<p>In addition to all the very excellent advice above, I’d like to add in another perspective:</p>
<p>As a first semester first year, please don’t think that your world has ended if you do not get into your first choice classes. Seriously. Yes, while you can ask a professor to be on a waiting list for a class and show up on the first day to see if any spots are open, it would behoove you to have 2nd and 3rd choices on hand. As advantagious mentioned, there are only a few, very specific circumstances that would require you to mark out and plan your entire academic career as a first year. Please keep an open mind and be open to the possibility of taking a class in a department that’s not your perceived strength. Take advantage of the spirit of a liberal arts curriculum!</p>
<p>On a practical note, my advice would be for you to have at least 2 or 3 classes you could take at each class time block. That way, if your first choice is filled, you already have a backup (or 2) for that specific time, without having to rearrange your entire schedule.</p>
<p>And yes, 4 classes your first semester will be plenty. Really.</p>