FIG program needs a few modifications

Among the campus tours and introductory seminars that incoming freshmen take part in during orientation is the frightful experience of registering for their first college classes.

The freshmen interest group (FIG) program offers students the chance to sign up for two five-credit, general education classes and a two-credit course, taken with a group of 15 to 25 students who share their same class schedule.

The program forces socialization, which can be crucial for new students especially at a university as large as the UW, by clustering them with students who share similar interests. Though FIGs provide a good place for some to enter a small group and make friends, the academic side of the program needs to be refined.

FIGs are nearly required for freshmen to enroll in, with it being virtually impossible to register for classes without joining one, thus attendance has flourished with approximately 70 percent of freshmen becoming "FIG-lets."

Because of the FIG program, freshmen are forced to choose between taking just the 12-credit FIG and taking the FIG but adding on an additional five-credit class.

If students choose to add the extra class, for a total of 17 credits, they are faced with a daunting course load for a student's first quarter. However, with the UW pushing to get students in and out of college as quickly as possible, taking just 12 credits can be a poor decision for those hoping to graduate in four years.

The FIG program also needs more flexibility. Students are regularly forced to take one class they actually want in the FIG with another class that they may not want or even need.

Even though the two-credit course has a relatively low workload, the tasks assigned are tedious and unnecessary, especially when loaded upon students who are just trying to make it in their first quarter at the UW.

The FIG program successfully introduces many students to the UW's social atmosphere, but the academic restrictions don't make it quite as friendly.