Hi all,
Let’s talk about everything school this week: classes, majors and how to manage all of it! I like to think I have a bit of a unique perspective with being abroad and being able to get a taste of another university’s academic expectations after being so used to those at Wellesley. For those who may not know, I came to Wellesley with the expectation that I would be double majoring in economics and psychology. Fifty percent of that came to be true, and I am now happily a psychology major. My first year was a great time to figure out what classes interested me and which ones did not. For me, I really enjoyed economics but found it to be extremely challenging. While I chose not to pursue it full time, I plan to still take a few more courses because it is an interest of mine. Every class doesn’t have to be for the purpose of checking off a distribution or major requirement but instead could be for “fun.” 😁
When at Wellesley, one of my favorite times of the year is when the infamous “Course Browser” is posted for students to use as a guide to select their courses for the upcoming semester. Some of my friends dread this day, but to me, it is almost as exciting as Christmas morning. I find being able to put together my schedule like a jigsaw puzzle so much fun, and it helps me to look forward to my upcoming courses. As a psychology major, I have taken quite a few courses in the department but still find myself almost giddy at the possibility of taking courses I haven’t heard of yet. I would highly recommend taking a good look at the browser and even going through subjects that aren’t specific to a selected major. Sometimes a class will just grab my attention even though it may not be for my major. That is one of the best ways to keep your academic mind sharp and reduce feelings of burnout. Taking a class for “fun” sounds crazy but really is the perfect way to balance required courses with opportunities to just enjoy learning.
As for my courses here at Trinity College, the weighting of what will count as a “Wellesley credit” is different. For example, a full-time Wellesley student technically has at least three credits per semester yet most opt for four. In order for this to translate, I am taking six Trinity College courses to transfer for four Wellesley credits. While it isn’t ideal, the lecture schedule is less frequent than at Wellesley so it doesn’t feel as heavy as it sounds (thankfully). I have been super into my classes this semester and find myself excited for the next class meeting. I am taking five psychology courses ranging from topics of child development all the way to criminal behaviour. The range of opportunity within the field is incredible! My sixth class is an English literature course that has been super cool. We read a new book every week, but the theme across all of the books has been regarding “travel,” which felt fitting given my journey abroad.
I’ve been finding myself going back and forth trying to decide if I miss how routine my academic life at Wellesley was now that I am abroad. I think it can be really easy to fall into the habit of hitting it hard every day of the week and forgetting about the other parts of Wellesley outside the classroom. Being abroad has literally forced me to live outside of a classroom for once and find other ways to occupy my time that don’t involve sitting in the library all day. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good six hour library session, but I also feel myself enjoying being able to explore and learn so much more about myself than before. While I am extremely excited for the spring semester course browser to be posted in a few weeks, I am also sad to know that it will feel more challenging to create time outside of the classroom once I am back on campus. A little challenge sounds kind of fun, especially now that I understand school doesn’t have to feel like a full-time job every day.
Until next week,
Anna Tutek