<p>Regarding your English concerns:</p>
<p>As a first-semester frosh, you are not allowed to take advanced English courses. You must either take a First Year Seminar (FYS) or a Core Course (CC). CC’s usually have high numbers (like 71D “Short Story in the US” or 54 “Faulkner, Morrison”), but the classes are big (up to 40 students). I would highly recommend any of the FYS’s. Enrollment is limited to 12 and, if you are lotteried in, you’ll definitely benefit from close interaction with your professor.</p>
<p>Unless you are an absolutely stunning (as in, no room for improvement) writer of both academic and creative English papers, I doubt you’ll be disappointed with the rigour or intensity of Swat English courses. Even if your classmates aren’t always up to your standards, you’ll find that the professors are willing to push you as far as you can go. Key professors to know and study with: Peter Schmidt, Nathalie Anderson, Phil Weinstein.</p>
<p>Also, I would hesitate to judge the quality or intrigue of a course by it’s course title, description, or number alone. I took Professor Nathalie Anderson’s “Subverting Verses” in my first semester (despite its somewhat dry course description and relatively low course number). That course was single-handedly the best English course I have ever taken and Prof. Anderson’s insights pushed me further than all four years of high school English combined.</p>
<p>Bottom line: The lack of advanced courses shouldn’t concern you and there will definitely be other course options for Spring semester. Your student-professor relationships will determine how far and how fast you go. Develop a couple strong relationships and you’ll find that the projected course material is only minimally relevant to your growth.</p>