Something Old, Something New Pt 2

New Things in Spring Term!

In my last post I talked about picking up flute lessons for the term (my something old). So, naturally in this post I will be discussing my new thing for the term: My first STEM class at Carleton!

I struggled picking from all of the incredible options during last term’s class registration. Fortunately (at least I choose to look at it this way) my registration time this term was not great. This meant that a lot of my first choice options were eliminated, which made my decision making process easier. When it was finally my time to register I signed up for The Epic in Classical Antiquity (Classics Department), Introduction to Geology 110, and Latin 103.

Registration Side Note: If you don’t get into the classes you want, there is always an opportunity to join the waitlist. I know many people who ended up getting into one of their first choice classes. It also becomes easier once you are an upperclassman. After my registration, I chose not to pursue things originally on my list because I was happy with the classes I ended up in. This is not uncommon—you’re guaranteed to find a passionate professor and interesting discussions in any department.

Why Geology?

I signed up for Geology because I was mildly interested in the subject, and if we are being honest it fulfills my Lab Science requirement for graduation. Because you need to take at least one class with a lab, I was trying to decide between Geology and Astronomy. Geo just happened to fit into my schedule!

As a kid I had always collected rocks, and at some point I wanted to be a paleontologist (shoutout to 8-year-old me). However, I had forgotten how much I loved earth science until I actually started class.

~Class Apprehension~

When I first registered I was a worried about taking a science class because my winter term had been a bit more difficult than I had planned with my 200 level Econ class. This term, I was looking for a course in which I would be confident in the material.

Luckily, my Geo class is an introductory level class, and far less intimidating than I thought it would be. Carleton’s Geology department is known for having many major converts, and after having my first three weeks of class, I can see why. (I’m not saying that I am going to be a geology major but… it’s definitely a possibility!)

Lab

Each Thursday I have class from 10:10-11:55 with a break for lunch until 1:30. Then from 1:30-5:30 I have lab with half of my class. (The other half has lab on Tuesdays.) I have to say, Lab has been pretty interesting! The first week we walked all over campus measuring different elevations so that we could make our own topography map of Carleton’s campus. For 2nd week’s lab we sorted a bunch of m&ms and then made minerals out of a magma chamber to form different igneous rock formations (m&m rock formations of course).

For our 3rd week lab we were learning about earthquakes and volcanoes, so we went through a volcano evacuation scenario. Using the information we were given through certain data points, we had to determine what level hazard we were going to declare for the general public. We also had to decide if we should evacuate the island or not. Unfortunately we all failed because the volcano exploded and nobody chose to evacuate. Fun lab though!

Usually we go outside for lab, but lately the weather hasn’t been that great. I am really excited for my next couple labs, because we should be headed back outside again. Despite being four hours, I like that the labs are so hands on. It’s a nice break  from the all sitting you usually do during other classes. On top of labs outside, we even have a weekend field trip!

Other Geology Photos…

In Conclusion Geology Rocks! (see what I did there)

Geology might be my favorite class this term, and I am really glad that I chose to try something new! (Apparently I am really into concluding blog posts with a moral of the story, lately.) Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to try new things and new fields of study! You’ll never know unless you try, and who knows, maybe you were destined to be a geology major. (I’ll let you know if I am when I declare at the end of sophomore year.)

Hannah is a freshman interested in Political Science and learning as much as she can about whatever she can. Born and raised in Minnesota, she considers herself somewhat of an expert on MN winters. She can’t wait for ice skating on the Bald Spot and Nordic skiing in the Arb, along with exploring all of the other amazing opportunities and activities on campus! When Hannah isn’t in class, she can be found reading, running for the Carleton Track team, watching TikToks, and tutoring with the Northfield Read and Counts Program. Meet the other bloggers!