If this semester's list of most popular courses is any indication, students are scouring their CUE Guides for classes with high ratings for professors and low competition ratings, and also demonstrating a growing interest in the sciences.

After perennial chart topper Ec 10, five of this spring's other nine most popular classes are either science-oriented Cores or pre-med requirements.

Ec 10 head section leader Brian J. Hall '86 attributed the continuing popularity of the course to its accessibility. "Ec 10 should not just be for math jocks or Ec concentrators," Hall said. "If you're interested in world events, you're interested in Ec 10."

According to Lecturer on Biology Gwendolyn A. Freyd, the number of students in Biological Sciences 1 increased by approximately 60 this term to 400.

Freyd cited the increased numbers of biology concentrators and premeds as the reason for the popularity of Bio 1.

"We were really surprised there were so many students," Freyd said. "Our general impression seems to be that all the enrollment of the biology classes is up."

A trend toward an interest in the sciences may also account for the extraordinary popularity of Historical Class  Enrollment Literature and Arts C.37  663 Biological Sciences 1  400 History 1341b  313 Science B-29  292 Science A-35  280

Study A-18, "Science and Society in the 20th Century," which was three times larger than usual.

The CUE Guide gave Professor of History and Science Everett I. Mendelsohn high ratings, and rated grade competition in the class very low.

"If you get a good review, the class might jump by 100 students, but we can't really account for the increase in size this year," said Mendelsohn, who said his course's popularity may spring from the provocative questions it considers, such as the compatibility of science and democracy.

Chemistry 20, "Organic Chemistry," was sixth on the list. But with workload and difficulty ratings of 4.3, and competitiveness of 3.9 on a five point scale, it ranks as one of the more arduous courses at the College.

"If it wasn't a pre-med requirement, I don't think so many people would take it," said Chem 20 student Patrika Montricul '96.

Enrollment in the fifth-largest class, Lit and Arts 40b, "Shakespeare, the Later Plays," taught by Professor of English Marjorie Garber, decreased by nearly half from last spring. Garber was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Other popular courses on this term's top 10 follow the pattern of high CUE ratings for teaching and low ratings for grade competition.

Literature and Arts C-37, "The Bible and its Interpreters," the second-most popular course, earned a 2.3 for grade competition and a 4.3 for Professor James L. Kugel in the CUE Guide, making it simultaneously one of the largest, least competitive and best-liked courses on campus