My Two Favorite First-Year Discussion-Based Classes

As my sophomore year starts to ramp up, I want to spend some time reflecting on my first year at Carleton, and specifically, expressing my appreciation to my two favorite classes and professors. I’m grouping these two classes together because both professors share similar qualities, and both of their classes were strongly discussion-based. 

My two favorite classes in my first year of Carleton were also the classes that have impacted my college experience the most so far. These were classes with incredible professors who helped me feel welcome here at Carleton. 

If you’re looking for a good discussion class with interesting readings and energetic professors, this article is a great place to start! 

Political Philosophy (Political Science 160) with Mihaela Czobor-Lupp 

This was a class I took in my first ever term at Carleton, and it turned out to be one of my favorites! I initially wanted to drop the class because I was worried about it being too hard. But looking back, I am so happy I’ve kept it. 

The class is discussion-heavy, and doing the reading is essential. I found the readings to be difficult in the beginning, and I communicated these difficulties with my professor, Mihaela, who reassured me that it would get easier as time goes on. Mihaela is well aware of the difficulty of the class, especially for one marked as an intro class; however, she’s always open to meeting with students like myself, and going into office hours consistently was the best decision I made that term. 

Mihaela is an incredibly passionate professor and lecturer. She can often be found jumping around and loudly announcing her points. You can hear that she loves what she does, and she is so friendly and happy when she teaches. This enthusiasm rubbed off to the students, and so many of us were participating. 

Her office hours felt like a continuation of her class. She drops nuggets of informational gold in her energetic and engaging lectures, tackling complex subjects. The subject, Political Philosophy, is incredibly complicated and confusing, but when you talk enough with Mihaela, you’ll start putting it all together. Wow, it’s satisfying! 

Mihaela doesn’t sugarcoat things, and it’s not that she’s trying to be rude or demeaning; she wants to make sure all students get good information out of the class. She really wants nothing but the best for everyone, and I think that’s the greatest quality a professor can have. 

Although the class has ended, her positive impact has endured. A year later, we still greet each other, and catch up here and there. She’s eager to hear what I’ve been up to, and she’s open about her work and life. Sometimes, teachers can feel like a scary figure, who is different from students. But Mihaela is NOT that. She is an educator who makes the students feel welcome, and she feels real. 

I’m going on semester away with her (Off-Campus Studies) this Spring term ((Beyond) Nationalism and Xenophobia in Central and Eastern Europe) and I am so excited to hear more about her experiences under Romanian communism and her views on this ever-changing political environment! 

American Environmental History (History 205) with George Vrtis

Similar to Political Philosophy, American Environmental History is quite discussion-heavy, but the topics of the class are absolutely fascinating. If you have any broad interest in the environment, you HAVE to take this class. It’s entirely changed the way I look at the environment and nature, my relationship with it, and how I move through it. 

My favorite topics included transcendentalism and philosophy around nature, food systems, American consumption, and our relationship with “the West.” This is a history class: you will learn about the history of nature and how Americans have interacted with it. The class starts off with a discussion of indigenous groups and their interactions with early colonists through reading the book Changes in the Land, before moving chronologically to the Industrial Revolution, and eventually the modern-day environmental fight against climate change. 

George, the professor of American Environmental History, is the most talented conversationalist and discussion moderator I’ve ever met in my time here at Carleton thus far. He effortlessly incorporated a wide variety of voices and students into our class discussions, which spans the majority of class time. 

American Environmental History is a fairly small and modern discipline, but George has an incredible bank of knowledge that he openly shares with students. He’s worked with ,and personally knows, most of the authors you will read about in the class, which I found enriching towards my learning. 

Students all love him, as evidenced by his office hours line, which consistently spills out into the history office. Not only is he great at assisting students with questions in office hours, but he also highly encourages students to seek him even if they don’t have any questions. He genuinely cares about what his students are up to, what they think of the course, the readings, etc., and he’s incredibly open to both constructive and positive feedback.

George is everything you can really ask for in a good professor: caring, kind, knowledgeable, and open. I still maintain a close relationship with him to this day, greeting each other and catching up once in a while. I wish him nothing but the best, and I will for sure see him in a future class. 

A Final Note 

These two classes and two professors are the ones I’ve found to be the most compelling for me so far. However, it’s important to note that everybody has their best learning and teaching style catered to themselves. But if you’re someone like me, who loves to engage with topics deeply through discussion, is willing to take on a challenge, always ready to learn, and overall wants to be connected with the people you’re learning from, I cannot recommend these two professors and classes more.

Leo Wang (he/him) is a prospective Political Science (International Relations) and Geology Major from Newton, Massachusetts. You can typically find him in the Carleton College Climbing Gym, where he works as a staff member, setter, and class TA. When he’s not climbing, he typically plays one of his instruments: guitar, Violin, Viola, or Erhu (a traditional Chinese instrument). Speaking of the Erhu, Leo is also involved with Carleton’s Chinese Ensemble. There, he is a musician and also works in a staff role, transcribing scores. Another hobby of his is the outdoors. He loves running in the Arb and disconnecting from technology by going on long walks. Lastly, Leo loves being social. He can often be found waving to others from across the bald spot, talking to strangers at various events, and trashbagging with his friends down the Bell Field Hill. He’s always open to chatting and feel free to contact him for any questions about anything.