<p>D was invited to participate in MENU and will be a Theatre major. I think she went ahead and signed up for MENU. </p>
<p>She has always found math to be one of her easiest HS courses, but as I've read here about MENU it sounds very difficult and time consuming. I think most of the info here may be for professors who no longer teach MENU courses (Wilkinson), though, so I'm not sure how current the info is. </p>
<p>We have heard that Theatre students already have busier schedules than most NU students.</p>
<p>Does anyone have thoughts about a Theatre student participating in MENU?</p>
<p>My guess is she will either thrive on the multiple platforms of experiences-or decide MENU doesn’t mesh well w/her Theater responsibilities.
My DD was good at math-invited to MENU-but decided she wanted to spend her “free” time pursuing other degree programs. This kind of flexibility w/NU is one of the strengths of their Theater BA program.
-APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>@APOL – Did your D try MENU before deciding it wasn’t for her? D’s concern is that she couldn’t go back and do it later as she’d get rusty on math skills, but I don’t want her to add unneeded stress if it’s way too much work.</p>
<p>Maybe this is a decision she’ll just have to make during Wildcat Welcome, but if anyone has recent experience, or less-recent experience, or has heard rumors, or… about the program I’d love to hear your thoughts.</p>
<p>While I’m sure your daughter is smart and special (she’s a Wildcat afterall), many people get invited to MENU. (Probably anyone that gets a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc AB or BC exam).</p>
<p>MENU is extremely rigorous, and should only be for those who really love math. My freshman year roommate was probably similar to your daughter. RTVF student, liked math, did well in it in high school, thought he’d take a swing at MENU. He dropped out halfway through the first second quarter. He probably could have done it, but there were better things he could have done with his time.</p>
<p>Further, it should really only be taken as a means to an end. MENU can be used as the pre-requs for the Kellogg Certificate. Its likely a great way for a math major to get a fast start in classes. Perhaps an econ student who wants a math background en route to a PHD. Just because you can take hard classes now doesn’t mean you should – this isn’t high school, its time to take classes you really enjoy. </p>
<p>Safe to say, without more information why your daughter could use an intensive series of math instruction in the future, I say leave her to enjoy spending late nights in TIC rehearsing for shows and not worrying about the linear algerbra problem set she’s left back at elder.</p>
<p>@suppasonic – Thanks for your insight! D hopes to pursue a double major (or at least a minor) in something that might provide a strong survival job to supplement theatre training, but she’s not yet sure what that second major (or minor) would be, so she wants to keep doors open until she decides. I’d say math is not her passion, but she has always found it relaxing, so I’m guessing maybe that’s what drew her to consider MENU. If I were deciding for her, based on what I’ve read here at CC so far, I probably wouldn’t do it, but I guess it is her choice.</p>
<p>What does dropping a class involve, in case she starts and realizes it’s not for her? Does anyone know if she could she switch into an easier linear algebra class, or would she lose a full quarter (or year) of math?</p>
<p>My daughter says that MENU is really, really hard and no Theatre/MT major she knows has ever continued past 2 terms as each program requires 110% commitment. Most become so frustrated with the MENU program that once they dropped the MENU program they no longer took any math. She says there are so many options in the math department and she didn’t take the MENU program because her AP credits took her into multivariable calculus as a Freshman and she’s taken advanced math classes every term until this coming term when she’ll be a Junior, she also finds math fun and relaxing.</p>
<p>She also says getting into the MT program adds stress to your Freshman year (which I’ve already explained numerous times) and why add to the pressure with the MENU program. As a non-MENU math person she was able to put as much or little effort into her math classes as she wanted, using it as a diversion but not adding additional stress. If your daughter wants to keep math as a relaxing alternative she’s better off, in my daughters opinion, choosing the math classes that work for her, not those pre-determined by the MENU program.</p>
<p>Not from my daughter, but I know there are scheduling conflicts all the time with Theatre classes and non-theatre classes and I’m not sure how that fits with the MENU program. I know my daughter had to arrange to miss one of the small break out groups for one of her math classes because she had her acting class at the same time. She spoke to the professor and they worked it out, don’t know how that would work in a more structured program.</p>
<p>Finally, your daughter can double major in almost anything she might want to but being in the MENU program and the Theatre program would not allow her the same flexibility that might be needed for a double major. Why add stress when you can get much or even more of the same enjoyment from a self-designed program?</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me while my daughter is home for further info if you want.</p>
<p>@amtc - Thanks so much for sharing your D’s perspective!</p>
<p>I wonder why MENU is so hard? Both DH and I have engineering degrees from top schools and never had a hard math class. I wonder if it involves lots of busy-work or if the difficulty is from something other than that. I also wonder if there are kids who love the program, or if it’s just hard for hard’s sake.</p>
<p>I’m going to urge D to try to talk to the folks running the program, and hopefully some who are in it, and ask some very specific questions about the time commitment. I don’t feel I can tell her not to do it, but I do want her to go in with her eyes wide open and with full knowledge of how/when to drop out if she decides to.</p>
