<p>I got an invitation to a European History guided studies program and I was curious if any current students could give me any insight into the program.</p>
<p>If you check out the “majors?” thread there’s a pretty good explanation there. Congratulations!</p>
<p>Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Thanks for the info</p>
<p>I am planning to major in Chemical Engineering. Would the Guided Studies still work with my set of classes?</p>
<p>Is InterArts related to Guided Studies at all? S was invited to apply to a few programs, but chose to apply to just this one - completely perfect for him - hope that was not a mistake if he does not get accepted to InterArts?</p>
<p>When are students notified about acceptance into one of these programs?</p>
<p>I’m a member of the class of 2010. I participated in Guided Studies my first year at Trinity. There’s usually about 20-25 students in the program. I don’t know how it works these days, but here is what I experienced. It requires 9 courses: 2 Religion, 2 Literature, 2 History, 1 Philosophy, 1 Classics, 1 Art. You’re suggested to take 3 classes each semester so that you can finish the program in your first three semesters. All of the Guided Studies students live in the same dorm, Jones, although your roommate is (usually) not a Guided Studies student. InterArts was also housed in Jones.</p>
<p>So, the good things. First of all, the majority of the professors who teach the Guided Studies classes are some of the best at Trinity. It’s great to have that opportunity immediately in your first semester, and the professors know that you are freshman, so they make your transition smoother, and you will always have a mentor if you need help or advice. They are actively committed to the students in the program. If you actually finish the program, you will have a recommendation from the head of the program, an excellent professor. It’s impressive to have an interdiscplinary program on your transcript as well. Guided Studies is also helpful if you want to major in one of the focused areas (History, English, Classics, Religion, Philosophy) because you’ll fulfill some major requirements with them.</p>
<p>The classes are intellectually demanding, at least compared to many of the other classes freshman might take. They are reserved only for Guided Studies students, so you will begin college by taking three classes with the same group of students that you also share a dorm with. It’s very easy to make friends, and you have plenty in common because you’re taking three classes together. I met most of my friends through Guided Studies and Jones.</p>
<p>The downside is that 9 classes is a lot. Most minors require 6-8, and most majors require 10-12. It’s easy to get behind. Sometimes other classes you are interested in might have conflicting times with a Guided Studies class, so then you will put off the Guided Studies class. But then you have to wait a full year to take that missing class, and you’ll be taking it with the new Guided Studies freshman. Also, it’s really not compatible with a math or science major. Some classes are notably better than others, and you can get stuck taking a class that you hate simply because it’s part of the required Guided Studies curriculum.</p>
<p>I did not finish Guided Studies. Honestly, I don’t think many people do. Maybe 50%. People drop it as they go along, and they realize they would rather take other classes that interest them. I took 4 classes total. It ended up being helpful because I used two of these classes toward my major, I met some of my favorite professors, and some of my best friends. So I don’t regret it. But it did prevent me from taking various classes that would have helped me narrow down a major. Out of the 9 classes I took my freshman year, 4 of them were Guided Studies, so I didn’t really get to take a lot of classes. This would be especially problematic if you actually took all of the GS classes. By the end of sophomore year, you’re supposed to declare a major. If you did GS are you were supposed to, it would take up half of all the classes you could have taken so far. That’s a lot. </p>
<p>Anyway, my recommendation is that anyone who gets accepted to Guided Studies should go for it, at least for the first semester, and see how you like it. It’s very easy to drop it later. It’s a good experience for a freshman.</p>
<p>Does five-semester or six-semester option make Guided Studies compatible with science or engineering major?</p>
<p>My child (not an engineering major) participated in Guided Studies. I recall the Dean telling us at orientation that is was possible for an engineering major to do the program. But it would almost certainly have to be stretched out to three years because of the various engineering requirements of the early years. </p>
<p>Guided Studies was a magnificent experience. The most motivated students took it, the professors were top-notch, and you were never shut out of a GS class (as sometimes happens in regular classes). I agree with canering, above, except believe the percent of students who finish it is much higher. I would never look at discontinuing it as “dropping out.” The Dean told us you can never truly know if the program is for you until you try it and there is absolutely no stigma to discontinuing. You have taken fantastic classes that will stay with you for a lifetime!</p>
<p>My opinion is that GS is not very compatible with science, math, engineering, etc. They usually emphasize that GS is a good fit for students in social sciences/humanities, who might be taking similar courses anyway. The science/engineering majors seem to be pretty demanding in terms of scheduling, work load and labs, so I think you’d inevitably encounter difficulty fitting it in. It’s possible if you enter Trinity knowing ahead of time what you want to major in and start taking those classes right away.</p>
<p>I’ve accepted the GS offer. Thanks for your help.(TCParent, canering )</p>