<p>i just got my letter today saying i had been waitlisted for the thematic option program b/c my application was late (i didn't realize the program even existed until after the deadline). i talked to the TO guy and he said that he had no idea what that meant, b/c usually they accept everyone on the waitlist by the time school starts but since they've had a record number of applications...</p>
<p>anyways, i just wanted some advice on whether it's worth the fight to get into thematic option..i plan on double majoring..should i just take normal GE classes? What are the perks of thematic option? When I actually think about it, I don't know that much about the program in the first place...</p>
<p>It depends on what sort of student you are, for whether it is worth it. I have always had a great time in TO. The classes are smaller, and you get more personal interaction with you professor. The work load, however, is definitely more difficult. It you can't handle doing a lot of reading and writing, you probably won't enjoy the classes. Some other perks of TO include the fact that you really get to know your fellow classmates, as you are in the same classes as them for several years. Also, the funding for TO is a nice added effect- I've been on a weekend trip to Big Bear, eaten tons of free pizza, and am going to be going on tons of field trips this year, all for very little, if any, extra money. You will probably have to know if you got into TO by registration, as you get counseling by the TO people for the classes. Good luck!</p>
<p>people do both, you're not crazy. you just have to have good work ethic and be willing to work hard and learn how to not procrastinate (which you have to do anyway for college :)).</p>
<p>I'm a TO student right now and overall, I'd say that you should definitely wait to see if you're put into the program. The classes are much more thematically specific (insead of "The Earth," you can take a class called, for example, "The Process of Change in Science: Neuroscience and Its Modern Implications") and you will find that they are smaller, allowing for much more individual attention from your instructors. However, when they tell you that you have to be a hard-working person, they're definitely right. In TO, you'll find that your assignments are nearly double that of regular GE studens. It's not so bad, though, because you're studying things that you're actually interested in (I wrote a paper on alcohol in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" while my roommate wrote about the socio-ethnic history of 15th-century Japan...can you pick the one of us with the GE?) and you get both of your writing requirements -- CORE111 and CORE112 -- out of the way faster. </p>
<p>For those of you considering FSH and TO at the same time, it can be done, but you're going to have to really work for it. I have a friend who is doing both and it's eating up a lot of her spare time. She enjoys it, but she is always complaining about how she can never do anything with friends or anything social. So that's your decision to make. Best of luck to you -- FIGHT ON!</p>
<p>I didn't know about this application until way too late, but i wasn't that set on doing TO anyway because i need a break from my ridiculous english teacher from this year. is there any sort of honors type program i can do as a sophomore?</p>
<p>There may be something within your major, but TO is only for freshman because it deals with the general ed requirements. After that, you have to look at specific classes.</p>