Buzz
The first known instance of an introductory course being named '101' appeared in the University of Buffalo's 1929 course catalog. By the early 1930s, U.S. universities began using a three-digit system to categorize their courses. Although this system was not standardized, it was definitely an improvement over the previously haphazard method of naming courses.
During the 1930s, students began to view earning a degree as a ticket to better job prospects, which led universities to introduce more specialized courses. As graduates ventured farther afield in their job searches, it became crucial for employers to compare candidates. For instance, did a passing grade in Cost Accounting 203 at Kent State hold the same weight as one in Business Accounting 4 at the University of Michigan?
Over time, colleges adopted a three-digit course numbering system where the first digit indicated the academic year (1 = Freshman, 2 = Sophomore, etc.), the second digit represented the department (English, Science, etc.), and the third digit denoted the course’s difficulty level within that department. These conventions weren’t strictly enforced and still vary by institution.
As the three-digit course numbering system became more widespread, '101' began to symbolize an introductory course, regardless of the field of study. By the late 1960s, the term started to make its way into everyday language, well beyond academic circles.
