My Fall Term Classes, Holistically

It’s 7th week, Wednesday.

Classes are still coming and going, but it feels like the beginning of the end of the term. There’s an air of silent understanding between the students—we’re stiffening up, preparing for the terminal barrier of tests and papers that stand in the way of our long Winter break. The final wave in Plants Vs Zombies. The Last Dab of Hot Ones fame. Episode 9 of Carleton, Season 1.

Yesterday, I began the toilsome process of registering for Winter classes. For the first time, I had to deliberately consider what worked for me this trimester, what didn’t, and what I wanted to explore next based on my experiences with the first term. In light of this, I’ve decided to bring you along as I take a closer look at my current courses: what I like about them, dislike, and any advice that may provide comfort to an overwhelmed and directionless prospective student like I once was. And maybe still am. 

Philosophy

My A&I—a class designed to introduce first-years to the expectations of college academics—is Philosophical Dialogues. It serves as an introduction to philosophical ideas through fun dialogues between characters. We started by reading the whip-smart discourse of Socrates before moving on to the difficult but rewarding David Hume, where we contemplated the nature of the universe, the existence of God, and what it means to be “good”. Now we’re tackling ancient Chinese philosophy with Confucius and Zhuangzi—considering where they might agree or disagree, and how the two philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism interact.

My professor, Daniel, is great, and I very much appreciate his ability to guide and validate students’ thinking without asserting his own views too strongly. Many a time have I raised my hand with a thought that hasn’t fully formed yet, only for him to pick out exactly what I was trying to say from the jumbled mess of my following comment.

The readings are difficult but interesting. I’ll say it outright: philosophy is hard. It’s tough to piece together meaning from texts that can be equal parts ambiguous and wildly argumentative. But everyone feels this way when they read it. The rewarding part comes later, from the in class discussion, when the realization slowly creeps up on you: you understand it now. If you’re up for challenging yourself to think critically about issues you don’t fully comprehend yet, Philosophical Dialogues is a fun option.

Geology

Intro to Field Geology is an interesting one. As my lab course, it meets three times a week, with Thursday being a 4 hour field trip that involves studying rocks in the great outdoors. Carleton’s Geology major is a tight-knit group, and it’s easy to see why: working with your hands outside to figure out more about the planet is an appealing path of study.

However, the class won’t be for everyone. You have to be comfortable with uncertainty. There is no guide, no slideshow that tells you everything you need to know, when you need to know it: instead, piecing together the mysteries yourself is part of the game. It can be frustrating when it seems like you have no idea what’s going on—but similar to philosophy, the rewarding part comes from the puzzle pieces finally snapping together in your brain. I’d consider the kind of learner you are first. If you like structure and repetition in your classes, field geology might not be the best choice. But if you love the outdoors, solving mysteries, and are comfortable with ambiguity, it’ll be a great satisfaction of your lab requirement.

Psychology

My final course is Principles of Psychology. It sort of serves as a spiritual contrast to geology: the yin to its yang, the hot chocolate to its ice cream. If you’re one of the people who likes structure, like I mentioned earlier, Psych will be a dream come true. The class is fast-paced—the lectures are packed with content, and sometimes the sheer amount of it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But the professor, Violet, provides an excellent framework that truly allows you to internalize all the information you need.

Often, us students find ourselves as test subjects for in-class demonstrations. Like how removing the saliva in your mouth reduces the sensation of saltiness from a cracker, or how your selective attention can blot out unattended information (the gorilla attention video—if you know you know!) Class time is never boring, and if you’re fascinated by the brain and what makes us tick, you’ll love Psych. Just know that you might have an existential crisis when you come to the neuroanatomy unit.

The Future

I’d like to take another philosophy course during the Winter term. I’m also leaning towards an English class and a Biology lab. But who knows—the great thing about your first year is that you can try so many different things without a set path holding you down. You never know: maybe in a week or two I’ll decide, “Hm. I really want to take Advanced Linear Algebra.” (This is for demonstration’s sake only. That will never happen.)

Inigo (he/him/his) is trying very hard to turn interests in subjects like film, english, and psychology into a manageable course load. Originally from Somerville, Massachusetts, he can often be found running in the Cowling Arboretum (and getting passed by everyone on the cross country team) or rock climbing at the bouldering cave in the evening. He loves Carleton’s walkability: it didn’t even matter that he forgot to bring his bike to campus. He considers bad horror movies to be the ultimate form of entertainment. Meet the other bloggers!