I am happy to report that I have (just barely) survived the terror that is registration day. And, being both a freshman and having a last name in the first half of the alphabet, I'm one of the very last to endure the epic adventure we at GW love and hate so equally.
Since I have somehow gotten through the first semester unscathed (well, almost -- there's a few weeks left), I wanted to give fellow upcoming freshmen a look at what a typical first semester schedule is like here at GW, along with explaining what you can expect your class experiences to be like. Here's a look at what I've been taking:
Intermediate Italian II (Italian 4): Unless you're starting anew, all freshmen need to take a proficiency test in order to be placed in a language class. That being said, I was a little bit uneasy with my pretty high placement in Italian, as there are only two classes above mine. I was always a strong Italian student, but I felt that I hadn't really grasped the language in high school and had just gotten lucky. Coming to GW was a real turning point in the realization of what I do and do not know, Italian being no exception. Language classes here are capped at the higher levels, so I had a class with only 15 students. My teacher knows my name, my speaking ability, and where I rank roughly against others in the class. Language at this level at GW is absolutely nothing like language in high school, as my teacher spends our entire class periods without muttering one word of English and we respond and ask all questions in Italian, too. But don't get too terrified. One of the greatest things about my taking this class was the realization that I actually DO know Italian, and haven't just been studying it since 7th grade to get a nice grade added to my GPA. The class also stimulated me further in my adoration of Italian. I find myself speaking it more with friends who study it also, so my conversational skills have really been challenged. The best part is I met a boy from Bari on Facebook who doesn't speak English, and we speak everyday in Italian -- I've understood every word!
Stars, Planets and Life in the Universe (Astronomy I): If you are in any school at GW looking to fulfill a science requirement and are by NO means science-minded, do yourself a favor and TAKE THIS CLASS. My decision to take astronomy was more than hasty; I spent several nights during my summer in Greece looking up at the stars, and stupidly found myself asking my best friend just exactly what a star was. Needless to say, I figured it couldn't hurt to understand the universe a little better, and potentially take an easier science. I lucked out, because not only is astronomy not very demanding, I've found myself very intrigued by the topics. The layout of the class is a twice a week lecture with a little over 100 students and a lab period once a week with about twenty. The labs for the week relate to the lecture material, so they work like a recitation, but -- here's the great part -- they're VERY easy labs. Since Astro 01 students aren't going to be doing any astronomical physics, all the labs are very theoretical and just apply to larger astronomy concepts. The exams are straight forward memorization and grasping of the material, and all the homework assignments are online, easy to use, and really helpful to cement the concepts. It's times like these I'm happy to have a liberal arts degree, because I never would have taken the class had I not needed a science. I'm even picking up Astronomy II next semester!
General Psychology: As you might imagine, this is the bottom of the food chain for psych majors, but we all have to take it. Since I took IB Psychology in high school, a lot of the material was review for me. Regardless, I had a really great professor. The nice thing about these big lecture courses is there are often several teachers, and they all have different focuses. My professor works in the biological field of psychology, so her lectures leaned in that direction. Lucky for me, I'm very interested in that. However, she encouraged those who weren't to pick up the lecture with another professor. This was my largest class -- about 200 students -- but also my easiest, partly because I knew the material, but mostly because it is for my major and therefore what I'm interested in. If 200 scares you to tears, don't panic -- one of my best friends also took General Psych for her Social Sciences requirement on the Vern, where it was capped at 40 students. Best of both worlds, right? Totally. If you need a social science (Columbian kids!), I absolutely recommend trying psych. It's a fascinating field and not very demanding at the intro level, and you get to learn some of the reasons we work the way we do. Look for me on campus if you need some tutoring. ;)
Intro to Philosophy: As we speak, I'm currently writing my term paper for philosophy, so it's the perfect time to be reviewing it. I took this class on the Vern so that I would be in a capped class, and I found that to be the perfect setting. Philosophy requires discussion, and the small classroom allowed for that. To be honest, philosophy was something I was always interested in trying, but after this class, I've found that I liked the idea of it better than the actual study of it. Which is absolutely the point of college! I am so glad I took this course for the sole reason that it made me realize that I wasn't really that great at it. But, that's not to say I didn't enjoy my time, and made it work for me (the paper I'm currently writing is about happiness for the anti-theist, as I am myself). Even if you don't totally love a class, it's always great to try them. It'll help solidify your major choice, and also make you more well-rounded as an individual (and maybe have some deep thoughts, right?).
I had a really great first semester, with classes that allowed me the needed free time to adjust to college life, but also got some of my GCR's out of the way. Next semester I get to take classes more catered to me, now that I'm more secure in what I do and don't like. I had a good mix of lectures and small classes, so I truly did have the full freshman experience.
If you're a prospective student or even a fellow freshman and looking for some course-selecting advice or further explanation about academic life here, don't hesitate to shoot me a line at gmdepalo@gwmail.gwu.edu. I'm addicted to my Blackberry just like everyone else, I promise.
See you around campus,
Gina Michele
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