"Core" curriculum

<p>Umm... can someone help me decipher Swat's "core" requirements? </p>

<p>I'm trying to figure out (if I were frosh next year) what my schedule could look like.</p>

<p>I think, if I can read this fine print stuff clearly, the requirements lok like this:
- 3 W classes
- 3 Humanities, 2 in separate departments
- 3 NCE, 1 of which is a practicum, 2 in separate departments
- 3 Social Science, 2 in separate departments
- 2 semesters of gym</p>

<p>Are gym classes taken for credit or just... stuff you hafta take?</p>

<p>Anyone know if there's a usual frosh schedule?</p>

<p>You can take 4 or 5 classes each semester (most people take 4). PE is extra. You can take PE for one quarter at a time (so it does not have to be a full semester), and there are many different ways to fulfill PE requirement. You don't get grades or academic credit for PE, but you have to take 4 quarters of it in order to graduate.</p>

<p>Some classes in all different fields of study are "writing classes". There are so many of them, that you'll easily have 3W classes in four years, no matter what you choose to study.</p>

<p>As for the rest of the requirements - you have get 3 credits in each area of study. One of the credits in each area can be fulfilled by AP credit. That is the whole idea of "liberal arts education" that you get a broad education in different fields. It is really easy to fulfill the requirements, and often the students find themselves enjoying the classes they took "just to fulfill the requirement" much more then they expected...</p>

<p>I don't think there is such thing as a "usual" frosh schedule. It varies greatly, depending on students' goals and interests.</p>

<p>I think you've got it. Three courses in math/science/engineering. Three courses in the humanities (language, English, art, music, classics, history, etc.). Three courses in the social sciences (poli sci, econ, psych, sociology, etc.</p>

<p>Two of the three courses in each group must be taken at Swat. The three courses in each group must be spread over at least two departments. By and large, APs count as one of the distribution requirements, but it varies from department to department.</p>

<p>The Writing requirment is a non-issue. It would be almost impossible to not take the three required writing-intensive courses. In fact, I would strongly recommend the freshman Writing course (which fulfills an English/Humanities requirement).</p>

<p>Now as a practical matter, the goal of freshman year should be to sample as many departments as you can and preserve as many options for a major as you can. For example, it would be nearly impossible to major in Physics without taking Physics and Math freshman year. So if Physics is on your list of four or five potential majors, that locks in at least two courses both semesters.</p>

<p>Here's what I would recommend. Write down the departments that you may already be thinking about for potential majors. Look through the course catalog to get a handle on the requirements for those majors and jot down the courses you need to take freshman year.</p>

<p>Now, curl up with the course catalog and just skim through the courses in each department. Are there any departments that you want to add to your potential major list? Or, if not as a major, are there course that strike your fancy as interesting, fun electives? If so, what are the pre-reqs in that department? Is there an intro freshman course you have to take first?</p>

<p>Keep in mind that sometime this summer you will receive a printed list of several dozen freshman seminars being offered next year, many of which will be interesting.</p>

<p>With all this in mind, you will probably come up with a list of a dozen or more courses you wouldn't mind taking freshman year. From this list, you will pick eight. Don't worry, the extras will come in handy, because it is almost guaranteed that you won't get all four of your first choice courses in a semester. The freshman seminars will mostly go into "lottery" as will some of the more popular sections of Poli Sci, English, etc. No big deal. You've already got another half dozen courses on your list, so you just subsitute one of those and take the original course the following semester. Once you've lost out in the lottery, you get first dibs the following semester, so it all evens out in the wash.</p>

<p>My daughter got lotteried out of her first choice freshman seminar (some ultra-popular Poli Sci thing, I can't remember what), ended up taking a seminar in a different department. Loved it, is now taking two more seminars in that department, and will probably end up majoring in that department. Funny how things work.</p>

<p>She got lotteried out of the Writing course fall semester, so she took Intro Psych, which was on her list of pre-reqs for potential upper level electives. Worked out fine. She's taking the Writing course now, taught by the head of the Swat Writing Associates Program (the prof who is busy teaching the Writing Associates in the fall). She got lotteried out of a stats course this spring, so she substituted Art History, which was on her list of "fun" courses she wanted to take sometime or another.</p>

