Ask anything about student life at Wesleyan (or about Wesleyan in general)!

<p>I apologize, Mr. Pimpateer, but, somewhere along the way, didn't you say you lived in West College? I thought you were an alum.</p>

<p>I never said you couldn't share what you have to say, MrPimpateer.</p>

<p>It seems to me like there's a LOT of dialogue at Wes. An overabundance of it, if anything. If your take is different, that's fine, but don't go telling me that I can't even have an opinion yet. Your posts are overwhelmingly negative and incendiary, which may well be because you write them late at night or whatever, but I thought it was only fair to give the person who posed the question that kind of context so that she can take in what everyone (yes, even including me) has to say and come to a conclusion herself. Chill.</p>

<p>MrPimpateer, it sounds like your social scene has mainly been pretty specifically the WestCo/Eclectic crowd. This crowd is overwhelmingly liberal and radical and most of the SDSers you reference are associated vaguely with it. There are plenty of other social scenes on campus that aren't like that.</p>

<p>wahhhaaaayyyyy! NO MATH! :D
I really really want to graduate with honors so I am so pumped I don't have to do math in order to accomplish that!
I am currently doing a Berkeley online course in pre-calc, can I use it to get some Wes Credit, if possible since its a university course?
Also, for freshmen, how does one go about registering for classes? I was looking up wesmaps and there were some classes where freshmen couldn't register for, are we only supposed to register for the approved for freshmen courseS? because the other ones are so much cooler. I heard something about A lists and B lists when it comes to preference, how does that work?</p>

<p>I think it has to be a comparable class to get the credit(Which it would be) but Pre-calc here doesn't count for an NSM credit (Math and science section of the curriculum).So it be counted toward like the credit you would get from an AP score of 4 or 5( which you can only get two credits for). I did not even try to get my Calc I from my local college to transfer. Yeah, you can always try to get into a class if the number of freshmen allowed is 0 but if its an X, you really don't stand much of a chance but its always worth a try at Wesleyan.<br>
This is the downfall of Wes course selection for SBS(Social Science) and some HA(Arts, English, and Languages) students, you normally have two or three courses you want at the end of pre-reg but then you have to start sending emails, going to various classes, and lobbying professors to get the other two or one. It can be stressful but mostly works out. I'd recommend sticking to courses for First year students, you want to test out the intros and see what you want to do, plus get them out of the way so you can take the cool classes later. I'd also recommend taking only one FYI or none, mine were fun but they only count for Gen ed credit, mostly.
How the actual system works is that you fill out two sets of columns and you have your overall first choice in the box above the columns. The program runs and you are randomly ranked in your class and assigned your first class, if your first choice is open and you get it, your course selection will follow the A column. If you don't then the program follows the B- column and when the program runs for your second class, you will be ranked in front of all your classmates who got their first choice.
I'd rank your smaller classes ahead. Languages and intro sciences are unlimited. You can pretty much always get into any math class, you stand a good chance of getting into an intro like Econ or some psych(e.g. 8- 12 spots over pre reg) but if you want soc, govt, then rank it fairly high because those profs only open up 3-5 spots usually and like 20- 30 people show up.<br>
This isn't to stress you out or to put the school in a bad light, if you want or need a class and have a compelling argument, you will get in, eventually.
If you want an FYI than that probably means so do a lot of people, so you should rank it high. FYIs are good to get you used to a college environment and get you comfortable speaking in class. (15- 17 students). Be forewarned, many of them sound far cooler than they are.
norolimasfaloth- I know how you feel but I'm so excited to be heading into my junior year and taking those really cool classes, trust me, your time will come. I have been happy with the majority of classes I've taken at Wes. I'm Govt and (hopefully) Science in Society, by the way.
PS: Wesleyan classes= 1 credit, Labs= 1/2, and phys ed= .25- be ready to explain this to many of your friends because it is very odd, I guess, but I think its simpler.</p>

<p>now I must stop procrastinating.....</p>

<p>I was wondering... Does Wes have a good variety of vegetarian eating options?</p>

