Some students arrive here knowing exactly what they want to study; others do not. Half of those who do know change their minds at least once. Consequently, all freshmen and sophomores need to test the interests they bring with them. They need to explore at least one new subject each semester. They need to balance different kinds of courses and work. Some courses focus on reading a great deal. Others focus on laboratory work. Some courses require student research and extensive writing. Others involve weekly problem sets. A mix of different kinds of courses is a good idea, especially in the first two years.
First-semester students need to decide whether to undertake four or five courses. Taking four courses reduces pressure; taking five courses allows more room for experimentation and provides a hedge for dropping a course that turns out to be uncongenial.
Our summer mailing to new students includes materials for planning the first semester's curriculum. Each semester, first-year students normally take the following:
Prospective science majors or pre-medical students take in addition:
Prospective social science and humanities majors take in addition:
Sophomores should prepare for at least one major (better a couple) and check how they are progressing with general education requirements. Prerequisites for majors as well as majors themselves are described in Courses of Study.
Your sophomore son or daughter can develop an intensive, early interest in a potential major by registering for one of many special writing seminars taught by top professors in the disciplines. Sponsored by the John S. Knight Institute for Writing in the Disciplines, the Sophomore Seminars Program caps each seminar at 15, and sophomores receive first preference (http://www.arts.cornell.edu/knight_institute/advanced/sophomore/sophomore.htm). Seminars offer early mentorship with established scholars in areas as diverse as astronomy, Near Eastern studies, music, history, and Asian American studies. Strong written performance is at the heart of the program’s mission, which is the first of its kind in the United States.