First of all, I would like to take this time to say….
CONGRATS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SURVIVED THE COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE WAVE!
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Regardless of whether or not you will be a future Jumbo, you survived the journey and you deserve a pat on the back more than anyone else. Getting those letters back was one of the most nerve-wrecking experiences I’ve been through, and the process will only all happen again for internships, fellowships, and all the other types of –ships. But that’s besides the point…
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What I’m trying to say is, as a freshman, you’re going to have to take introduction classes wherever you go. Yes, those horrible classes you hear about from last year seniors that have 500 people in them, where you can’t talk to the professor, and you can easily sleep through class (or skip it) with no one noticing your existing.
Fear not! Tufts intro classes are not that daunting. They don’t have 500 people, and you can still grab (free) coffee with your professor. You can still learn AND sleep through class (if you want to). So with a little help from my friends, I’ve compiled a snapshot of introduction classes offered at Tufts, some pros, cons, tips, what-have-you, to show you that introduction classes are more than just to fill up a prerequisite.
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CD 001 – Introduction to Child Development
Pros:
- Professor Maryanne Wolf is one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met. In general, the professors in the Child Development department are awesome.
- You get to do child observations as one of the projects for the course, so it’s a really good way to look into the field with practical work
- A lot of the stuff you learn is applicable to your own childhood, so it’s really cool to see how reality can be reflected into your coursework.
- One of my favorite classes at Tufts! The professor really tries to make an effort to get to know everyone
- Plenty of access to research. There are a lot of guest speakers, and you’re welcome to talk to them at the end of lecture for research opportunities with them in their labs.
Cons:
- Like any intro class, it’s really big
- There’s a decent amount of reading
CH 001- Introduction to Community Health
Pros:
- Great course to get you thinking about a large scope of issues pertaining to public health.
- Professor Balbach is undisputably great professor. The reason why I took her class in the first place was because I attended one of her lectures during Jumbo Days, and right then and there decided I might be interested in Community Health (I even sought out a summer internship related to public health soon after). She is an engaging, witty speaker. You will never fall asleep in her class. Her passion for anti-smoking movements is genuine and inspiring. She is very helpful and easy to talk to.
Cons:
- The requirements for the papers you have to write in this class were not explicitly stated. I would have found it helpful if the process of writing a research paper were outlined, and not just focused on how we could find certain sources.
- The writing fellows assigned to the students varying degrees of helpfulness. It would be helpful if the WF's better knew what the Professor expected of the student's papers.
CHEM 001 – Chem Fundamentals
- Difficulty increases as semester progresses
- Best if you have AP Chemistry or IB Chemistry HL background -- going in with nothing will be very difficult. There is a broad range of experience in this class, so know where you stand on the spectrum and be prepared to make up for that if necessary.
- Professor Kryatov is extremely clear and structured with clear lecture notes
- ARC tutors are usually more helpful than TAs. Actually no, they’re VERY helpful. Don’t feel bad always contacting them because they’re getting paid for talking to you. If you want to talk to them about other things too (Chemistry related granted), they’d be happy to help you out
COMP 11 - Intro to Comp Sci
Pros:
- Although the class is pretty big, the large number of TAs available for help really make programming in a lectured based setting doable. Also, we had weekly labs to put our coding skills to work
- Lectures were also interactive with the professor and with peers so it isn’t as dry as coding can get.
- No prior programming experience is needed, which is great for beginners or for anyone who just wants to gain the skill set
Cons:
- Projects can be time consuming BUT end up to be very effective when exams come around because they actually address the concepts discussed in class
- GO TO LABS AND LECTURES! It’s one of those classes where if you don’t, you’ll miss out on stuff and it’ll be difficult to catch up.
EC 5 – Principles Economics
Pros:
- Provides important information regarding basic economics, which I believe everyone should learn.
- Very similar to AP Economics in high school, so it’s an easy course if you have some basic foundations
- Professor Norman jokes about his wife, hooking up, alcohol, and travel (in other words, he’s not afraid to step into uncharted territories). He is an incredibly intelligent man who teaches the class in an effective manner.
- Mild workload and totally manageable. Entire spectrum of grades are achievable
Cons:
- Probably the largest class you can take at Tufts. Because of this, individual contact with the professor may be limited BUT he is accommodating to student’s during office hours.
