Choosing next semester’s courses and planning your schedule always proves to be stressful. In fact, this is made wildly apparent when you realize how fast your heart rate’s become as your finger hovers over the mousepad, anxiously awaiting the exact moment 6:59am flips to 7am. Suddenly yet unapologetically you’re quite aware that you’re actually holding your breath, hoping praying that you clicked enroll in time to finally snag a seat in that 100-level bio class universally known to be the easiest way to fulfill the Natural Sciences requirement (why do these dated ‘requirements’ still exist btw?). ANYHOW, to hopefully uncomplicate your lives at least a little bit, we’ve put together a quick list of course / professor recommendations we hope might help guide you through this wild ride. Check them out and make sure to peep the course catalog for more information. Happy Shopping!
Katie’s Pick: Though it’s not necessarily an easy course, Professor Bellesile’s class on the Vietnam War and American Culture is one I cannot recommend enough. For something as misunderstood and as complicated as this event and time in American history, Professor Bellesile does an unparalleled job at guiding his students through an examination of the larger forces that came to account for the war and its legacies. I think the most compelling feature of the course, however, is his particular attention to primary-source cultural texts— memoirs, images, songs, films, documents— which really emphasize the personal and bring in a truly human perspective.
Sophie’s Pick: When most people think about Moby Dick, they think of a lot of chapters about whales. Others say they have never made it cover to cover. What Chris Hager does is not only make this book interesting, but blows your mind every single class. Everyday you explore new realms of philosophy, literature, and the sea. I cannot even begin to express how wonderful this class is. Take it, and never look at one of the best books ever written the same.
Halley’s Pick: Raymond Baker’s course “Global Politics” does not have the lightest course load but he is an excellent professor, I highly recommend taking a class with him, if not his global politics class. There is a lot of reading but other than that you only have a midterm, take home exam, and a final. The books are interesting and Professor Baker is very knowledgable and enthusiastic about the material. He is a very conceptual thinker and encourages you to do the same. The class is also not very political if you are worried about that. We talk about current events such as ISIS and Ebola, and the readings include topics such as globalization, global politics, and world order. Take it!
Austen’s Pick: Don’t miss out on taking a class with Professor Leventhal-Weiner. She is a visiting Professor and will only be teaching for so much longer, but you MUST get into one of her classes. Look for any of her course offerings in Educational Studies – even if you aren’t interested in Education, I highly recommend taking one of her sections. She is one of the most enthusiastic professors and will cater just about any course to what is going on in the world around us. Don’t miss out on the chance to meet a great professor!
Emily’s Pick: If you can, I highly recommend taking a course with Professor Holt. She is an amazing teacher and really cares about her students. She teaches Psych 101 and has an uncanny ability to really bring the material to life. If you have already taken this course, you should take another one of her Psychology courses! She’s the best!
Cara’s Pick: Everyone and anyone should take Intro to Urban Studies with Garth Myers (or any class he offers!). Not only is he a fantastic and passionate teacher, but he is a great person who is stimulating during class and is always willing and available to meet outside of class. He specializes in African Studies, but is extremely knowledgeable in all areas of Urban Studies.
Samira’s Pick: As an American Studies major, I’ve had the privilege of taking several courses taught by the very kind and intellectually passionate Professor Karen Li Miller. “Conflicts and Cultures in American Society” is one of the few courses taught by Miller that is available to students both in and out of the AMST major. In this course, you will be transported back to the 1890s – a dynamic and developing time in American society and culture. You will read and analyze subjects such as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893, fashion fads and norms, crime, and city development of this time. I also highly recommend this course to anyone considering American Studies as their major!
Eliza’s Pick: One of my favorite and most fun classes I have ever taken at Trinity is Intro to Ballet! No you don’t need any experience, I certainly didn’t have any! 2 days a week you learn to float like black swan and the third you are in the classroom for the culture seminar. Not only do you get to learn to dance and stretch like a pro but you get to learn about the history and culture of a beautiful art. Professor Katherine Powers an impressive amount of experience In dance and theater and is challenging inside the classroom as well as on the bar!
Steph’s Pick: If you’re interested in art history, I suggest you take 19th Painting and Sculpture taught by Professor Lewis. She gives amazing lectures that won’t bore you. In my opinion, she is one of the best lecturers in the department. I know sitting in a dark room looking at slides can get exhausting, but she always gives the most detailed descriptions of every artists, work, time period. You’ll walk out of her class feeling like a 19th C. art expert. When I took the class we went to NYC for a museum trip and then had an ridiculously good Provence themed lunch at her beautiful townhouse.
Aimee’s Pick: Don’t be turned off by his alarmingly low easiness rating on Rate my Professors – I highly recommend Reo Matsuzaki’s political science classes for anybody who’s interested in venturing down the path of comparative politics with a helpful, knowledgable instructor. Be warned, however, as I’ve heard that he assigns a TON of reading for intro classes, but I personally found his 300 level class manageable (he’s going to hate me cause he doesn’t want you to think his course is too easy). Anybody who is fascinated by the internal politics of Northeast Asia should not miss out on the class I took this spring!