Classes Classes Classes
Fall Break permits me to disengage from the normal onslaught of my classes’ essays and reading assignments, so here I am, returned from the siege!
I suppose I should give some context into what the vague term “classes” means for me this semester. So, I’m taking eighteen hours this semester, and that can be rough sometimes — I sort of had to take this many to catch up with my Peabody requirements. Here’s what I’m taking.
Religious Studies 1010: Encountering Religious Diversity. This class is an introduction to the Department of Religious Studies, and a good one at that. We cover everything from tribal rituals to Hinduism, and “we” is the operative word. This class is all about promoting discussion of our perspective and interpretations of the reading assignments. This class is a great way to improve yourself as a global citizen!
Earth and Environmental Science 1030: Oceanography. Well, it’s pretty clear what this class is about: the oceans. I’ll be honest when I say I took this class to fulfill my science credit, but I’ve learned some pretty interesting about how the oceans affect the world. Plus, my professor is very hipster, which is pretty cool. [Hundred emoji]
Education 1220: Society, the School, and the Teacher. This education class exposes us to a variety of of theories and beliefs regarding education: conceptions of equal opportunity, what makes a good teacher, etc. It’s one of my most involved classes, too. We’ve toured high schools, sat in on student panels, and debated among ourselves (you know, those really official debates, a lot like these presidential debates aren’t)!
English 2310: Representative British Writers. This class is heavy on the historical literature — think Chaucer, give or take a couple of centuries. This is among my more rigorous classes. The professor, who happens to be Associate Dean of the English Department, likes us to read down to the commas and the footnotes. Despite that, it’s cool to see how writing is remarkably the same, even throughout time.
English 3646: Poetry since WWII. I love this class so much! It’s a small seminar, usually around ten people, and we share our opinions about some of the most memorable poets in modern times (well, since WWII). Even more valuable than just the class, though, which is already splendid, I often share my own poetry with the professor. It’s always lovely to build a working relationship with a professor — those contribute so much to your overall learning.
Special Education 1210: Introduction to Exceptionality. In this class, we mostly talk about how students with disabilities interact with the education system. Like my other education class, this one is highly interactive: we’ve had many guest speakers, we do a service project throughout the year, and we simulate exceptionalities. It’s an enlightening experience, for sure, to study and to experience the wealth of ways people know the world.
And if that weren’t enough, I’ve already picked out my classes for next semester! (Not registered, but I have them in my YES cart.) Yep, classes are non-stop. :)
But I digress. Those are just summaries of my classes; if you have more specific questions, feel free to email me at matthew.austin@vanderbilt.edu and I’ll be happy to answer you! Since I’ve transferred schools within Vandy, I can probably share quite the stockpile of information with you!
I’ll have a couple more posts coming out tomorrow; they’ll be about my Mayfield Project and a few things I’ve done around campus since last I’ve posted. See you again soon!