New Year; New Schedule; New Challenges

Term officially started last week, where we had all our courses online and quarantined from home; this week, we will have online classes on campus and quarantine here. It’s been difficult to study while moving in, but it feels great to be back home in Nourse Hall.

Today, my roommate and I are settled in again and ready for classes. Here’s a rundown of my new courses:

I’m taking my first language class this term: Ancient Greek!

Like all language courses at Carleton, it meets every day, and is a sequence of four classes that take place over four consecutive terms. I was super nervous to start it at first, but it’s actually been one of my favorite classes so far! It’s very fast paced, which means that while it can feel overwhelming at times, it’s incredible to see how much you can learn in so little time.

I also just started my first Political Science class, which I love!

I’m getting really interested in this area, so thought I’d try out an intro course to see how I liked it in practice. The class is called Political Philosophy, and it’s lecture, discussion, and reading based.

This term, I also have an art history class.

We meet online Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and it’s a mixture of lecture and discussion. We began learning about Medieval art, and will eventually move into the  works of the 21st Century. I love discussing art, so I’m excited to be a part of this class! It also fits perfectly with a studio art study I’m doing this term.

I proposed the independent study last term, and was just able to start!

I am able to work with the art department to develop my skills in figure drawing and working on parts of the human body, and I may actually get to work with studio models (depending on Covid precautions).

This study counts as three credits (opposed to the usual Carleton six) and means I will work roughly 8-10 hours a week working independently on my art. I have also planned to meet with my studio advisor once a week to make sure I’m keeping on schedule and answer any questions I may have. This has been a great way for me to include some “material” work into my schedule, and to challenge myself by upping my workload!

My final course is the same as last term to fulfill my PE requirement: yoga!

Unfortunately, it is still online because of the pandemic, but I still really enjoy it. It’s a great way to start my mornings, and add some movement into days when I would otherwise be sitting at a desk most of the time.

My favorite thing about Carleton is that I love every professor I have had a class with so far.

When I first got here, I was so worried about getting good professors; turns out, they’re everywhere. They are all more than happy to give you extra help during office hours, are incredibly friendly, and about half are excited to “donate” their baked goods to the class. I’m excited to see how the rest of the term will unfold (hopefully including homemade treats)!

Erin grew up catching salamanders, recklessly climbing trees, and running around barefoot in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town in North Carolina. This is her first year at Carleton, and she’s looking forward to meeting new people, exploring campus (especially the arb!), and experiencing her first Minnesota winter. She is currently interested in studying psychology and gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Meet the other bloggers!