<p>In case it matters to anyone, Swarthmore puts history and the ancient history component of classics into the Social Sciences division rather than the Humanities division. In general, I think the distribution requirements look more onerous than they actually are. My daughter figured out that when all is said and done, the only classes she "has" to take that she might not have taken in a college without any requirements are the science classes. And now that she's gotten herself excited about learning astronomy, she doesn't see that as a burden either.</p>

<p>i have a question..does swat offer swimming class to kids who cant swim (like me)? i know its a graduation requirement to pass the swim test, but do they actually teach you how or expect you to learn yourself in the four years? if they have classes, do they count as a gym requirement? thanks</p>

<p>yes, they do. My son can't swim either. He plans to take it next semester. He has already taken gym this semester.</p>

<p>And it is a gym requirement and a gym course. My son went to the orientation and said he could not swim, so he did not try the 15 minute test. </p>

<p>I remember you had the same concerns last year!! :)</p>

<p>You can take one semester of swimming instead of taking the test. It will count as a semester of PE towards graduation requirement as well.</p>

<p>How far do you have to swim for the swim test? As far/fast as you need to for lifeguarding training? Or just a couple of laps to show that you can move yourself through the water without sinking?</p>

<p>Swim test: I think it's really easy. Keep from drowning for fifteen minutes, or something like that. Nowhere near as difficult as the lifeguard test.</p>

<p>I think there are only two kinds of students where the distribution requirements could even be a factor: artsty humanities students who would like to avoid math/science all together and math/science students who would like to avoid everything else althogether.</p>

<p>BTW, there is also a language requirment, but four years of high school language (which almost all Swatties have), satisfies the requirement.</p>

<p>You have to stay afloat for 15 minutes to pass the swimming test (you might have to swim a few laps during those 15 minutes). For anyone who can swim at all, swimming test is not an issue.</p>

<p>nngmm: so are you saying that i can take a swim course INSTEAD of the swim test? what if i take the course but still dont learn to swim? because i really did try to learn when i was a kid and again last year but for some reason i just cant!!!! achat, haha i know this was my big problem last year too. i know i sound like a total dork freaking out about a swim test but for some reason i just CANNOT swim at all..can you ask your son how many kids are in the swim classes every year? thanks, ahhh, i cant believe this is my biggest problem..:(</p>

<p>
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i know i sound like a total dork freaking out about a swim test

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</p>

<p>Yep! Honestly, the swim test at all of these colleges is *no big deal! *</p>

<p>They'll work with ya. Nobody is looking to keep you from graduating over a stinkin' swim test!</p>

<p>Organic Chemistry. Now **that's **something to freak out about. But, not the swimming test!</p>

<p>Lisa, it is my understanding that just taking the swimming class will fulfill the requirement. However, I have little doubt that after a semester of swimming classes you will be able to pass that swimming test with flying colors. It really requires no skills as long as you don't drown for 15 minutes.</p>

<p>Lisa, once you take swimming for a whole semester, you WILL learn to swim. Don't worry. My son was also like that.....and I suppose it is partly my fault that he did not learn swimming and that I did not push him enough. I'll ask him how many people in the swim class. I think the water is heated as well, I'll ask my son.</p>

<p>I also think that once you are in the swim class, they won't let you sit around and wade your ankles in the water and run away. They will teach you to swim...</p>

<p>does touching the ground in the pool count as drowning? I can swim, but I have to stand once in a while</p>

<p>Why don't you go to the swim test and let the instructor decide if you can swim or not...just tell him/her you can't swim very well, or you need to stand or whatever.</p>

<p>This is an amusing discussion :p</p>

<p>I can't swim for nuts...</p>

<p>"does touching the ground in the pool count as drowning? I can swim, but I have to stand once in a while"</p>

<p>If once in a while is once in 15 minutes or more, you are fine ;)</p>