What classes should every student take at Brown?
This week, the administration updated the Courses@Brown website with next year's offerings. With the open curriculum at our fingertips, new options can feel endless and daunting. But if you want to be as happy and feel as fulfilled as the kids in the stock photo above, look no further. Below you'll find recommendations from four upperclassmen on the classes they believe every undergraduate should take in their time at Brown. Whether you're looking for a class that will offer information immediately applicable to your everyday life or just a class to exercise a new side of your brain, we've got a recommendation for you. For those looking to expand their creative horizons, Maya Lennon ‘18 chose the course Digital Nonfiction because “the professor is amazing." She added that "the class challenges you creatively whether you see yourself as a creative person or not.” This class is an especially great option for students who've loaded their schedules up on STEM courses in the past but are looking for an artistic outlet. For a class that will empower you with immediate wisdom that will inform your choices right outside the classroom, Katie Armstrong ‘18 recommended “Principles of Nutrition.” “If you can get past the early class time, Mary Flynn is a great professor with a wealth of knowledge,” she said. “It's truly a class that can give you valuable information for everyday life in a straightforward, understandable way!”If you are looking for another class to imbue you with information about health and wellness, Olivia Kozel '19 recommended the course "Health Care in the United States," saying she believes every Brown undergraduate should take the course because "even if you are not planning on going to medical school or training for another role in the health care world, what you learn in this class is applicable for every student in a real life setting."She added that "a main focus of this course is on how to purchase and decide on a health insurance plan. While most students will probably get their future health insurance through Employer Sponsored Insurance (ESI) plans, the terminology you need to know to navigate these plans as well as other potential sources of health insurance can be extremely difficult" to fully grasp. She also noted that Healthcare in the US is an entry-level course, so students should not feel intimidated to try it out!Looking to forge your own path? Meghan Mozea '19 argues that every Brown undergraduate should explore the option of an independent study.
"I believe that all students at Brown should take an independent study. Being able to craft a course based off of your interests is one of the most incredible things that you can do at Brown," she explained.
Mozea was in an independent study with five other students on pedagogy in the classroom.
"It was amazing because we chose our own readings and we created our own syllabus. There was support from our professor if we needed it, but generally it was completely student run! Creating your own independent study means that you can expand your education to make sure that it encompasses what is important to you. And no other course at Brown will give you that," she explained.
Independent studies allow for an experience that probably won't come along at any other time in your life. At no other point will you be so supported and given so much freedom over your academic path (keeping in mind that for many of us, college will really be the end of our academic paths, making the prospect of an independent study even more time-sensitive and unique). Taking an independent study could potentially be the ultimate way to embrace the essence of Brown's educational philosophy, and isn't that what college is all about? At least theoretically speaking?
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