What's in a Semester?
As of this week, classes are officially in swing, as we completed the first full week of classes at Vanderbilt. I am so excited about my courses this semester, so I wanted to share a little bit about each of them with you.
I am an HOD (Human and Organizational Development) and English double major, so three of my five classes this semester are part of my core major classes. If you have any questions about either major, please let me know!
HOD 2500: Systematic Inquiry
This class focuses on asking the right questions and taking logical and systematic steps to answer those questions. We look at different research articles, talk about the definition of “knowing” something, and form our own research question (and eventually answer it). The material of the class is super interesting, so I have enjoyed all of our readings and lectures so far. My professor for this class is also engaging, so the class itself is a lot of fun.
HOD 2100: Understanding Organizations
Understanding Organizations is just like it sounds– we talk about how to understand organizations in a structural sense. My professor is the same one who teaches Systematic Inquiry, so it’s nice to have the same professor for two different classes. In this class, we learn about the four frames of an organization and interview people involved with those frames. It’s a hands-on experience that allows us to better understand and manage both teams and organizations.
PSCI 1150: US Elections
US Elections is such a cool class to be a part of– it’s my biggest class by far, but it is only offered every four years during the year of a presidential election. The class has four different professors, all of whom are very engaged in politics and have tons of experience in the field. Most of the professors have had interviews or have talked with current and past presidents and presidential candidates, so we hear a lot of interesting stories. Their lectures are so fun to listen to and I always look forward to going. Not to mention, all four professors are hilarious, so the lecture is full of laughs.
ENGL 2310: Representative British Writers
As an English major, I am a huge fan of this class. The class only covers writers through the 1600s, so we are currently working on a lot of text in middle English, which is so much fun. Last week, my professor walked into class reciting (from memory, I might add) a poem in middle English, so we got to learn a little bit about how to pronounce and translate the text. My professor for this class is a lot of fun, so I can’t wait for all of the literature discussions we have in class.
ASTR 1010: Intro Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies
In my Astronomy class, we study how astronomers define the age of the universe and what different methods they use to come to their conclusion. I am also taking the lab for this class, so we get to talk about the different moon cycles and observe different things throughout the semester. I am excited to learn more about the stars and galaxies in our universe.
I am excited for all of my classes this semester and am already enjoying each one of them. Vanderbilt professors are top notch and all of mine have been engaging and interesting so I cannot wait to continue learning from them. As always, if you have any questions about the specific classes I am taking this semester, I would be happy to answer them!
Stay golden,
Elizabeth
elizabeth.h.paul@vanderbilt.edu