- Material can be kinda dry, despite Norman’s jokes. If you know the material already, then the class can get a little boring
- A LOT of QUANTITATIVE economics stuff (which can be a pro if you like maths
EN2 – Introduction to Computer Aided Design
Pros:
- Interesting because it’s really different from anything you learn in high school. First time using engineering software
- New way of thinking: a lot of visualization
- Explained really well and TAs are really helpful, be prepared to spend time learning the program
Cons:
- There’s really not much you can do to prepare for it…
- Kinda boring.
FAH 001 – Art History to 1700
The course basically gives a general idea of Art History until the 1700 with different professors teaching different periods of time. So you will have like 10 professors lecturing you like once or twice for the whole semester.
Pros:
- Gives a brief overview on art history so you know which professors are good and what aspect of art history interests you. It’s a really good taster of the major as a whole
- Exposure great amount of work/artists and cover a vast time period within the course of one semester
- Two excursions to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA)
- Gives you the opportunity to see which professors you may want to go on and take specific courses with
- Even though we only looked at art that was pre-1700, it was still very varied and gave me a solid introduction about what is out in the art world. It did not confine me to a single form or period
Con:
- The course goes through many cultures so the themes vary. Technically, you have to remember more things than what you would for a specific art history class
- Intensive because there is a lot of reading and writing involved
- Because of the breadth of the course, it can be a little daunting at times. Midterms/Finals are difficult because there is a lot of memorization involved. Be prepared to study.
MATH 30 – Introduction to Calculus
- Compared to Chemistry and physics…this is a relatively easy course.
- Professor Ruane explains things well, has a good sense of humor and keeps the class interesting
- Midterms and exams are usually harder than questions seen in homeworks, so don’t take them too lightly.
- Honestly, go to class and you’ll be fine. That being said, GO TO CLASS, or else you might fall behind and get confused with stuff
PHYS 001 – Introduction to Physics
- Again, going in with no background in physics will be very difficult. Like Chemistry, there is a broad range of experience in this class.
- Professor Cebe jumped around way too fast and was confusing…
- Read textbook section ahead of lecture. That way, you can be caught up with what the professor is talking about during lecture and won’t feel like you’ll have to chase the material at all
- Cramming is a BAD idea for this course…It’s fast, dense, and really gives you the fundamentals.
PS 21 – Introduction to Comparative Politics
Pros:
- Well organized lectures that made learning about really dense subjects easier to manage
- Content is relatively easy to grasp, and there is a lot of it. Ultimately, you end up learning a lot of information in a very little amount of time.
Cons:
- You really have to put an effort into learning the information and doing the reading (which there is a lot of), but it’s a class where you’ll come out of it feeling smarter than you did going into it.
PS 61- Introduction to International Relations
Pros:
- The class is very informative. You really come out of it feeling like you learnt a lot in a short period of time, and you feel prepared for doing International Relations as a major if it’s the path you choose to pursue
- Teaches a good work ethic because there is so much reading
- Professor Taliaferro was an excellent lecturer, but I know some people have less than wonderful experiences with another professor, so it really depends.
- Readings we had were current and theory based so we learn from a wide array of sources. Also, TA’s try to apply theory to current events in order to bring what we learn in class a little closer to home.
Cons:
- The course is extremely reading intensive so the workload is slightly overwhelming for a first semester freshman.
- The course is notorious for being a weed-out class for prospective International Relations majors just because there are so many of them. It’s really a love it or hate it class (which in my opinion is a Pro because you really find out whether or not International Relations is where your heart lies early on).
PSY 001 – Introduction to Psychology
Pros:
- No attendance, means you can sleep in or go to class at your leisure
- Course material is interesting and the textbook is actually used in class so it’s not just a waste of money
- You get a brief overview of everything in psych so you can get a sense of which field you want to go into more. The course is taught by 3 different professors so you get experts in each area of focus in Psych.
Cons:
- Everything is pretty much in the textbook with only a few additional notes in lectures
- All exams are multiple choice (which could be a pro for those who excel in it)
- Essays are graded by TAs (again, could be a pro depending on the TA)
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Intro classes are inevitable, but hopefully these brief bullets will give you a sense of how these intro classes can help you get a better grasp of a potential major you’d be interest in.
In short, most people want to get out of them as soon as possible (sometimes I do too). That being said, Tufts intro classes really try to bring in professors from all area in the major, and to really teach you a lot of information so you can go into deciding your major knowing well what you’re getting yourself into.
Not quite sure how to end this post…eh, here’s another corgi. There.
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