If you miss the feeling of being the hard working high school student, you should take the "Understanding American Literature" class rather than the "Western History and Culture" class. The two classes differ in the way you have to study. Previewing and reviewing is a must in the Literature class. This is so because there are several major exams in this class. Other than the usual mid-terms and finals we take, there are two other important exams in between. That's not all. There are so many quizzes that they seem like a part of life. Most of them are taken without advance notice. This means that you have to prepare for each class by previewing and reviewing everything you will learn and will have learned. Another thing you must do in this class is taking notes. You have to write every single thing the professor tells you or writes. You never know when they will come out on a quiz. As for the History class, it's not as worked up as the Literature class. No previewing and reviewing is needed. There are no exams or quizzes, not even the usual finals. All you have to do is hand in a few reports at the end of the semester. Most students prefer not to do the previewing and reviewing since they are not graded for it. On top of that, we don't have a specific syllabus, so even if we want to preview, we are not sure exactly what we have to study. As for taking notes, we don't have to do that either. The professor wants us to listen and understand rather than memorize. Some students don't bring anything to write with. If you want to know what real studying is, take the Literature class rather than the relaxed History class. It won't let you down.

Ch'a Ko-un