<p>Hi! This question is directed to current students…</p>
<p>Are all the chem 33 lectures given by Professor Stratt posted online once the semester begins? As someone who is planning to take chem 33 this upcoming fall, I’ve heard great things about the professor. The problem is that my current (obviously tentative) schedule would make it hard for me to take his particular section (i.e. I’d have to register for the other section, which is taught by Prof. Wesley H. Bernskoetter). (Does anybody know what Prof. Bernskoetter is like, by the way? He appears to be a relatively new professor.) I’m sure that Prof. Bernskoetter would do be a great lecturer and all, but I’m intrigued by Stratt in particular, and I’m willing to watch his lectures online + attend my section’s (if possible).</p>
<p>In addition, I’m considering Logic, taught by Prof. Schechter and Critical Reading and Writing II: The Research Essay, taught by Prof. Elizabeth Taylor. Does anybody have any insight into these two courses, and can anyone comment on the differences in course load between Critical Reading and Writing I (The Academic Essay) and the Research Essay course?</p>
<p>I’m sure all of these questions will be quickly addressed once September starts, but these questions have been on my mind for a while now and I’m getting a little impatient lol. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!</p>
<p>I haven’t taken any of these classes, but you should know about an incredibly useful website if you don’t already: [The</a> Critical Review](<a href=“http://www.thecriticalreview.org%5DThe”>http://www.thecriticalreview.org). On here you can find detailed information about many courses and professors at Brown compiled from student surveys at the end of every semester.</p>
<p>OP here…I forgot to mention that I’m also wondering about Fiction I.</p>
<p>I’m very much into writing (fiction or otherwise), but since I am slated to do more science-oriented work in the future as a PLME student, I wonder if I would be better off choosing the Research Essay course over Fiction I. Any thoughts?</p>
<p>Advice from a current pre-med student at Brown: If you don’t have a very strong chem background Chem 330 may be very difficult, though there isn’t really an intermediate class, just Chem 100 or Chem 330. The lecture hall for all those big chemistry classes (MacMillan 117) does not have the Lecture Capture video system, so lectures are not posted online. Also, the different professors can have totally different curricula and tests so it’s important to still go to all the lectures by your professor even if you also sit in on another professor’s lectures.</p>
<p>Advice from a current Brown student regarding the English classes: I heartily second the advice about using thecriticalreview.org. The Academic Essay course is basically Freshman Writing, with shorter papers and revisions. The Research Essay has two short papers and a long (15-20 pages) final paper, so time management with other classes could be an issue. If you do not feel confident in your writing process skills you may want to take the Academic Essay but otherwise it’s a pretty rudimentary, easy class that varies a lot by instructor. I have heard generally great things about Fiction, though I have no personal experience with it. Creative Nonfiction also gets rave reviews. You should also consider courses in the Comparative Literature department, especially since there are several designed specifically for freshmen & sophomores (small classes, personal attention, writing process).</p>
<p>Just to clarify, MacMillian 117 DOES have Lecture capture; it’s just up to the discretion of the instructor whether to use it or not. </p>
<p>I took both Academic and Research Essay (granted, with the same professor) and the only main difference was the focus of the class. And this may be just me, but even as a someone who isn’t concentrating in anything writing intensive and as someone who really struggles with papers, the workload was very time manageable. It also helps that both classes are S/NC mandatory.</p>
<p>Stratt is amazing. If you any interest in chemistry, that’s the section to take.</p>
<p>When I was at Brown, very few people who were relatively strong high school writers felt they benefited as much from those writing courses. However, folks who Literary Fiction and Creative Non-fiction all seemed to love it and get a lot out of the course work.</p>
<p>Take that with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>I would definitely use The Critical Review.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the helpful responses. </p>
<p>Just wondering about certain details. Has Prof Stratt used Lecture Capture in previous years? And if so, was a good majority of the lectures posted online, or was it more along the lines of just the occasional lecture every now and then?</p>
<p>I’ve never heard about lecture capture being used for Chem 330. It’d be best to assume you won’t have access to those lectures unless you attend them. From what I’ve heard, take Stratt if you can - people really seem to like him. I’ve never heard of the other guy, so you could try shopping his section to see if you like his teaching style.</p>
<p>Also, remember that you’ll be meeting with your PLME dean to work out some of these questions. They always have great advice.</p>