At what universities are students randomly assigned classes instead of choosing their own?

[frazzled1]

<p>

my sister said her son’s classes were randomly selected at Vandy.

That is most certainly not how my daughter’s classes were selected at Vanderbilt. </p>

<p>If classes are randomly selected, it’s hard to see why Vandy would bother with its extensive advising program. Here’s how it’s done today in the College of Arts and Science:

Students are supported and advised both formally and informally by the Vanderbilt faculty throughout their four years as undergraduates. Formal advising begins before the student moves to campus when students speak by telephone with faculty advisers to plan a fall semester schedule. Formal advising continues as pre-major advisers, and, later, major advisers chosen by the student, create a schedule with the student and discuss his or her academic goals and progress towards fulfilling the requirements of AXLE, the Arts and Science liberal arts curriculum. Informal advising takes place throughout the four years at Vanderbilt as students talk about their ambitions and plans with professors outside of class … .

<a href=“Advising | academics | undergraduates | Internal | College of Arts and Science | Vanderbilt University”>http://as.vanderbilt.edu/advising/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>In the Engineering school, where there is a definitive required 1st-year curriculum, the registration process is not random, either, and students choose their own chem, math, and liberal arts core requirement courses: <a href=“http://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/docs/student-services/Registration-Booklet-Fall-2013.pdf”>http://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/docs/student-services/Registration-Booklet-Fall-2013.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;