<p>I am aware that incoming freshmen must complete a seminar during their first year at WM, preferably during the fall semester, but which seminars are the best to take? Obviously WM has an amazing faculty, but are there any specific professors I should look for who are a bit more engaging or fun to have? My major is International Relations so a seminar in IR, Gov't, or Poli Sci. would be a wonderful fit for me, but I'm also looking into also looking into expanding my career options with studies in either Russian or Arabic and History. Any suggestions for seminars or professors to look for?</p>
<p>you can get some idea of professors from ratemyprofessor.com</p>
<p>most of the seminars are really good. Almost everyone enjoys theirs. Take something that looks interesting to you!</p>
<p>I took Nationalism in the Balkans.</p>
<p>There’s some history coursework involved in the IR degree, incase you were not aware of that.</p>
<p>This suggestion probably won’t apply to you, but for other incoming freshmen who read the board, my d’s favorite course anywhere, anytime, was “Emerging Diseases,” taught by Dr. Beverly Sher. Like the other freshman seminars, it had an intense reading and writing workload. But d still talks about it and even refers to what she learned in her career as a pharma rep.</p>
<p>The course is usually offered in both the spring and fall semesters, and it’s tough to be one of the lucky few freshmen who can register for it in the fall. (D3 wasn’t.) If a student is open to taking the seminar second semester, it’s usually possible to find a spot. Or so we were told by Dr. Sher’s husband, who teaches in the Physics dept., when we met him at Parents Weekend. Reasons a 1st-year student might prefer to take the seminar in the fall: most other freshmen are doing that; and more seminars are offered in the fall semester.</p>
<p>D3 was initially disappointed in the seminar she wound up in, on historical misrepresentations of Native Americans. She came to really enjoy it and found the prof outstanding, even though she is more interested in other aspects of American history.</p>
<p>Generally you can’t go wrong with a freshman seminar. It’s good to read through all the options. Sometimes ones appear under certain disciplines even though the topic is much more global than just that discpline (it’s listed under the discipline the prof teaches in).</p>