<p>Hey everyone... well since I'm really excited for Smith and am procrastinating all schoolwork nowadays, I've been fiddling around with possible schedules/classes. So to all Smithies and parents of Smithies: what have been your/your daughters' favorite classes thus far (I'm a humanities person who's also into medicine, for a frame of ref)? What would you suggest taking in the first year? Would a lab science and a language be too heavy for one semester? Thanks for any opinions : )</p>
<p>I would definitely take a language - taking a language your first year opens up all kinds of possibilities in the following ones (and the reverse is true - not taking one closes them off.) My D. loved Burger's "Natural Disasters" class (Geology), and the Logic class (from which she has a collection of tee-shirts). Many folks love the "Reinventing History" first-year seminar - my d. took Peter Bloom's writing intensive seminar in the music department, and REALLY learned to write. Think breadth - you'll probably narrow later, so use the first year to explore.</p>
<p>Be careful with the bio requirements for med school. If you took IB or advanced bio in h/s, your advisor might attempt to have you skip the lower level bio courses and go directly into the Genes and Genomes class. Unless youre a bio savant, its asking for serious trouble and a bcpm and overall gpa destroyer. Ask ecape :)</p>
<p>"Re-enacting the Past" is the FYS that Mini is referencing. Each section will use different combinations of modules, though most will do the Athens game. D's included Periclean Athens, a year in the Ming Dynasty during the reign of Wan-Li, and the trial of Ann Hutchinson. She had Daniel Gardner as her prof, whom she adores, but she says that all of the profs who teach that course are good. She chose the specific section because of the rec of him and she liked those particular three modules.</p>
<p>As for a language and a lab science, it depends on the combo. Mostly it's safe--two different types of stress, as D says--but Chem courses beyond 111 or Intro. Physics for majors can be time consuming. If one's a 4-credit and the other a 5-credit class, she says "go ahead." But it'll be on the rigorous end. The intensive beginning language classes have reps as being a bit of a bear. She also recommends not taking more than one class in any one department each semester during your first year, no matter how much you <em>think</em> you might know what you want your major to be. (She herself bent the rule second semester because of schedule conflicts but even now regrets that.) It also depends on how involved you have been in EC's; if you've already developed time management skills, the adjustment is easier. (D just said, be more specific about which languages...she knows people who have taken classes in virtually every language department.) </p>
<p>FWIW, LL, my D is a switch hitter between Math and Social Sciences and she's found that balancing between the two has worked well for her though this precluded her from taking easier "non-major" courses in either.</p>
<p>If you're going for Latin Honors, D recommends to start doing the distribution requirements first year.</p>
<p>Notes from D about Gov. 100, American Political Thought, from which some extrapolations may be made: as an Intro course, it's a bit of a "weeder" course that shocks a lot of people with B- or C grades and makes them reconsider going for a Gov major. Oriented towards theory, a sort of scratch "Western thought" course, as a gateway to all the subdisciplines within the Gov department. </p>
<p>D observes that a lot of people have gotten through high school by doing all the reading. In Gov 100, you <em>can</em> do that if you're extremely well organized and budget time well. As an alternative, you learn to triage, figuring out what reading is necessary, what can be safely skipped, and what's in between. The students that get burned are those who can't triage on one hand or do it all on the other.</p>
<p>You really learn how to write in that class.</p>
<p>Mini, I think you got confused: "Reinventing History" is the course offered inside the White House, not Smith.</p>
<p>Intro languages vary in intensity. The ones that meet daily or are worth more than 4 credits are more intense than those that meet three times a week and are only worth 4 credits. You do have to take an intro language for two semesters to get credit. I just finished German 100 as a sophomore and I wished I had started earlier (I might have minored if I had) but I needed that year off--I took eight years of French prior, and the idea of taking a French class still stresses me! I'm not going JYA, though if I took a class this summer I would be able to go to Hamburg for the spring semester.</p>
<p>Oh I like this thread. I dont mean to hijack it, but Im having fun with my schedule as well. And Im already worried about fitting in everything. My goals government major, economics minor, IR minor, and proficiency in a language! Is this possible? Oh yeah and I want to strive for latin honors which means satisfying those requirements - science courses, etc. Im not sure I will have room for that on top of everything else. it is already shaping up to be a pretty close fit... </p>
<p>Are Latin honors worth it? Also for language study, I believe someone in this thread mentioned that you should start freshman year, but I dont even know where I want to study abroad. How does one figure that out, is there really room to take different language courses to figure that out? I hope Im not getting too ambitious here
but does anyone know anything about learning Arabic at Smith? I saw only 1 course available in the course catalogue. Lastly it is not clear to me when study aborad is allowed. is it only jr. year? I am not sure how to make accomadations for this in my schedule.
