Imagine it’s November and the time has come for Guilford students to register for courses for the next semester. Trouble comes when students find themselves with a full course load but still need an additional credit. Instead of stressing out next semester with an extra academic course, students have the option to register for a one-credit sports or physical education class, such as tennis or Tai-chi.

And why not? In addition to a course credit and a potential GPA boost, these courses are great stress-relievers. Listed in Banner Web as PHYE 100, students can take courses including (but not limited to) horseback-riding, racquetball, rock-climbing, swimming, social dance, Tai Chi, general conditioning, tennis, yoga, and weight training. They meet once or twice a week and are often taught by a member of the athletic faculty.

“I took tennis at 10 in the morning on Mondays and Wednesdays,” sophomore Kevin Thomas said. “I got a credit for doing something fun. It was early enough to help me wake up and get going in the morning. It helps get people up and active that wouldn’t normally have the motivation or opportunity.”

Granted, some of these courses are harder than others. Weight training? I took that my first year and had to drop it because it was too intense. But softball? Tennis? You can get an A (and a subsequent GPA boost) for showing up to play these sports a few times a week.

“They (the courses) are not a joke; grades were attendance-based, and it wasn’t like you could just show up late and get a good grade,” Thomas said. “I ended up getting a B because I missed a few classes.”

The PHYE 100 courses are a great way for students who happen to be behind by a few credits to make it up without having to pay extra tuition to take five courses, and they get students, who normally would not be motivated, to get out and be active.

Despite this, I disagree with offering letter grades for some of these courses. It is no secret that some students take these courses to pad their GPA. It is a system that is easy to abuse, and it is not fair to students who challenge themselves by taking more intensive academic courses.

Some of these PHYE 100 courses understandably could use letter grades. Weight training, for example, grades students based on their improvement in the weight room over the course of the semester. Softball and tennis, on the other hand, could easily manage with pass/fail grades.

Since the courses are all listed under the same heading, PHYE 100, Banner Web needs to be restructured so that these courses could be subdivided according to intensity and focus. Weight training, general conditioning, and other courses that focus on improving, could be put in the regular grading section; while the other courses that are a bit more informal could be lumped into the pass/fail category.

On the whole, the PHYE 100 courses are an excellent way for students to maintain motivation to get active by offering course credit and GPA points.