It is that time again. Time to grab that adviser of yours and plan out what seems to be the rest of your life. It is time to think about what classes to take, what classes not to take and what professors are teaching what. The whole deal is a virtual brain cramp. But take a breath because it is not the end of the world.

As you progress throughout the Guilford experience you start to learn that classes are one-fourth subject and three-fourths teachers. Who you have as a professor drastically changes the flow of the class, the type of work you will be getting in it and the amount of time you will have to commit.

One of the main things to consider when sorting out your courses is what teachers are teaching what. Now let us not forget all teachers here at Guilford are challenging, but they all specialize in different areas that heavily influence the flow and the dynamic of their classes.

For example, if you are taking a course from Professor of English Heather Hayton, be prepared to take a lot of notes and read ‘til your heart gives out. Do not be mistaken, Hayton is one of the best English professors on campus, but it you want to succeed in her class reading and engaging in discussion are absolutely essential.

If you are a history buff and looking to expand your knowledge about European history, take a course from Associate Professor of History Phil Slaby. Slaby specializes in European history, and his World War II class is a great one.

“It was a good course,” said senior Andrew Sherear. “There was a lot of good discussions.”

If you lean more towards science, ornithology with Associate Professor of Biology Christine Stracey-Richard is a class to keep in mind.

“The field trip to the Outer Banks was cool,” said senior Ella Ciuffetti. “But I also like the research intensive classes and who doesn’t love learning about animals?”

In a more spiritual direction, Religion, Dreams and the Dreaming with Associate Professor of Religious Studies Eric Mortensen has become quite popular.

“Eric is a very good teacher and is very animated and it makes for a good discussion,” said senior Liliana Bernhardt.

Of course, if you are looking for classes to satisfy your requirements, there are several courses that you could take that are worth the time. For your business requirement, Introduction to Business is the immediate go to, but if you like sports and are not into the cold hard ideas of economics, Introduction to Sport Management is a good substitute.

Maybe you are looking to satisfy your intercultural requirement? If so, Assistant Professor of History Zhihong Chen’s History of East Asia to 1800 is a fascinating class that satisfies not only a requirement for a history major, but also a core requirement.

But if you are the type that looks for a challenge, look for classes headed by  Hayton, Professor of History Damon Akins or Professor of Foreign Languages Dave Limberg.

If you are still a little anxious, you could visit RateMyProfessor.com which gives reviews of professors and an overall rating. Though far from scientific, the site can still offer some helpful advice at times.

The best thing to do is talk about to your adviser about your educational goals. Do you want to double major? Do you want to expand your knowledge into different subjects? Do you want to challenge yourself? Everybody has a different plan. You have to ask yourself what you want to get out of your college experience.