Zack, what the heck do you mean by ‘crashing a course’?
I mean showing up to lectures of a course you’re not enrolled in, sitting down, taking notes, and learning. It’s something I’ve done since first year, and it’s an incredibly rewarding use of a spare hour or two.
I can almost guarantee that there’s a course offered in your university that you would love to take, but just don’t have the room for. By ‘crashing’ the course, you’re able to attend the lectures and learn what you’re passionate about without having to write any of those pesky assignments, midterms, essays, or exams.
Is crashing a course even allowed?
Well, kind of. Technically, the process is called ‘auditing‘. The regulations and fees differ between universities – sometimes fees are charged, sometimes not. In some cases you can actually get a certificate of attendance or credit on your mark transcript (it depends on your university’s policy).
Personally, I don’t usually bother with the bureaucracy, but it all depends on the course you’re crashing. If you’re attending a 300-person lecture, you probably shouldn’t bother asking permission because nobody will ever notice, and it’s likely that the professor has enough to worry about anyway. On the other hand, if you’re looking at attending a 30-person class, it would be very wise to follow the proper protocols (and/or get to know the professor beforehand).
How do I go about ‘crashing’ a course?
First, pick a topic that you’re passionate about, and browse your undergraduate student calendar to find a related course.
Then, use your mastery of Google to find out when the lectures for that course are taking place. Or, ask around – maybe you have a friend that’s in the course! After finding out the class schedule, all you need to do is show up.
Keep in mind that you aren’t actually paying for the course – this means that you should be holding yourself to a higher standard of behaviour than you would otherwise. Don’t take up the most desirable seats, no texting, no Facebook, no sleeping, and no asking questions (during the lecture). In short, don’t disrupt the learning experience for the other students.
Choose-Your-Own-Curriculum
After Steve Jobs dropped out of college, he began attending courses that interested him instead of the courses that he would have been taking. It just so turns out that a calligraphy course he took inspired the user interface of what would eventually become the Macintosh.
In sum, take the time to explore a topic you’re passionate about, even if it means sneaking into a few lectures. You never know how it could inspire you down the road.
--
Zachary Strong is a sixth-year Engineering Physics & Management student at McMaster University. He currently authors a blog called
Higher Learning, which is about achieving success within the Canadian university system. The original blog post can be found
here.
