Getting srs bsns out of the way: course registration edition

[tenlittlebullets]

Possibilities for next semester's classes:

French 262: From Revolution to Revolution (MW 1:10-2:30)
Greek 100: Elementary Greek (MWF 1:10-2:30)
Latin 212: Intro to Latin Prose & Poetry (MWF 9:00-10:20)
Computer Science 240: Computer Graphics (TTh 1:00-2:50)
Math 238: Topics in Number Theory (MWF 10:00-10:50)
Computer Science 322 (at Mount Holyoke): Operating Systems (TTh 8:35-9:50am)
Computer Science 466 (at UMass): Applied Cryptography (MW 9:05-10:20)
English 310 (at Mount Holyoke): Old English (M 7:00-10:00pm)

This is going to be difficult--I don't have any OMG MUST TAKE classes on this list. And the chemistry/physics departments aren't offering any classes for non-majors in the fall.

Greek vs Latin: should I pick up a new shiny? or follow up on last year's Latin course so it doesn't become yet another language that I studied for a year and then forgot?

Computer science: Operating systems and cryptography are both incredibly shiny, but they're also both at ass-tastic hours of the morning--and off-campus, so I'd have to catch a bus an hour before they start. Ick. Computer graphics fulfils two of my major requirements and is taught by my advisor, but it's not something that makes me bounce up and down going "ooh shiny!"

Math: Number theory is cool and geeky. And the professor is awesome and I took discrete math with him last semester and he gave us tantalizing teasers for this class.

French: It is a class on revolutions and social upheaval between 1789 and 1968. It sounds kind of cool, but after a year in France I'm kind of done with trying to find classes that line up with my geeky research interests. Unless the class is called "THE YEAR 1830" it probably won't line up that closely anyway.

(Which reminds me, when I get back I need to go get coffee or something with the professor of that 1830 class--she specializes in the Romantic period and her bio mentions that she's published works on Lamartine and the Duchesse de Duras. I wonder if it would be easier to have geeky conversations with her now that I'm no longer taking a class of hers.)

Old English: I'll probably end up taking it just because it's awesome and there's no chance of a schedule conflict.

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So, tentative choices: elementary Greek, computer graphics, number theory, and Old English.

Comments

[mmebahorel.livejournal.com]

I recommend continuing with Latin, from a stress perspective, rather than Greek. You're already picking up Old English anyway. But that would mean either no Latin or or no Number Theory.

The scheduling was always the worst, though. Best of luck making decisions. (says the girl who ended up with two hard-core political theory seminars in her final quarter because hey, they were offered! Ok, so one of them was solely because I sort of fancied the professor. But still - I was an idiot.)

[10littlebullets.livejournal.com]

I pick up languages like Courfeyrac picks up mistresses. *g* I suppose the real question is what they're going to be doing in the Latin class--if it's Cicero, or Caesar's Gallic Wars, then I would much rather be learning Greek. If it's Virgil, Ovid, Catullus, anything we were doing in first year, then the Latin class becomes much more tempting.

Fortunately Smith has a 'shopping period' at the beginning of the semester where none of the professors give you the fisheye if you turn up for two classes and then decide something else is more interesting. I'd have to find a potential replacement for Number Theory though, which... argh. (All of this could be solved if I were allowed to take the awesome medieval Latin class, but I'm not going to delude myself into thinking I can do an advanced Latin course when I can't read the Yuletide Cambridge Latin Course pr0n without translation.)

And yeah, first year at Smith I was taking three language classes, a computer science class, and calculus--and Smith language classes are notoriously hardcore, and normal courseload is four classes. You're not the only idiot.

[toi-marguerite.livejournal.com]

I took the French class first semester sophomore year and it was interesting enough, but I think you'd be bored with it, especially after all the research you've done on your own. I think I'd also go with the Latin as opposed to the Greek, but I can ask a classics major back at Smith about what's taught in that class if you like!

Oh, and am also planning on taking that 1830 class- that, the required Comp Lit seminar on schools of literary criticism, an English seminar on satire that I am just dying to take, and my thesis. Hoo boy I am going to be reading all the time.

[rivdawn.livejournal.com]

From my own personal experience, Greek is evil. Three weeks into the semester and I was already pulling my hairs out.

Latin, on the other hand, is quite nice if you take the time to get to know it.
I'd vote for another year of Latin.

[coloneldespard.livejournal.com]

And why, she demands to know, is there NOT a "Year 1830" class? I'd even compromise and accept a year or two on either side. Or a decade, if it focused on the rise of the frock coat at the expense of the tailcoat.

Problem with Old English is I imagine it's like Middle English - you slip into the mode, and start spouting it in your daily discourse. I was rendered incomprehensible to my family after a semester of Chauncer.

Seriously, though - love your choices! And hope you can reconnect with the academic.