<p>i know that the film studies major is strong, but how are the fine arts and art history departments?</p>

<p><<(z): it is very possible to go thru Wes without a math course. remember, there are no requirements here, only general expectations. for the natural sciences/math aspect, you can get by with only sciences and no math (i.e. physics, chem, bio, astronomy, etc.)>></p>

<p>My big fear now is that I'll get to Wesleyan and have no motivation whatsoever to take math/science courses. Do students ignore those "general expectations" to their hearts' content?</p>

<p>you have to take one, to graduate. Three for honors consideration for most majors. So no, no one ignores them.</p>

<p>If you're afraid of losing motivation now, it sounds like you're not the type to actually lose motivation in the Fall. Take what you want to take! I think I heard somewhere that over three quarters of students fulfill the "general expectations", most without even trying.</p>

<p>kman1988: correct me if I'm wrong, but looking at the registrar's website, there is no requirement to take one course in each division. all of the gen eds are optional. however, you must fulfill gen eds to be considered for departmental honors (+ thesis for most majors). however, as flying_pig stated, most fuflill them without trying.</p>

<p>Yeah... while I guess you don't technically have to fulfill the Gen. Ed. expectations, as a senior, I don't know anyone who didn't.</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure you have to complete Stage I to be admitted to a fair number of majors. Sorry I thought the requirements for my major were a general standard. But I was wrong, I reread the academic regulations. But I really can't see how you wouldn't fulfill stage I.</p>

<p>I think it's also worth noting with regard to GenEds that they are three broad categories within which you get to choose what you want to take. Some other schools MAKE you take specifically an English class, a lab science, a math, a fine arts, etc., but not here. It's just a minimum of three classes from each category, from at least two different departments.</p>

<p>For example, within Humanities & Arts (HA), you'll find:
Art History
Art Studio
Asian Languages and Literatures
Chinese
Classical Civilization
College of Letters
Dance
English
Film Studies
French
French Studies
French, Italian, Spanish in Translation
German Literature in English
German Studies
Greek
Hebrew
Hebrew Studies
Iberian Studies
Italian Studies
Japanese
Latin
Less Commonly Taught Languages
Music
Russian
Spanish
Theater</p>

<p>Social & Behavioral Sciences includes:
Anthropology
College of Social Studies
Economics
Government
History
Philosophy
Religion
Sociology</p>

<p>Natural Sciences & Mathematics:
Astronomy
Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Mathematics
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
Neuroscience and Behavior
Physics
Psychology</p>

<p>You really shouldn't be worried about not finding something you want to take, given all those options. I am really not into science/math, and took three very enjoyable non-major science classes. Intro to Environmental Studies is a particularly good one for non-sciency folk.</p>

<p><<you really="" shouldn't="" be="" worried="" about="" not="" finding="" something="" you="" want="" to="" take,="" given="" all="" those="" options.="" i="" am="" into="" science="" math,="" and="" took="" three="" very="" enjoyable="" non-major="" classes.="" intro="" environmental="" studies="" is="" a="" particularly="" good="" one="" for="" non-sciency="" folk.="">></you></p>

<p>Yeah, I blatantly have nothing to worry about. The academic freedom is one of the main reasons I chose Wes; I can survive 2-3 math/science classes.</p>

<p>This is Mytheos Holt.</p>

<p>Since my name has been invoked so much in discussing the issue of political diversity, I'd like to make a couple of points and clarify what it's like at Wesleyan for students who do choose to actively challenge the campus predispositions. I've always enjoyed reaching out to prefrosh, both Left and Right, and I hope those who read this forum will find this post enlightening and relatively non-confrontational.</p>

<p>For the sake of clarity, I will address those posts containing my name as evidence, since I find things both to agree with and quarrel with in both. </p>

<p>"if you have any illusions about political diversity at wesleyan just look at the campus reaction to mytheos holt, 'nuff said."</p>

