While shopping period often finds students flocking to classes with high Q scores and reliable old favorites, the following new courses are worth checking out.

1. Anthropology 1996: "Angels, Ghosts, and Hustlers: Bangkok Live"

Think you know everything there is to know about Bangkok after watching "The Hangover Part II?" Check out this course for a more in-depth and insightful look at Thailand's capital city.

2. Literature 185: "Jewish Humor and Its Discontents"

This course studies the qualities and cultural significance of Jewish wit, exploring "why Jewish humor is funny and when it is no laughing matter." Texts range from the writings of Sigmund Freud and Siegbert S. Prawer's "The Jew and the General: A Study in Diasporean Humour" to "Annie Hall" and "Seinfeld."

3. Dramatic Arts 164x: "Playing in the Material World: Puppet and Object Theater as Global Traditions"

Jason Segel, star of the recent Muppets film and the Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 2012 Man of the Year, thinks puppets are cool, and you should too. This course, taught by Lecturer John T. Bell, studies "the history and theory of puppetry as a global tradition" and examines puppet traditions from Asia, Europe, Persia, America, and more.

4. English 153: "The Comic Enlightenment"