EPT
My current situation: I'm a sophomore, majoring in statistics and minoring in biology and perhaps finance (when the department decides to stop making it "Coming Soon!" and actually have a syllabus). I have a decent GPA, though it's not that competitive for what I want to do eventually (3.4...and grad school with a top statistics department and eventually MBA when I get out there), so that's a consideration as well. I've been taking mostly science/math classes, so I need to look at other types of classes as well to satisfy my graduation requirements. It's nothing critical, though, and I can always delay those classes later. Still, anything I can get done now would be nice.
I'm going to format this post in the form of spoilers for each class. I'm going to list the class title, a short description of the class taken from the course selection website, as well as my personal thoughts on it.
Besides this fifth class, I'm currently taking two statistics courses (one of which involves fairly heavy calculus, with the other about survey methodology so it's fairly applied...with a lab, research papers, etc.), one physics (also calculusy), and one chemistry (ehh...kind of a joke, honestly).
They're all Tuesday/Thursday 10:05-11:20 (only time it'd fit in my schedule lol).
Here goes.
+ Show Spoiler [Biology] +
Population Genetics
Description: Use of genetic sequence analysis to examine aspects of natural populations of humans and other organisms in the past and present. Topics include molecular phylogenetics; the origin, maintenance, and loss of major features of evolution; the evolutionary process at the molecular level; reconstruction of human origins and paleohistory; and genetic information in forensic studies.
Thoughts: I figure this ties in fairly well with the whole stat/bio thing. Could be interesting, and it would count toward the biology minor.
Description: Use of genetic sequence analysis to examine aspects of natural populations of humans and other organisms in the past and present. Topics include molecular phylogenetics; the origin, maintenance, and loss of major features of evolution; the evolutionary process at the molecular level; reconstruction of human origins and paleohistory; and genetic information in forensic studies.
Thoughts: I figure this ties in fairly well with the whole stat/bio thing. Could be interesting, and it would count toward the biology minor.
+ Show Spoiler [Economics] +
Applied Econometrics in Microeconomics
Description: Empirical research in microeconomics, with emphasis on three main sub-fields: labor economics, public economics, and industrial organization. Focus on current empirical research in these areas and student independent analysis of current research using statistical software.
Thoughts: I technically don't have the prereq for this course (you need Econometrics, but I took Regression Analysis in the statistics department instead...they're cross-listed, so I should be fine). In any case, it should be fairly simple. Got an A in my regression analysis class without the textbook, and I'm fairly decent at making models so yeah. I don't know if it'll be relevant for the finance minor, though, so I'm kind of hesitant. Also it looks to be like a lot of work, which I don't really need on top of the problem sets for the other classes.
Description: Empirical research in microeconomics, with emphasis on three main sub-fields: labor economics, public economics, and industrial organization. Focus on current empirical research in these areas and student independent analysis of current research using statistical software.
Thoughts: I technically don't have the prereq for this course (you need Econometrics, but I took Regression Analysis in the statistics department instead...they're cross-listed, so I should be fine). In any case, it should be fairly simple. Got an A in my regression analysis class without the textbook, and I'm fairly decent at making models so yeah. I don't know if it'll be relevant for the finance minor, though, so I'm kind of hesitant. Also it looks to be like a lot of work, which I don't really need on top of the problem sets for the other classes.
+ Show Spoiler [English] +
Special Topics in Film
Description: A major genre, period, or director. Instructor: Staff
Thoughts: Yeah it's held in the art museum, so I'm not expecting too much work out of this one. However, it only fulfills one of the general graduation requirements I need whereas most English courses fulfill two or more (it's a complicated method they use...it fulfills an "arts, literature, and performance" mode of inquiry...just suffice it to say that it's not as useful as it could be in helping me graduate). Still, it sounds like an absolute joke class so it should be an easy A, right?
Description: A major genre, period, or director. Instructor: Staff
Thoughts: Yeah it's held in the art museum, so I'm not expecting too much work out of this one. However, it only fulfills one of the general graduation requirements I need whereas most English courses fulfill two or more (it's a complicated method they use...it fulfills an "arts, literature, and performance" mode of inquiry...just suffice it to say that it's not as useful as it could be in helping me graduate). Still, it sounds like an absolute joke class so it should be an easy A, right?
+ Show Spoiler [Linguistics] +
Languages of the World
Description:The major languages of the world viewed in the context of the communicative and significate functions of language as parameters that shape and define society. The role of language in defining and structuring culturally-based relationships from a semiotic point of view. The structure, writing systems, phonology, morphology, and lexicon of languages from the following groups: Indo-European, Semitic, Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Caucasian, Afroasiatic, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Kordofanian, Dravidian, and Native American languages.
