Three STEM Courses

Over my first four trimesters at Carleton, I managed to maintain a pretty consistent balance between STEM, arts, and humanities courses…

• Freshman Fall
  • Society in Silico
  • Elementary French
  • Introduction to Multivariable Calculus
• Freshman Winter
  • Elementary French
  • Astrophysical Systems: Mechanics and Relativity
  • Memory and Politics
• Freshman Spring
  • Intermediate French
  • Introduction to Cinema and Media Studies
  • Digital Foundations
• Sophomore Fall
  • Atomic and Nuclear Physics
  • Introduction to Educational Studies
  • Intermediate French

My liberal arts adviser, Ross Elfline, and I were always on the same page: I’d be happiest, and best served, studying a balance of topics across the disciplines. Ross put it as “exercising different parts of [my] brain.” That’s always been my goal, but you’ll notice that my current course load looks a bit different…

• Sophomore Winter
  • Linear Algebra
  • Introduction to Astronomy
  • Analytical and Computational Mechanics

So what’s the deal?

First off, there are always matters of scheduling to consider. There were a lot of other classes I was considering for winter term (Observational Drawing, Television Studio Production, Introduction to Computer Science, Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of Microeconomics, Introduction to Rhetoric, Introduction to the Novel, Introduction to Creative Writing, News Stories, Topics in Environmental Law and Policy, The Critical Toolbox: Who’s Afraid of Theory?, Introduction to Linguistics, Introduction to the Theory of Syntax, Introduction to Statistics, Introduction to Music Technology, Skepticism, God, and Ethical Dilemmas, Logic, Politics in America: Liberty and Equality, and Principles of Psychology, to name . . . a lot), and a lot of the decision making was made for me by the conflicts between the classes I knew I would be taking (Analytical and Computational Mechanics is *the* class for prospective physics majors during sophomore winter, and Linear Algebra was likely too since it’s also required for that major).

So am I upset? Has my master plan of stretching my brain in multiple directions each term crashed and burned? Not at all.

I think it comes down to the types of STEM courses I’m taking. Linear Algebra is math. I describe math as “pure”. It’s a lot of numbers, and a lot of concepts. Straight analytical rigor.

Analytical and Computational Mechanics is similar – still a lot of numbers, still a lot of concepts – but there are more degrees of freedom with which to apply those concepts, because in this case the class is about applying the math to model physical realities.

Introduction to Astronomy is on the other end of the spectrum. As one of the less mathematical, more conceptual science courses at Carleton, it’s been a lot of learning straight up facts about the universe in which we live.

I think of it this way: Linear Algebra helps me practice how to drill into the details. It’s my brain’s intense, logical workout. On the other side of things, Introduction to Astronomy provides perspective: three or more times a week, I get the chance to take a breath, look up, and take the time to feel a certain sense of wonder I’ve written about before. And then there’s Analytical and Computational Mechanics somewhere in the middle, definitely (definitely) adding to the mental training part of my term’s intellectual equation, but also showing me how to apply the skills I learn to bigger-picture problems.

So I guess what I’m saying is, it really did work out. Even through a term composed entirely of STEM courses (which, in this case, really only means the unifying line between them is the process of using numbers to make sense of things), Carleton continues to provide me with a thorough, invigorating, and perspective-pushing liberal arts education.

Lucas is in his sophomore year at Carleton, bringing with him a passion for all things nerdy and a talent for overthinking and awkwardness (and self-deprecation). He hails from Pasadena, California, and yes, he realizes it gets cold out here. He currently sees himself majoring in Physics, although he hopes to explore Cinema and Media Studies, Chemistry, Economics, and Computer Science (among many other subjects) as well. He misses his bearded dragon. Meet the other bloggers!