oh and one last thing!
what do the classes you take abroad count for, would they satisfy major and/or graduation requirements? </p>
<p>thanks for answering any of my many questions...i know i listed a lot...</p>
<p>I think my first semester will consist of a language class(either French or spanish), Drawing 1(I am pretty sure that I'll major in architecture or studio art)....I really would like to take the Engineering for Everyone class, at the same time I would love to take classes in the theatre department cause I 've been always interested in set design, and there are several FYS that sound great too(Adaptation, Film Crit, 18 in two cultures). I have so many interests, I would love to take classes in every department:-)</p>
<p>Languages: I had french for 8 years in High School, but my skills are not that great becasue I had several not so good teachers...Will I be able to find help at Smith to figure out which class would be the right level for me?</p>
<p>Some responses:</p>
<p>There are language placement tests offered during orientation. </p>
<p>Smith allows you to have one major, have two majors, or have one major and one minor. You can unofficially complete a second minor, but no other categories will be officially recognized.</p>
<p>You don't have to take a language to go JYA, but if you want to go on a Smith program (Geneva, Paris, Hamburg, Florence) you have to take at least four college-level classes in that language before you depart. Classes taken abroad can count toward a major/minor, but (as I asked myself) do you really want to take a math class in German? By the time you apply to go abroad, you'll have to have declared a major and create a plan of study that goes to graduation, but that's really far in your future. </p>
<p>The summer before my first year, I put together a few possible schedules, but when I actually registered (after talking to upperclassmen, professors, and other first-years) I registered for completely different classes. It's not anything to stress over, at least right now. It's only May!</p>
<p>Now, I need to get back to studying for my last final. :)</p>
<p>One thing youll have to decide is if you want to go for a full yr or semester, or what language you feel youll feel proficient enough to be able to qualify for a particular counties abroad program. There are numerous English speaking programs and many are one semester. Unfortunately the site listing the approved programs is under revision. In the past, if you wanted to study in, say, Wales for a semester, you could go with Colgates program etc.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.smith.edu/acad_specialstudyabroad.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.smith.edu/acad_specialstudyabroad.php</a>
<a href="http://www.smith.edu/studyabroad/faculty.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.smith.edu/studyabroad/faculty.html</a></p>
<p>If youre pre med, vet, dental, you will need to work out a schedule at the very beginning of your 1st yr. Going abroad is doable but more difficult. You dont, as Borgin said, want to take science or math classes in a foreign language while abroad. Studying for, and taking the MCATs, is also effected by being away your entire jr yr</p>
<p>[[...Will I be able to find help at Smith to figure out which class would be the right level for me?]]</p>
<p>You bet. Tom Riddell would have been your 1st yr advisor and Dean but hes taking a sabbatical.</p>
<p>Placement, IB or AP tests or courses are also looked at to help direct what courses you should take or bypass b/c you already know the material. Be cautious though, sometimes its worth repeating a class, say calc. and receiving an A for your grad/med school GPA, instead of jumping to statistics and receiving a C, if you have forgotten much of what you learned in h/s</p>
<p>Latin Honors.... doing the distribution requirements really help you pave your schedule for first year so you have a chance to experiment with different departments and get a feel for Smith as a whole. But to actually go all the way for it is NOT worth it as the usual cut-off is about 3.75-3.8 (top 25% of class who HAVE done the requirements).</p>
<p>If you're looking for an easy language class, I highly, highly recommend Russian. So inflated. It's fine to do it with a science class. I barely did more than 2 hours of work in the class a week.</p>
<p>Oh, no double-minoring... officially, that is.</p>
<p>Glad to know I'm not the only one dreaming over the course catalogue. I hadn't heard about the no double minoring, there goes the dream of an Engineering major with minors in Econ. and Enviro. Tom Riddell is the guy who offered the FYS on Northampton State Hospital, right? I guess that won't be offered this year (drat!). usjo2, I'm thinking about the engineering for everyone class too, it sounds really cool. </p>
<p>borgin, i dont think its stressing so much as being still stuck in high school and imagining better times, at least in my case.</p>
<p>I hadn't heard about the no double minoring, there goes the dream of an Engineering major with minors in Econ. and Envir]]</p>
<p>Keep the dream. Smith will always work with you to accommodate and achieve your goals. </p>
<p>Yeah, Tom taught the fys about the state hospital.</p>
<p>Ah yes, I remember the "joys" of planning my first year schedule. Some notes for you guys: </p>
<p>DO NOT TAKE GOV 100 UNLESS YOU PLAN ON BEING A GOVERNMENT MAJOR. It's the basis for the Gov major, so if you are planning on being one (like me!) you do NEED to take it, and you might as well get it over with (also, some of the discussion sections are WI, two birds with one stone). It's not a great class though, it's just something you have to get through. So if Government is in your future, you better buckle down and take it, otherwise, definitley skip.</p>
<p>Why is it that the online course catalogue only goes to Spring 2006 but the course schedule is up for Fall 2006? The schedule also doesn't seem to have first year seminars listed, unless they're hidden in and amongst the other classes. What's the deal?