<p>I’ll also mention the scheduling issues to her. I know she’d like to always have at least one dance class each quarter, but I’ve heard that the beginning classes are really hard to schedule so maybe that’s a consideration that would persuade her not to add MENU to the mix.</p>
<p>Also – is most of the first year MT stress just related to anticipating the spring auditions, or is there something else that adds to the stress? Do the kids feel competitive the whole first year? Is the staff supportive or do they tend to somehow foster the stress? D has lived with high-stakes auditions much of her life, so I wouldn’t assume that alone would be a source of much stress for her, but maybe it’s different when the coming 2 years depend on the outcome (though really it’s just a few extra classes, isn’t it).</p>
<p>D hasn’t met any of the theatre staff, but she’s heard very good things about them so I didn’t assume they would intentionally create a stressful first year. </p>
<p>MomCares - the stress is all personal, NU has a great group of theatre kids and they all work together to help each other. Your daughter didn’t really go through auditions because she was ED at NU so she has no point of reference (there is no audition cycle at this age that compares in their mind) but for most kids, if MT is what they want there is the internal stress of not knowing and what they’ll do if the unthinkable happens. The department is also very aware of the situation and try to do what they can to alleviate rumors and stress. We experienced the department’s attempts at this during Wildcat Days and that is one of the things that confirmed my opinion that NU was the right place for my daughter.</p>
<p>My daughter acted professionally prior to college, the stress of the MT Certificate auditions just doesn’t compare. Most kids who are rejected do work around it and the professors are good about that as well but it is not the same as being in the program. It’s the negative and positive of NU.</p>
<p>This is an exciting time to be starting at NU, there are a lot of changes for the better that began last year and will be happening this year and next. Your daughter should be very pleased with her choice. My last thought on MENU is to wonder why your daughter would want to restrict her classes in two areas right from the start when one of the beauties of NU is the flexibility to explore a huge number of new and exciting classes, especially Freshman year.</p>
<p>@Sam Lee - Thanks for pointer. I’d seen that thread, but the info was mostly from 2007, when it seemed that different profs were teaching MENU courses, so I was hoping for more current input.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, we sat in front of a MENU student on our flight yesterday so she answered some of D’s questions.</p>
<p>@amtc - good news that the department doesn’t intentionally add to the stress. I attended an acting conservatory once that did (both through a deep cut program and through general staff attitudes) and that was no fun. D did go through two early national rounds of college audtions (Nebraska IT’S Festival and a local Unifieds-style) plus two national pre-college competitive audition cycles so she got a taste of that stress and was fine with it. I guess she’ll find out soon if the NU MT stress is different. </p>
<p>I’m excited for D to get started so she can learn about upcoming changes and meet her classmates!</p>
<p>THANK YOU to everyone who has offered insight, both here and through pm. CC folk are the best, and whatever D decides we’ve once again benefitted from your experience.</p>
<p>Maybe next year D will be able to return the favor to someone!</p>
<p>My daughter is/was (God only knows) a dance and math major as a freshman. Technically, she was a dance major, but she was planning to double in dance and math. Unlike her mother, she is a math natural who breezed through math in high school. She took the first quarter of MENU, went for extra help with the professor one to two times a week, and got an A-, but she was completely worn out by the end of first quarter because of all her commitments (she dances with a student group as well as being involved in FUP) and all the time she spent on math, and came home at Thanksgiving with pneumonia! She missed the whole week after Thanksgiving and didn’t return to campus for 10 days. Although her professor wanted her to continue with MENU, she decided that she wanted to get more than 4 hours of sleep a night. This is a girl who, theretofore, had never given up on anything. There are math majors who don’t do MENU. Maybe your daughter is different, but I hope I am answering your question. BTW, she continued to take math in her second and third quarters, and got an A in both courses as well as a bit more sleep.</p>
<p>My now-sophomore liked (and respected) the MENU program last year, and also had a great learning experience with the prof (this was last yr, a visiting or adjunct prof, had the same one all yr). Math seems to be really good at NU.
That said, as we are also familiar with the arts, not sure about necessity of a theatre student taking MENU, unless the student really wants to…</p>
<p>D moved in to her dorm today, so now the final decision is firmly in her hands. I’ll be interested to hear what she decides, but certainly hope whatever it is it doesn’t lead to Thanksgiving pneumonia!!</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you for your insight! D opted for “regular” math 231 (IIRC) rather than MENU, and based on how her schedule is shaping up (stuff scheduled until 12:00 most nights even before she’s started doing shows) I am SO glad she made that choice!!</p>
<p>I was MMSS, not MENU, but I can’t imagine combining it with theater when the theater program is so time-intensive. Frankly I don’t see the point for a theater major. Sounds like D made a good choice to just go to “regular” math.</p>
<p>@PizzaGirl – I agree! She was interested in doing MENU since she hopes to double major but doesn’t yet know in what, so she wanted to keep as many options open as possible, but particularly since she’s also doing a cappella I think it would have made her schedule needlessly unpleasant.</p>
<p>@momof3sons – Thanks… she’s excited about it, too! I think all of her friends she knew b4 heading to NU got into a cappella groups, which is unsurprising as they’re all very talented, but I think none are in the same groups so they can all make new singing friends!! I can’t wait to get a chance to hear them all!!</p>