This is it. It’s my last quarter at Booth, my last opportunity to be a student and my last time bidding for courses before I graduate in four weeks. Upon reflection, it’s clear that I’ve greatly benefited from Booth’s flexible curriculum.
Not only have I had the chance to take the real estate, private equity and other finance courses that will likely have a direct effect on my professional ambitions going forward, but I also was able to take several electives that helped me round out my managerial education. As I perused iBid, thoroughly studying my course options for the spring quarter, I came to a standstill. While I only need three more classes to graduate with the rest of the Class of 2019, I was having trouble narrowing down my options. If only I could take more than three courses this quarter…
As you probably know if you are reading this blog, Booth promotes a flexible curriculum that puts power in the hands of the students. But this flexibility extends beyond the freedom from core class requirements; Booth also permits students to take up to two electives pass/fail, which we typically utilize when time management and trade-offs may be an issue due to recruiting or personal reasons.
Most courses, both within Booth and other programs within the University of Chicago, allow for a pass/fail option. In my case, I have the optionality to take a fourth course pass/fail if I’d like in order to get the benefit of furthering my education without the pressure of grades (although Booth does have grade non-disclosure!).
Further, Booth provides a Take Three Free Program, which provides students with the opportunity to take an additional three courses beyond what is required for graduation. As an added bonus, graduating students need not pay tuition for these courses! The Take Three Free Program can also be applied to Booth alumni, who may take up to three Booth courses without paying tuition. This allows alumni the opportunity to assess which skills they’d like to improve once they settle into the workplace and then come back to Booth to take free courses that will help them build on those skillsets.
Although I had a bit of difficulty narrowing down my options for the spring quarter, I know that the flexibility Booth provides through its pass/fail and Take Three Free initiatives will allow me to take additional courses in a low pressure environment, both as a student and alum.