Thoughts: Fills a lot of requirements for me (one of my cross-cultural inquiries and one of my social sciences), so that's always a plus. However, I know absolutely nothing about linguistics and may be bored out of my mind. It could also be very, very interesting.
Description:The major languages of the world viewed in the context of the communicative and significate functions of language as parameters that shape and define society. The role of language in defining and structuring culturally-based relationships from a semiotic point of view. The structure, writing systems, phonology, morphology, and lexicon of languages from the following groups: Indo-European, Semitic, Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Caucasian, Afroasiatic, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Kordofanian, Dravidian, and Native American languages.
Thoughts: Fills a lot of requirements for me (one of my cross-cultural inquiries and one of my social sciences), so that's always a plus. However, I know absolutely nothing about linguistics and may be bored out of my mind. It could also be very, very interesting.
+ Show Spoiler [Philosophy] +
Appearance and Reality
Description: Problems in metaphysics: theories of existence, substance, universals, identity, space, time, causality, determinism and action, and the relation of mind and body.
Thoughts: Fulfills a civilizations mode of inquiry for me, but it sounds like a lot of work and a lot of bullshit type thinking that I'm not so good at. Sounds like lots of reading and writing, which I could do without. The subject matter is also fairly dry, though it could be a useful thing to be able to talk about later in life at functions haha.
Description: Problems in metaphysics: theories of existence, substance, universals, identity, space, time, causality, determinism and action, and the relation of mind and body.
Thoughts: Fulfills a civilizations mode of inquiry for me, but it sounds like a lot of work and a lot of bullshit type thinking that I'm not so good at. Sounds like lots of reading and writing, which I could do without. The subject matter is also fairly dry, though it could be a useful thing to be able to talk about later in life at functions haha.
+ Show Spoiler [Phys. Ed] +
Tai Chi
Description: You do Tai Chi in the gym. Not much else to say.
Thoughts: Does nothing for me. It isn't graded (Pass/Fail only) so it doesn't boost my GPA, and it doesn't fulfill any requirements. Still, it may be my only chance to learn Tai Chi before I'm off in the real world, and it could be a decent way to relax. Dunno what to think about this class.
Description: You do Tai Chi in the gym. Not much else to say.
Thoughts: Does nothing for me. It isn't graded (Pass/Fail only) so it doesn't boost my GPA, and it doesn't fulfill any requirements. Still, it may be my only chance to learn Tai Chi before I'm off in the real world, and it could be a decent way to relax. Dunno what to think about this class.
+ Show Spoiler [Sociology] +
Nations, Regions, and the Global Economy
Description: The changing configuration of global capitalism, with emphasis on comparing global regions of North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The internal dynamics of these regions, including the development strategies of selected nations, interregional comparisons (for example, regional divisions of labor, state-society relationships, the nature of their business systems, quality of life issues). Research paper required.
Thoughts: Fulfills lots of requirements. Sounds like lots of reading/writing, though, and the research paper is going to suck (considering I already have two research papers to write next semester). Still, could be interesting to take, though I probably won't get an A in the class.
Description: The changing configuration of global capitalism, with emphasis on comparing global regions of North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The internal dynamics of these regions, including the development strategies of selected nations, interregional comparisons (for example, regional divisions of labor, state-society relationships, the nature of their business systems, quality of life issues). Research paper required.
Thoughts: Fulfills lots of requirements. Sounds like lots of reading/writing, though, and the research paper is going to suck (considering I already have two research papers to write next semester). Still, could be interesting to take, though I probably won't get an A in the class.
+ Show Spoiler [Statistics] +
Bayesian and Modern Statistics
Description: Principles of data analysis and advanced statistical modeling. Bayesian inference, prior and posterior distributions, multi-level models, model checking and selection, stochastic simulation by Markov Chain Monte Carlo.
Thoughts: This course also comes with a lab. It's a very important course that I think I should dedicate lots of time to, so I'm kind of hesitant to take it along with other important statistics courses (especially the one actually titled "Statistics"). I would probably not get everything I could get out of the class (including a good grade) if I took it early. Also three statistics courses at once would kind of blow. Still, if I took it, I could finish my major next year and take a semester abroad or graduate early. So I dunno.
Description: Principles of data analysis and advanced statistical modeling. Bayesian inference, prior and posterior distributions, multi-level models, model checking and selection, stochastic simulation by Markov Chain Monte Carlo.
Thoughts: This course also comes with a lab. It's a very important course that I think I should dedicate lots of time to, so I'm kind of hesitant to take it along with other important statistics courses (especially the one actually titled "Statistics"). I would probably not get everything I could get out of the class (including a good grade) if I took it early. Also three statistics courses at once would kind of blow. Still, if I took it, I could finish my major next year and take a semester abroad or graduate early. So I dunno.
...yeah. That's about it. Thanks for reading through that and thanks in advance for any help.
Going to sleep now <_<