Also, for current students, how much of a bad idea is it to take a 9 am class first semester?</p>
<p>R**2, Tom Riddell is Dean of the First Year Class. Upon introduction in 2004, the first thing he said was, "No, I'm not Lord Voldemort."</p>
<p>S&P, my D would agree that Gov 100 is not a great class but she found it to be an extremely useful class.</p>
<p>So far, my D has found Latin Honors to be worth pursuing. On one scale, a mere bauble but a sometimes useful bauble.</p>
<p>lso for language study, I believe someone in this thread mentioned that you should start freshman year, but I dont even know where I want to study abroad. How does one figure that out, is there really room to take different language courses to figure that out? I hope Im not getting too ambitious here but does anyone know anything about learning Arabic at Smith? I saw only 1 course available in the course catalogue. Lastly it is not clear to me when study aborad is allowed. is it only jr. year? I am not sure how to make accomadations for this in my schedule. ]]]</p>
<p>Okay, lets see if i can address some of this. You do need four college semesters in the language of the country if you are doing a Smith program abroad. If you don't know where you want to go yet, you can still change later, but it will likely involve taking some kind of summer language course at a college near your home. As far as languages go, enroll in what is most interesting to you, there are hundreds of JYA programs out there besides the official Smith ones, so you can always change your mind and still go JYA. You can go abroad really during any year (except first), though most do it as juniors or else as seniors. Your advisor will help you with the accomadating, you just focus on putting together a very general idea of what you might like to do in your Smith career, and you can take it from there in the fall.
As far as Arabic goes, Smith right now offers two levels, beginning and intermediate. Also, they have good courses in Arabic at UMASS and Amherst. ALSO, you can take "mentored arabic" which is run through the Five College Center for Foreign Languages (google it, they have a website), if the regular classes don't fit into your schedule.</p>
<p>Why is it that the online course catalogue only goes to Spring 2006 but the course schedule is up for Fall 2006? The schedule also doesn't seem to have first year seminars listed, unless they're hidden in and amongst the other classes. What's the deal?
Also, for current students, how much of a bad idea is it to take a 9 am class first semester?]]</p>
<p>The online catalogue only goes until Spring because Smith is notoriously behind on these things. Also, some stuff is still being finalized, like profs and times and offerings and such, so the complete catalogue will be up later. Also, First years should get a paper catalogue during orientation. If you can't find the FYS they may not be there (did you check under FYS), as that schedule was mostly for us upperclassmen who were registering earlier. Be patient, stuff should change.
A nine AM class is up to you. It's not a bad idea neccessarily (plenty of people, including me, did it last fall), but are you the kind of person that can get up early? Do you enjoy mornings? Keep in mind that nine is pretty early in college time, though it probably isn't early compared to what time you get up for HS. I was shocked at how much more sleep I needed at college than I ever got in HS.</p>
<p>Why is it that the online course catalogue only goes to Spring 2006 but the course schedule is up for Fall 2006? The schedule also doesn't seem to have first year seminars listed, unless they're hidden in and amongst the other classes. What's the deal?
Also, for current students, how much of a bad idea is it to take a 9 am class first semester?]]</p>
<p>The online catalogue only goes until Spring because Smith is notoriously behind on these things. Also, some stuff is still being finalized, like profs and times and offerings and such, so the complete catalogue will be up later. Also, First years should get a paper catalogue during orientation. If you can't find the FYS they may not be there (did you check under FYS), as that schedule was mostly for us upperclassmen who were registering earlier. Be patient, stuff should change.
A nine AM class is up to you. It's not a bad idea neccessarily (plenty of people, including me, did it last fall), but are you the kind of person that can get up early? Do you enjoy mornings? Keep in mind that nine is pretty early in college time, though it probably isn't early compared to what time you get up for HS. I was shocked at how much more sleep I needed at college than I ever got in HS.</p>