Exploring New Subjects

Greetings, new Mawrtyrs! Some of you may be coming to college with your heart set on a certain field of study, but I am sure many of you recoil at the thought of declaring a major come sophomore year. I was in the former group, with sights of getting my Ph.D. in chemistry. But I took a chemistry course my first semester and it was enough to make me want to never step foot in Park Science again. So, to those of you who are as good as declared and those of you who cannot imagine pursuing something into grad school, I urge you to explore your uncharted territory. Bryn Mawr has countless newfangled classes, from “Lesbian Immortal” to a class on life on Mars. Do not set any academic limits for yourself, because you may never get the chance to take a class on homosexuality in literature or planetary exploration again. Even better, Bryn Mawr has this awesome thing called “shopping week” during which you can attend any class that sounds interesting to you during the first week of classes, and, after sitting in, choose whether or not it is for you. I urge everyone to not discriminate against any subject until you have explored it, because one class this semester may become your major next year. Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!

–Jackie Spiering ’20

Choosing Classes

Welcome to Bryn Mawr Class of 2021! One thing you’re probably excited about is choosing courses because now, you finally get to have a say in what classes you want to take. This freedom is great, but it can definitely be stressful because there are so many choices. One way to pick, the most obvious, is pick something you like or that you’re interested in. By interested in, I mean something that you’re actually interested in, not something someone told you to do. If you don’t know what you’re interested in, that’s okay too! You shouldn’t be afraid to explore new things, even things you’ve never even heard of. Also, keep in mind the four Approaches to Inquiry that you have to fulfill, but don’t stress too much about it. After you choose your classes, you can still change them during the shopping period. There’s nothing to lose and everything is a learning experience! Good luck!

–Sandy Liang ’20