Tufts Blogs

Choosing courses is tricky, and trying to get all of the classes you want, while balancing your schedule and making sure that no classes overlap, can be quite the task. Now that my schedule is set, let me give you an idea of a typical Tufts student’s schedule, using my own as an example.

Experimental Psychology (PSY 0032)

Experimental Psychology is a mandatory class for all psych majors. It discusses the most effective ways to conduct research, and then during the lab, we get to put what we are learning to use by designing and carrying out our own study. Each lab section has its own theme, and my lab’s theme is the “minimal group paradigm.” The minimal group paradigm is the idea that people are inherently biased in favor of members of their own group, even when that group is arbitrarily assigned. 

For example, if I told you that you were a member of the red group, and then asked you to allocate $10 between two people, one in the red group and one in a blue group, the minimal group paradigm predicts that you would be likely to allocate more money to your fellow red group member, despite not actually having anything in common with them besides the arbitrarily created grouping. This kind of research has greater implications in the world, as it shows how easily in-group biases can lead to discrimination!

Social Psychology (PSY 0013)

Social psychology is the study of human thoughts, feelings, and behavior, and how they are impacted by the actual or imagined presence of other people. This week, we had an interesting assignment, which was to come up with an example of the fundamental attribution error from a fictional work. 

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency for people to fail to consider the effect of situational context on other people’s behavior, instead attributing their behavior to inner characteristics. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, when Neville accuses Harry, Ron, and Hermione of sneaking out and getting Gryffindor in trouble, he believes that the trio is being selfish and irresponsible (inner characteristics); however, he does not know that what is motivating their risky behavior is that they are trying to save the school and the wizarding world from Voldemort (situational context); therefore, he makes a fundamental attribution error.

Modern Germany (HIST 0063)

In this class, Professor Keresztes includes primary sources in each of her lectures, which we then discuss as a class. Not only is this a great tactic to save our hands from tiring, but it also helps to engage us. My favorite primary source was a reading we did last week, entitled “Appeal of the Married Women and Maidens of Württemberg to the Soldiers of Germany (1849).” In this document, written during the counterrevolutions led by German soldiers against German citizens, the women promised to withhold love and marriage from any soldier who engaged in battle with his fellow German citizens. I was fascinated by this document, because at the time, a woman refusing to love a man was essentially the only card she had up her sleeve, and by threatening to play this card, these women used their ultimate power move.

Pan-Africanism: Origins and Development (HIST 0081)

During the first lecture of this course, Professor Mbunga used the following anecdote to convey the idea behind Pan-Africanism: In 1998, the French National Football Team, won the world cup. In response to this event, many proclaimed “Africa has won its first world cup!” 

One may wonder why people would make this statement when it was France, and not an African country, that beat Brazil, but upon further examination, the statement makes a lot of sense. Nine out of the eleven players on the French national team were of African descent. The point is that African identities have moved from being associated with the continent, to being associated with people in Europe, South America, North America, etc. As you can see, Professor Mbunga teaches creatively, and I am excited to learn more from him!

Dance Performance Practicum (DNC 0091)

It’s not every day that you get to learn tap dance from a professional, but this semester I am learning a performance piece under the instruction of master choreographer Ian Berg. Our class will perform his dance on stage later this fall, and get credit for doing so! See, Mom and Dad, the tuition is worth it!

I am very happy with how my schedule turned out this fall, but my Emma’s Advice for you today is this--don’t worry if you don’t get your perfect schedule. My dad once told me that you only need to really like one of your classes, and he is absolutely right. Even if my schedule was just tap and a bunch of STEM classes (my greatest fear), I would still enjoy my time here! So when you build your schedule, pick one class that you think you will love, and then let the rest of your classes fall (or spring!) into place.