Hi everyone! My name is Nathalie and I am a senior originally from Eugene, Oregon. Over my three and a half years at Scripps, I feel as though I have perfected the art of choosing interesting classes taught by brilliant professors, and want to impart on you some of what I have learned. I should pause here and say, very rarely have I heard of a “bad” class at the Claremont Colleges. Some might be more lecture-heavy, others more discussion-based, and some have a ton of reading and assignments, while others have a lighter workload. But I have never had a bad class! It is the advantage of going to a school where you are only taught by academics who are qualified and excited to teach.
Professors vs. Class Content
I think there is sometimes a tendency to choose classes entirely based off the title or short descriptions found in the course catalogue. While of course you want to take classes that contribute to your major or general academic interest, I have found that it is usually the professor that will “make” or “break” a class. Rate My Professor must be read with caution, as there are a whole range of unfair biases that affect a student’s evaluation of a professor, but it is a good place to start. If anything, it can give you a bit of insight into how the class will be taught, as opposed to just the material covered.
I suggest taking classes about subjects that might be a bit outside of your comfort zone if you know you like the professor or have heard really great reviews. For example, I chose to take Caribbean Women’s Literature for my CORE III requirement because the professor, Dr. Chancy, had taught my CORE I discussion group. Dr. Chancy had taught me how to write better, how to analyze texts more accurately and critically, and was a brilliant discussion leader. Despite the CORE III class being unrelated to my primary interests, Caribbean Women’s Literature remains one of my favorite classes I have taken in college.
The same advice can be applied to choosing classes within your major as well. Maybe there is a class offered within your major that you aren’t sure about content wise, but you have heard great things about the professor and want to get to know them better…I say, take it:)
I have found that the classes which have been most impactful have not just taught me information that is useful or interesting, but how to think and form opinions. For me, it has always been the professors, rather than the course materials, that have helped me to actually think “better.”
Discipline
Something that you will quickly learn at Scripps, through your classes and especially through CORE, is that there are several different disciplines through which you can study the same subject. Take, for example, the subject of “socioeconomic inequality.” You could take a Sociology class that looks at the social behaviors and patterns born through economically unequal societies. You could take an Economics class where you learn how inequality is produced through, say, labor markets. You could take a Philosophy class that discusses if inequality is moral, or how we should distribute limited resources. I could continue. Choosing the perfect class, in my opinion, means that you choose what you want to learn as well as how you want to learn it. This isn’t to say that you should only take classes in a certain discipline because that’s what feels comfortable, but also that it is important to push yourself to understand topics through a variety of lenses.
Variety
Before you graduate from Scripps, you will end up taking a minimum of 32 classes. That’s a lot. And there is bound to be a bit of content overlap between your classes. However, being selective about taking classes that aren’t too similar to what I have taken before has allowed me to feel like I am learning as much in my second-to-last semester of college as my first. I think that because you have access to classes offered at five different colleges, there is a higher probability that two courses will be offered with a similar curriculum. Choosing entirely new course material, or taking classes within different academic departments, has helped me feel like I have gotten the most possible out of my academics. Additionally, the departments also vary a ton from school to school. Taking classes at the different colleges helps you find variety in teaching style, starting ideological assumptions, and classmate demographics. Diversifying your course material, the academic departments, and the hosting college is a great way to leave college with both a depth and breadth of knowledge.
Concluding Thoughts
I hope this has been somewhat helpful! The great thing about attending Scripps College, is that all of the classes are designed to be engaging and impactful, so you really can’t go wrong. Best of luck to you all! If you want to chat with me more about the courses at the Claremont Colleges, or anything else, feel free to reach out at [email protected]. I also hold Instagram office hours from 12:00pm-2:00pm PST every week—go to @scrippsadmission. Thank you all for reading!