<p>It's true that being publicly conservative at Wesleyan is a difficult job, but I'd like to make a quick distinction. At Wesleyan, public life is very much differentiated from private life, and so while my experience as a public figure is as something of a self-selected scapegoat for the anxieties of campus liberals, this does not imply that my private experience has been correspondingly antagonistic. I have been blessed with a large number of loyal, wonderful friends of both Left-wing and Right-wing views, as well as a happy romantic relationship (with a liberal, I might add) which has been going on for two and a half years. Raising conservative arguments in private conversation has never been a sin at Wesleyan (except maybe during the election season) - even during the worst moments of my freshman year, I could still talk politics with my friends, and be as flamboyantly conservative as I liked. It's just a matter of finding friends whose friendship with you isn't based on a shared understanding of the optimal top marginal tax rate.</p>

<p>"dude gets called a bigot, a racist, a nutcase etc. every time he writes a column, even if he's writing about the ****ing budget crisis."</p>

<p>This is very much a point about public political discourse at Wesleyan, which is about as cordial as the Hobbesian State of Nature (ie "A war of all against all"). Wesleyan students, myself included, are fanatically opinionated, and despite the supposedly "open-minded," Leftist bias on-campus, Darwinism is the modus operandi of Wesleyan political operatives, in the sense that one really has to take no prisoners. In my admittedly biased opinion, those who are incapable of being logically superior or too lazy to do so do tend to revert automatically to smears such as racist, bigot, nutcase etc, but those slurs are becoming less popular, and more transparently the dead tactics of enemies of debate.</p>

<p>"i admit he's provocative but people really take their hatred of him to another level."</p>

<p>Perhaps on the ACB (which I don't read), but publicly, my ideas seem to actually have become marginally more legitimized. I feel optimistic about the future.</p>

<p>"political intransigence varies by individual professors, but, like i said, in certain majors you are definitely going to see an agenda advanced."</p>

<p>Yes, especially in the Departments mentioned, though my personal experience with Professors has been overwhelmingly positive. Wesleyan has a large number of closeted conservatives on-faculty, just as much as open radicals, and a large number of genuinely open-minded liberals as well. The Government, Economics and History Departments are probably the most balanced in the Social Sciences (though you have to tread carefully with History). I'm sorry to say that Sociology often looks like a nest of Marxists, and Anthropology isn't much better.</p>

<p>"i'm a fiscal moderate and mainstream (i.e. not leftist) social liberal, but i feel like i can't speak out at all here for fear that i'll be treated the same way as mytheos."</p>

<p>For God's sake, don't be. Unless you want to be deliberately controversial, I don't think you'll get treated anywhere near the same way as I do. I doubt seriously whether the campus would even think of going after you, when they have someone as convenient and easy to hate as me to kick around.</p>

<p>"From what I've heard, if you go around trying to push conservatism on other people, that won't be appreciated at all, but if you're open to learning new things/viewpoints and you're a normal 'Obama democrat', I don't think you'd have much of a problem."</p>

<p>Two things: firstly, I have never tried to "push conservatism" on anyone, at least not intentionally. I have tried to make the option of being conservative more conspicuously available to students, and that is basically it. People may believe whatever they like, so long as they are capable of arguing it well, and so long as they do not try to monolithically impose their views on dissenters. Also, saying "so long as you agree with 90% of the campus, you won't be persecuted" is not a terribly encouraging statement of political diversity.</p>

<p>"Mytheos is very actively a conservative -- writing pieces for the Argus and things. While some people appreciate the dialogue he brings, some are obviously upset by his views."</p>

<p>Yes, I am active. If liberals are upset by that, so much the worse for them, and I do not understand why they bother to read my column. I am upset by most of the views which the majority of people on this campus hold, yet I do not want liberals to shut up, or cease being active, because an echo chamber is an ugly thing, even when it's my view that echoes. Dialogue is very important to the education process.</p>

<p>"Being a normal democrat who is open to learning about new, more progressive, viewpoints would NOT be the same as being a conservative who goes around campus actively campaigning."</p>

<p>Ah, so they must not only be new viewpoints, they must also be "more progressive." Perish the thought of being "more conservative." Prefrosh, please note, this is the reason why conservatives often feel the need to be confrontational. </p>

