Linear Algebra.” You largely get to do what interests you!

Helpful tools

Using the Schedule Builder website integrated within U-M’s registration system, you can randomly generate schedules with all of the different times that a class is offered.

Want to save Friday evenings or never have classes past a certain time? You can block off time as breaks to see if that can work with your choice of classes. And with all Michigan classes ending ten minutes early, you can schedule your classes back-to-back (if that’s your preference).

The possibilities are endless and it’s all up to you!

With so many tools at your disposal, making a course schedule does not have to be stressful. Rather, you can approach registering for classes with being excited to have another customized schedule to explore what makes you happy. Register what you want to register for, study what you want to study, and do what you want to do! That’s the Michigan difference.