09/01/2026
HPA Tip of the Week from Allie Bernstein '28, HPA Peer Adviser
During add/drop, shopping for classes can help you figure out your major, a minor, or just an interest in a topic you never knew you would like. To utilize add/drop effectively as a pre-health student, I like to make sure that when I change around my classes, I am still checking all of the boxes for prerequisites I need for med school, I have a balance of exam and papers based classes, and I run my final decision by the HPA. I also always talk to the professor or a preceptor about what the full trajectory of the semester will look like. This way, there won’t be any surprises by the end. I also like to talk to students who took the class in the past, and look on princetoncourses.com for evaluations. If I didn’t get into a class I really wanted to take, I’ll use TigerSnatch to notify me when a spot opens. Try to do the majority of your course swapping during the first few days of Add/Drop so you don’t come into a new class feeling super behind. If you do make a last-minute switch, talk to the professor before your first time coming to class to make sure you are prepared. Also, reaching out to other academic support systems during these two weeks, such as your PAA, advisor, residential college assistant dean of studies, or a department chair, can be super helpful if you are feeling confused or want to make sure you are making the right decisions.
Learn about Allie: https://hpa.princeton.edu/about-hpa/hpa-peer-advisers/allie-bernstein-28