<p>"(when they're not as intentionally-antagonistic as Mytheos often is - not that his opinions are so crazy, but he does kind of try to get the Wesleyan radical liberals angry, and he often succeeds)"</p>

<p>I accept your criticism, and I admit its truth. Part of the reason I do this is to make myself the target so that more moderate people can speak up. I appreciate that you understand that my opinions are not necessarily that crazy. I also agree that conservative discourse is slowly becoming sought-after at Wes.</p>

<p>"(I actually know quite a fair number of libertarians, too, but hardcore traditional Republicans with conservative <em>social</em> values are hard to come by here)."</p>

<p>Too true. Even in the College Republicans, people who are passionate social conservatives are hard to come by.</p>

<p>"how can i air my complicated views if, rather than people responding to them in an equally moderate, rational, and measured way, i know that instead i'll be called a racist, a bigot, an *******, a corporate stooge (this is aimed at SDSers mostly) and ostracized without the meat of what i've said ever being addressed?"</p>

<p>I understand your frustration, but my advice is that you ignore SDS and the other reflexive name-callers. Wesleyan students are not stupid, and they know when someone is ducking the issue. </p>

<p>"mytheos certainly is guilty of trespasses of his own, ideological and rhetorical both, but the vehemence of the attacks on him by the gigantic wesleyan Leftist left (which outnumbers conservatives on this campus by a factor of approximately 9,000,000,000 to 1) belies the threat posed by even his most deliberately provocative articles."</p>

<p>Now now, let's not go too far. If I am guilty of trespasses, noting the power disparity between me and the Left does not excuse them, though it may explain them. I admit I am puzzled by the idea of "ideological trespass," since this seems to imply a normative statement that certain ideologies are unacceptable, but I'll let that go. I think what the prefrosh should take from this is that conservatism is still very much an embattled minority, but a minority in which students and Professors are showing dramatically increased interest.</p>

<p>In fact, I would recommend this school highly to any conservative or center-rightist who wants to get a really fantastic education and has a thick skin. Having to defend your positions 24/7 is a religious experience, but exceedingly enlightening, and it will make you a much, much more capable advocate for your cause. As Cardinal John Henry Newman put it (and I'm paraphrasing), the bishops who have attended Pagan schools and argued with Pagan professors in Pagan lecture halls are always the most pious men of God. I don't mean to imply a connection between conservatism and God, or between liberalism and paganism, but speaking about these purely secular ideologies, the statement is still accurate.</p>

<p>mytheos- that was a really good rundown of our political atmosphere. i absolutely agree that the name callings 'racist, homophobe, blah blah' is definitely being used less and people are actually backing their reasoning. we definitely need more dialogue instead of yelling contests. thank you!</p>

<p>Great post, Mytheos!</p>

<p>To quickly defend what I said before, my posts were aimed at discouraging the view that you'll be constantly hated-on if you're a moderate, which was what was being asked. I totally agree that saying "don't worry, people won't be mad at you if your views aren't totally opposite from theirs" is not a good thing -- we should be eager to discuss politics with people of opposite political persuasions -- but for the practical purposes (how much will you be badgered, etc.), this is was what was relevant... Hope that makes sense.</p>

<p>And I am definitely NOT upset by your active campaigning; in fact, I admire it (not your views, but the manner in which you argue them). The name-calling and tendency to resort to bashing people <em>morally</em> really gets me down, and I like that you encourage <em>productive</em> political conversation. Again, my posts were merely to reflect on how difficult it was to be a moderate at Wes (which is what was asked), not whether or not it <em>should be</em> difficult.</p>

<p>Flying_pig319,</p>

<p>Thank you for clarifying that. It does make sense. I apologize for mistaking your positive statements about Wesleyan's atmosphere (which were unfortunately correct) for normative statements about what Wesleyan should be. I hope you will excuse me for using them to make my point about the reason why discourse is the way it is.</p>

<p>I think we can both agree that the moralistic garbage that sometimes passes for advocacy on this campus is utterly useless, even if we disagree on other things, and I appreciate your kind remarks about my advocacy. They are scarce on the ground, as you may imagine.</p>