101

[Baker, John]

        At least some (most?) schools were doing this 30 years ago, and I suspect that it goes back quite a bit further.  It's an administrative convenience:  Courses in the 100s are for all students, 200s are for sophomores and higher, and so forth, the details of which probably vary from school to school.  As we have already heard, some schools have found a three-digit system inadequate and have moved on to four digits.  On the other hand, my school, Centre College, was so small that we needed just two digits, so the introductory economics course, for example, was Economics 11.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Page Stephens
Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 8:11 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: 101


101 no doubt stems from academic usage in terms of the designation of the
first course in any subject but in my memory before for whatever reason all
too many colleges/universities designated beginning courses by adding the 10
as a prefix to 1 we used to call beginning courses as 1, i.e. Physics 1,
Chemistry 1, English 1, etc. The second courses in the subject would then be
entitled 2, 3, etc.

If anyone out there has any idea where or when 101 replaced 1 I would love
to learn about it.

Page Stephens

PS. why not 1 as opposed to 101.