Just because you've already filled out a course schedule does not mean you're required to live by it. It's true that your first - and only - gift from the Hopkins gods is a covered, satisfactory/unsatisfactory (S/U) first semester. Your advisors will inevitably tell you not to take the harder courses this fall, but ignore them.
Think of it this way. GPA is the reigning deity at Johns Hopkins. One of the best ways to get a head start on that immaculate 4.0 is by taking harder required courses your first semester at Hopkins. That way, you can get better grades in easier courses when they count down the road.
The other method available to you is loading up on what we like to refer to as fluff courses. Fluff courses are those in which most students are likely to get an A. But because this is Johns Hopkins, there really is no such thing as a guaranteed easy A. Other schools have easy A courses like beer-making or, literally, basket-weaving. At Hopkins, it is still possible to fail classes that seem easy, so don't completely slack. Just do the bare minimum and you'll get an A unless you're a complete dolt.
Usually, you humanities majors out there complain that you have to complete E (engineering), Q (quantitative) and N (natural sciences) courses for your distribution credits. These are ideal candidates for either the S/U option or for the breezer courses.
Among the courses that will fulfill this requirement, Computer Literacy seems to be the most popular, though it is offered early in the morning. The truth is, though, that other than the occasional (non-pop) quiz, you needn't show up for the class at all. This course's requirements are weekly quizzes, a weekly section - which isn't so early in the morning - and an end of semester project. Basically, you learn to how to use Microsoft Office and extremely basic HTML commands. A monkey could get an A in this class.
Yet another popular E, N, Q fulfilling course is Subatomic World. This basic physics course is what many like to call the humanities-based approach to physics. In other words, you read, the professor does demonstrations and you do basic math problems. It's an interesting class and it isn't offered at a God-awful time.
If what you want is naptime, then any music class offered by Piero Weiss is the solution. Most of the time, his classes are brimming with athletes and the local slackers, who all manage to snooze through Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, while Weiss listens and explores classical music with a delicate fervor. Be aware, however, that Susan Weiss's classes - other than Music in Performance - are notoriously difficult and have a high drop-out rate. Her classes are more fulfilling for those actually interested in more than an A because she teaches her classes like a music conservatory class. So be sure to find out which Weiss is right for you. By the way, music classes count for N, Q and E credits.
In addition to N, Q and E credits, there are humanities distribution credits that need to be fulfilled by engineers. Are there easy A classes available for engineers? Yes, there are.
The first breezer humanities class that comes to mind is Introduction to American Politics (IAP). This class is a classic. Professor Ginsberg is perhaps the most predictable professor on campus. Guaranteed, his lectures will include the bunny rabbit story, the Purina Puppy Chow story and, if you're lucky, the Eisenhower-lawnmower story. There was one lecture that was taken almost verbatim from his previous night's appearance on a news channel. IAP is a nice review of the American system of governance, very similar to AP Government or any basic social studies course on America's democratic system. The three things that politicians seek and need are wealth, status and power. Keep that in mind and you'll pass with flying colors.
Yet another easy humanities course is Introduction to Fiction and Poetry (IFP). The course covers the rudiments of fictional writing and is taught by teaching assistants (TAs). Depending on the TA you get, IFP can be a breeze or a wheeze. TAs are an odd breed at any school because some are more understanding than professors and cut slack while most of them feel they have to prove something so they actually grade tougher than professors. Go figure. So be on the lookout for a TA who seems to be understanding, but beware that nice TAs aren't always the easiest graders. It's usually the quiet, nervous TAs who give good grades. After all, they are the ones who loath confrontation by whiny undergraduates.
In addition to the aforementioned easy A courses, there are those that sound promising but in reality serve as landmines in your attempt to take an easy course. The most notoriously deceptive courses are those in the Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) department. Commonly referred to as Rock for Jocks, courses in this department are often overrun with athletes and students who are seeking breezer courses. In reality, more than half of the students in these courses end up with grades along the lines of a B- or even C. Avoid EPS classes and remember that Art History classes involve more work than you think.
