<p>What are they like? Are they closer to an "actual class" (i.e. lots of homework, etc) or more like weekly lectures? Are there any that you would specifically recommend? (I want to take the food and ag one)</p>
<p>Hi Economiss, </p>
<p>The First Year Seminars are fairly young–they are after my time, at least. Thus I’m not too sure how they are run. In general a seminar at Wellesley meets once a week for 3 hours, but I don’t know if the FYS replicates that model or not. Wish I could be of more help! :(</p>
<p>Are seminars more like lectures or do they have lots of outside work attached?</p>
<p>My D is taking a CS class (python) as her seminar and it meets twice a week for 1.5 hours each class and has a two hour lab once a week. I do believe this class will be added to the regular CS degree so maybe that is why it meets much more?</p>
<p>The first-year seminars are 3-credit classes and they do have “outside work” attached. Their advantage is that they are small in size and limited to first years, and are intended to provide a more supportive introductory environment to a particular discipline, but they are still “real” classes with real work. My D did not take one because she had to get started on pre-med and language requirements, and she wants to have time in her schedule to go abroad.</p>
<p>In her first semester, she took a discipline-specific required writing course that was limited to first years and capped at 15. She met girls who were interested in the same major and she enjoyed the intimacy of the class. She didn’t feel she needed to take a seminar.</p>