<p>Juan, I feel like I’m the best view you can have. I was preadmitted into DS, never having thought of it before. I am definitely a math/science person, although I have strong interests in the humanities (maybe not as strong as you). I ended up taking DS and looking back on it, I am very glad for what I learned and read and yet have to read (we only read parts of most works). However, I dropped it after first semester to focus more on math/science, and because I was not really academically interested in most of what we discussed in DS. I loved the reading though. You get out of the program what you put in with the reading and contemplating the reading, as the lectures are only supplemental (not related to exams and discussions). My roommate Travis was also in DS, and he stuck it out the whole way (he’s a political science person). I do have to say, the reading second semester is flat out astounding. I picked up his Nietzsche’s “On the Geneology of Morals” and started reading it for a few minutes during the last week of school and was blown away by his writing style and content in just the first few pages. Don Quixote, Paradise Lost and War and Peace make up a chunk of the literature second semester, all toweringly awesome works of fiction. Obviously, most in the program do not read most or even probably half of all the reading in literature second semester (Travis read 20 pages of War and Peace), but I wish I could have read what they read even second semester. I’m reading War and Peace now over the summer, and it’s a profound read. </p>
<p>The above were some vague personal thoughts; here’s some comments about fitting in the science. I’m a premed and I willed not to do gen chem at yale so I did Freshman Organic Chemistry along with DS. (Rant ahead) By the way, TAKE THAT CLASS. It was sublime, best class by far and the most amazing professor I’ve ever had. Even if you even have a teeny, tiny chance of needing organic chemistry, I advise you take that class regardless of any other forces. First semester I sat in on one math 120 lecture, but knew frosh orgo/lab and DS would be too much first semester. You should max out at 4.5 credits 1st semester regardless of what you end up taking. </p>
<p>One good thing about the distributional requirements with DS is that literature and philosophy are Wr/Hu credits, meaning that you can use either label with distributional requirements any year (one year use the class as a writing, another humanities). Writing credits are hard to come by in the sciences (two labs, molecular bio and inorganic chemistry, are writing credits; I’ve took mol bio 2nd semester and will take inorganic chem sophomore year). Taking DS, if only for one semester, even allows you to have all your writing done if you want to take two other humanities courses. You will need to get your distributional requirements completed regardless of how much you’re narrowly focused in science, so you might as well get them with DS, if only first semester. Plenty of people drop after first semester.</p>
<p>Second semester, even if you’re taking DS, you can go to 5.0 credits. DS is actually not all that much work or nearly as hard as people make it out to be. There’s not even that much reading first semester. And all the classes (papers) are coordinated (only 1 a week with some breaks), which helps A LOT compared to other schedules. Plus, the finals are often a negligible part of the grade. The first papers first semester are graded very harshly, if only to scare you, so don’t be phased since it gets easier after that.</p>
<p>Second semester I took Math 120, which was not much work and pretty easy. If you get the right professor, it could be your easiest class all year. I advise taking it with Michael Frame. He’s the leading professor for the course and is an extraordinary teacher. You never have to open the book once. Go early on preregistration day 15-20 min before it starts so you get his section. However, he might not be teaching/alive next year due to health reasons. I pray that he is.</p>
<p>In summary, if you’re really interested in the program, definitely take DS. I didn’t really touch on this, but if you’re not entirely convinced you have a strong desire to do DS, you probably shouldn’t do it (i.e. you don’t like discussing works in a seminar). If you take DS, you can always drop it after 1st semester to free more space for science/math and still get some of the distributional requirement fruits, not to mention the knowledge, from DS. I made a theoretical schedule for the next few years, and despite doing DS 1st semester and if time slots fit in generally, I can get a molecular biochemistry and biophysics and mathematics double major while fulfilling the requirements for medical school by the end of junior year (the typical time).</p>
I think admitted students will be sent more information sometime in June, but that might just be wishful thinking. XD</p>