<p>I have a really general question here. What HASS-D classes (CI-H/HW specifically) has anyone come across that were particularly interesting/enjoyable (easy is good, too)? Any professors I should look for when choosing?
Also, is it difficult to place out of 18.02, having watched the video lectures? I'm about a 5th of the way through and I want to know if it's worthwhile to continue.
Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>I found 17.40 (US Foreign Policy) very interesting and enjoyable, and not hard (though I think I had a better background in the topic coming in than many people did). Make sure that Van Evera is teaching (this is usually the case).</p>
<p>I thought that 21W.735 (Writing and Reading the Essay), when taught by Manning, was fantastic. However, “easy” is not a word that I would use to describe it. Manning keeps you on your toes, to put it mildly. I don’t know what it’s like when someone other than Manning is teaching it.</p>
<p>Well, I’ve gotten a sufficient amount of essay reading and writing, so I’ll probably pass on that, but 17.40 sounds interesting. Is it overly supportive though? That is, does Van Evera praise every choice of America, or is it more objective?
Oh and how much of it is a history lesson, compared with current events and relations?
I’m putting it on my list!</p>
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<p>Hahahahaha no. Aside from the fact that that would not reflect his own views, Van Evera’s pretty good at presenting things in a balanced way. People I know from a wide variety of political stripes really liked his class, and his TAs were all across the political spectrum. If you want some idea of his positions, read his profile page: [MIT</a> Security Studies Program (SSP): Steven Van Evera](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/SSP/people/vanevera/faculty_vanevera.html]MIT”>MIT Security Studies Program (SSP) : People - Stephen VanEvera)</p>
<p>The class has a nice balance between history and current issues (the full title is “American Foreign Policy: Past, Present, and Future”). Van Evera has done a lot of work related to the Middle East and the War on Terror, so I’d imagine that the class would have a lot of that (it had a decent amount when I took it in 2003, but, well, there have been a lot of developments in those areas since then, so I’d expect the emphasis to have increased).</p>
<p>Van Evera also teaches 17.42 (Causes and Prevention of War), which is also a HASS-D and a CI-H, but taught in the spring. I never took it, but I’ve heard good things about it.</p>
<p>Okay, so with your advice and the help of the student subject evaluations, I am leaning towards taking Philosophy because it is not offered in Spring. Furthermore, while 17.40 is highly rated, 17.42 is even higher, although the subject may not be as interesting to me. Also, I want to do AIRMUN, which would fill my international diplomacy hunger (hopefully). My second choice (after 24.01) would be 21M.011 (intro. to western music), then 17.40. I really want to take Film in the Spring, along with (probably) 17.42. Heard anything about any of these three classes (24.01, 21M.011, 21L.011)? Thanks a bunch for all of the input!</p>
<p>MrCalifornian, where do I find ratings for MIT classes?</p>
<p>Oh sorry I should have posted the link! Here it is.
<a href=“https://web.mit.edu/acadinfo/sse/index.html[/url]”>https://web.mit.edu/acadinfo/sse/index.html</a>
You need certificates.</p>
<p>What is considered a high rating? The ratings range from 1 to 7 correct?</p>
<p>I don’t know what’s high, but above 5 seems good to me. >= 6 is probably really good. Yes, they go to 7. What did you choose?</p>
<p>In order, I picked Moral Problems and the Good Life, Rhetoric, Problems of Philosophy, Darwin and Design, and Capitalism and It’s Critics.
You?</p>
<p>Classics of Philosophy, Intro. to Western Music, American Foreign Policy, the Film Experience, Reading Poetry, and Reading Fiction, in that order. I was thinking of Rhetoric, but I guess I didn’t remember about it. Oh well :).</p>