HASS-D Lottery

MIT2010 · 05-14-2006, 05:11 PM

I click on https://student.mit.edu/shpfehasl.html

It led me to a page to choose my top six choices of HASS-D courses for spring semester. My question is: it never asked me to enter my MIT ID, email, or any identification; how does MIT know that it is I choosing these courses?

molliebatmit · 05-14-2006, 05:23 PM

It asked for your certificate. Your certificate identifies you as you, since you have to enter your ID, password, and ID number to get the certificate.

Anything https:// at MIT asks for certificates.

MIT2010 · 05-14-2006, 05:49 PM

OK, I get it. Thanks!

I looked at the Freshman HASS-D Guide, it divides the courses to five categoreis: (1)literary and textual studies (2)language, thought and value (3)visual and performing arts (4)cultural and social studies (5)historical studies

When they say, I must complete 3 HASS-Distribution subjects, do they mean I will need to take at least one course from three of the five categories listed above?

Please correct me if I am wrong: from those three categories I choose, I need to take 3 or 4 subjects in one of the category. Of all the eight HASS subjects I will take in the next four years, one must be CI-H?

Lastly, if the course is not listed as HASS-D, does that mean if I choose it, I will get the class for sure?

Mollie, you said you took introduction to psychology as one of your HASS subjects. However, I did not see this course listed on my HASS booklet.

I am still learning all these requirements right now; thanks for any help!

molliebatmit · 05-14-2006, 06:51 PM

The HASS requirement is one of the most confusing requirements at MIT, if you want my opinion. It's really unnecessarily complex.

So yes, you have to take one class from at least three different [ulr=http://web.mit.edu/shass/undergraduate/hass-req/hass-d/categories.shtml]HASS-D categories[/url].

Your concentration can be in any of these fields; it doesn't have to be something that you took a HASS-D in, although it can be, if you're interested in killing multiple birds with minimal stones and all that.

Two classes out of the 8 must be CI-H, and at least one of those classes should be taken during your freshman year.

9.00 (intro to psych) used to be a HASS-D (as in, I think it is even this term) -- actually, it was one of the most popular choices. I was trying to find a HASS-D for Adam yesterday and actually noticed that it had been taken off the HASS-D list, and that it apparently has a new professor. Boo to that.

Unless a class is HASS-D or says "limited enrollment", you will get it for sure. And even when classes are limited enrollment, you can usually get into them if you really want to. If you don't get your first choice HASS-D, there are usually open spots by the first day of class, and you can go to the first day of the class and have the professor sign an Add Form for you. (Adam chimes in that he has literally never gotten into a HASS-D via the lottery; he just goes on the first day and gets his add form signed. I wouldn't advocate Adam-level flakiness, but hey, if it works...)

kcastelle · 06-25-2006, 03:52 PM

So am I understanding this correctly? You must take 8 HASS classes as follows:
Okay say your major in EECS and your concentration is Psych (just for fun)

2 - CI-M (in your major, not your concentration) - so 2 CSEE CI-M classes
2 - HASS-Ds outside your concentration - so a poetry and a history class
1 - HASS-D in your concentration - a psych class
2 - CI-H (in your concentration?) - this is where I get confused
1 - something? in your concentration? - this is where I'm totally lost

I've got 4 CIs accounted for, as well as 3 HASS-Ds... I'm not sure about this concentration thing. It's not adding up to eight as far as I can tell... help?

molliebatmit · 06-25-2006, 04:43 PM

CI-M classes are in the major -- they're not HASS classes. Course 6 CI-Ms can be found here. As you can see on that list, they're all 6.whatever.

So generally people will take
3 HASS-D (at least one of which will probably be CI-H)
2 CI-H (many CI-H classes are HASS-D)
3-4 concentration (one of which can be a HASS-D; can also be CI-H if possible)
as many electives as are left to take to bring the total to 8

For instance, I took
9.00 -- HASS-D (although no longer), CI-H
21A.100 -- HASS-D, concentration
21A.216 -- CI-H, concentration
21A.260 -- concentration
21F.701 -- elective
21F.702 -- elective
21L.004 -- HASS-D, CI-H
24.900 -- HASS-D, CI-H

LauraN · 06-25-2006, 05:28 PM

Ooo, Spanish. =) Haha, I love recognizing HASS numbers. Makes me feel special or something.

Anyway to clarify just a bit- you can take a CI in your concentration, but you don't have to. You can take a HASS-D in your concentration, but you don't have to. As Mollie said, the whole two birds, one stone deal.

So if you take a HASS-D and a CI in your concentration, that frees you up more to take straight up "electives" in just about anything. On other other hand, if you don't choose that route, outside of your concentration you'll have to take more CIs and HASS-Ds, so you'll be more restricted in the classes you can take. (If there's something you're really interested in, but it doesn't have that official CI stamp...well, you can still take it of course, but you'll have to still take the CI somewhere else.) Of course, killing multiple birds with minimal stones requires you to be restricted within your concentration, but that just goes to show how much the HASS requirements truly suck.

Did I make this more confusing? Don't blame me, blame SHASS.

kcastelle · 06-25-2006, 07:11 PM

Okay, so it's not possible to screw it up so end up having to take more than 8 no matter what you do? That's good to know!

mitsoph · 06-28-2006, 01:02 AM

The HASS requirements are definitely confusing when you haven't taken any classes yet and are just coming in. Basically, a good way to think about it is that you should try and take a HASS-D class first semester if you can which is even better if its CI-H. After you are here for a semester, everything tends to make sense and you will realize that basically you have a HASS concentration in which you take 3-4 of your 8 and then the rest have some restriction which can be worked out.

vu_preuss_06 · 07-01-2006, 12:31 PM

People have advised to wait for the FEE results to come out before entering the HASS-D Lottery. If your online portfolio doens't come out until August 14th, and the lottery closes July 21st, should I just enter the lottery, and make readjustments later at orientation if needed?

mitsoph · 07-02-2006, 10:59 PM

Definitely enter the HASS-D Lottery because then if you pass, you'll be in a class that you would want to take (most likely), and if it turns out you failed, you will just have to substitute the class.

molliebatmit · 07-03-2006, 09:53 AM

Yeah, just enter the lottery.

The lottery result doesn't lock you into a specific class -- if you fail the FEE or decide you want to take another HASS (or HASS-D), you can always just attend the first class meeting of the class you want to take with an add/drop form. The lottery reserves a place for you, but it's usually possible to take any class that you want, even if you weren't lotteried in.

zking786 · 07-03-2006, 12:31 PM

Geez, this HASS requirement is confusing! One question at the top of my mind:
1. The HASS subjects that that comprise our minimum-of-eight requirement are supposed to be at least nine units. In the course menu, it gives numbers like 3-0-9 or 4-0-8 in the "Units" field. Am I right to assume that the final digit represents the number of units? What are the other numbers?

vu_preuss_06 · 07-03-2006, 12:43 PM

The number of units is when you add up all 3 numbers (most are 12). It goes: Time spent in-class :: Time spent in labs :: Time spent out of class on hw and studying

getalife1234 · 07-03-2006, 10:14 PM

just to confirm:

so if we pick a CI-H course for first semester that also has the label "Hass-D" on it, we're hitting two birds with one stone?

(I'll think about 2nd semester... later ;P)