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In the US job market, your transcript is a marketing tool. Every class you take should be a brick in the wall of your future career.
Mapping courses directly to job descriptions
Before you pick a single class, go to LinkedIn or Indeed. Find three 'Dream Job' postings. Look at the 'Requirements' or 'Skills' section. If the jobs want 'Python,' 'Data Visualization,' or 'Financial Modeling,' you must find classes that teach exactly those things. Don't guess what skills are popular, let the employers tell you.
Avoiding 'theoretical traps' unless strategically useful
Some classes are purely academic. They focus on history, philosophy, or high-level theories. While these are interesting, they often don't give you a "deliverable" to show an employer.
Picking classes with:
Classes that end with a final project instead of a final exam are gold. You can put these projects on your Resume or GitHub. They prove you can solve real-world problems.
Front-loading hard courses vs interview season planning
Take your hardest, most time-consuming classes in your first year. Your second year (or final semesters) is when you will be busy with job interviews, networking events, and career fairs. Make your final semesters lighter so you can treat 'Job Hunting' like a full-time 3-credit course.