<p>[Message</a> to Freshmen: Let’s Start with Kafka and Darwin](<a href=“http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2010/06/message_to_freshmen_lets_start.html]Message”>http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2010/06/message_to_freshmen_lets_start.html)</p>
<p>An essay by Leon Botstein about the approach to the first year at Bard: Language and Thinking, Freshman Seminar, Citizen Science, and Bard’s philosophy of what a liberal arts college education is all about.</p>
<p>Thank you SpiritManager! Thoroughly enjoyed reading Mr. Botstein’s essay.</p>
<p>And the two books for summer reading (with the ISBN numbers) are posted on the Bard L&T website:</p>
<p>[L&T</a> | Required Summer Readings](<a href=“http://inside.bard.edu/landt/readings/]L&T”>http://inside.bard.edu/landt/readings/)</p>
<p>interesting. My kids read “Metamorphosis” in AP English this year.</p>
<p>SDonCC - my son had read many of the texts which he ended up re-reading freshman year - but trust me, it was a whole different experience than either in high school, or reading on his own. I’m sure the same will prove true for your son at Grinnell. AP English just is not the same experience as a good college seminar!</p>
<p>What was the level of difficulty of the First Year Seminar? What were the exams like? Thanks.</p>
<p>Good point, SpiritManager. I’m glad that Grinnell has a great first-year seminar, too, otherwise I’d be feeling too jealous! :-)</p>
<p>My S participated in the IDP seminar, where apparently discussion is typical of the first-year experience, and he walked out of the class with a huge grin on his face and said, “that was amazing!”</p>
<p>So, he did pick Grinnell, but it was not an easy choice! Best of luck to all the incoming freshmen!</p>
<p>nyak10 - according to my D, it’s more papers than exams.</p>
<p>nyak10 - </p>
<p>FYSEM is almost completely papers and participation unless a professor specifically choose to test or quiz students on the books. none of my friends have had tests. papers can vary from a short 2 page paper once a week with a few 5 page papers thrown in, a bunch of 5 page papers, or a few longer 7-10 page papers.</p>