<p>Are sophomore and junior transfers required to take a first-year seminar? Forgive me if the answer to this question appears obvious. I’m just not sure if “first-year” refers to your first year in college or your first year at Amherst.</p>
<p>That question actually doesn’t have an at all obvious answer, unfortunately. One person I know transferred here spring semester from community college. Come next fall, the college made him take a first year seminar, despite the fact that he was neither a freshman nor a first-year student at that point. He tried all semester to get out of it with no success–he was taking five classes, but they wouldn’t let him drop the seminar. The solution for him was just that he never went to the seminar and I assume failed the class, but since he had the other four classes it was basically a normal semester for him workwise.</p>
<p>^
Wow…that’s the first extremely lame story I’ve heard about Amherst.</p>
<p>How come nobody knows the real answer to this question?</p>
<p>I have a friend who transferred from Syracuse(was a sophomore for his first year at Amherst) and he did not have to take a FYS. The story about the CC transfer surprised me greatly since they do not encourage taking 5 classes at all. It’s weird they would force him to take 5 classes and I don’t think transfer students usually take the FYS.</p>
<p>Would it be beneficial to take the first year seminar?</p>
<p>I question whether this story about a student being forced the FYS is correct. As noted, Amherst strongly discourages students from taking five courses and it would seem very odd that a new student would be advised to take five classes.</p>
<p>First Year Seminars are a lot of fun (one could say that…) and a great opportunity to meet and interact with a different group of people.</p>
<p>For my seminar, we read prose, poetry, and literary criticism; it was highly interdisciplinary. We studied Impressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism in depth and took a field trip to NYC’s Museum of Modern Art, MoMa (with a personal tour of the museum given by our professor). We studied how architectural space and organization shapes and influences human behavior and interaction, and actually explored several Manhattan blocks, the New York Public Library, and Rockefeller Center to apply our studies. We watched eight V.O. French films, subtitled, and groups of students presented on each film. Lastly, we studied twentieth century French history and read the works of American expatriate authors living in Paris.</p>
<p>I mean, all seminars are reading, writing, and speaking (class participation + student presentation) intensive, and are under 15 people. First year seminars are unique courses meant to excite you and heighten your exposure to a number of disciplines.</p>
<p>My point is, if you’re stuck with one, it’s not the end of the world: you’re going to enjoy it.</p>
<p>Although I do not know all the details of the situation I referred to, I do know for sure that the student was made to take a first-year seminar when he expressly did not want to and that he spent at least half the semester trying to get out of it. He entered spring semester, when freshman seminars aren’t offered, so if he had freshman standing then perhaps that is why the school decided he needed to take a seminar. I am not sure if this is official school policy or if he rubbed a dean the wrong way and they decided to hold a grudge. He was not a new student when he took the seminar, so taking five classes wasn’t an issue. I am unsure where this idea that Amherst discourages people from taking five classes has come from, since I have never had trouble getting permission to do so and have never heard of anyone encountering issues.</p>
<p>The question of whether or not a FYS is beneficial is more difficult. Kwu clearly had a very good experience with first-year seminars; in my year, the general feeling towards them was decidedly more negative. There were certainly some people who enjoyed their seminars and learned a lot, but I remember the collective sigh of relief in December knowing that our seminars were finally done. Very few seminars actually were reading, writing, and speaking intensive OR interdisciplinary, although I think that the school is working more on making the product match the concept. My seminar consisted of readings that were half-heartedly discussed during class, large chunks of which were dominated by the professor telling us his opinion on the whole thing, with a few short assignments throughout the term. I can’t say that I enjoyed it or learned much from it, although I have to admit that I can’t stand English classes.</p>
<p>I am sorry I am so perpetually pessimistic, but I feel that Amherst is a lot less glowingly perfect than it seems when I read the posts of other students. It is a great school to go to, but there are definitely problems. Top LAC in the country does not Elysium make, and while overall things are (hopefully) positive, not every moment will be a storybook collegiate experience. The administration isn’t always obliging and helpful, students aren’t always ready to learn and broaden their horizons, and classes aren’t always fun and interesting.</p>
<p>katbenc is mostly right, but her description of the lackluster college experience applies to every single institution.</p>
<p>I could write several paragraphs of scathing criticism against Amherst based my own experience. At the same time I could also write several paragraphs of glowing praise. I choose to do the latter, because I’m deeply proud of where I go to school, and I choose to highlight the best qualities that stand out in my mind when I am describing it to people. Moreover, I hold a firm conviction that the positive qualities far outweigh the negative ones.</p>
<p>I feel a pressing need to address the problem of classes and students that suck.</p>
<p>Personally, I invest a great deal of time into thoroughly researching classes I’m interested in; I also make the extra effort to read as much as I can about the professor’s teaching quality and background. I know beforehand what I’m getting myself into. If I end up with a class I ultimately dislike, I can only blame myself for complacency and not taking full advantage of the shopping period. With regards to students: we all have a responsibility to be lively and active community leaders, to make Amherst an intellectually and culturally thriving place. If it fails in those respects, then it is we who have failed Amherst, not the other way around.</p>
<p>All seminars are supposed to be reading, writing, and speaking (class participation + student presentation) intensive, and interdisciplinary. Of course, due to discrepancies in teaching quality, not every seminar is going to be as meaningful and enjoyable as mine was. But, a week or so before deciding, I took the initiative to do research on all the options that were available to me, and I chose a list of seminars that I knew were going to be awesome.</p>
<p>My advice to transfers and incoming first-years is the following: do your research. Look at the Online Catalog and Amherst Scrutiny. Give a damn, so you won’t have to complain if things go awry. Amherst may not be Elysium, but you can seize the responsibility to make it so.</p>
<p><a href=“https://catalog.amherst.edu/amherst/frmstudentsdefaults.aspx[/url]”>https://catalog.amherst.edu/amherst/frmstudentsdefaults.aspx</a>
[Scrutiny</a>, search results](<a href=“http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/search_results.php?dept_code=FYSE&class_number=%23%23&class_name=Class+name&professor=Professor]Scrutiny”>http://www3.amherst.edu/~scrutiny/search_results.php?dept_code=FYSE&class_number=%23%23&class_name=Class+name&professor=Professor)</p>
<p>^
kwu,</p>
<p>Thanks for the Amherst Scrutiny link (I had no idea the site existed). I will definitely utilize it.</p>