Liza Q Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 So...at the risk of sounding like a total helicopter parent ;), I am little concerned about the classes my daughter is/will be taking. Actually, I am concerned about what she is NOT taking, if that makes sense! Please, all you experienced Moms, help me out here! Her college has a core curriculum (which I do like!) and she is making sure that she does a few of these classes every semester. 1st Sem Freshman Seminar (core) College Algebra (core) Art History (core) US History (core) Child and Adolescent Psych Honors Seminar - History of NYC1 (she was exempt from Freshman English so this took the place of that core class) 2nd Sem (this is what she is doing right now) Health (core) Sociology (core) Music of Western World (core) Intro Psych Foundations of Education: History and Philosophy Honors Seminar - History of NYC2 Possible 3rd Sem (to start in September) Speech (core) Basic Problems in Philosophy (core) Educational Psychology Intro to Psych research Honors Seminar - Chemistry/ecology non-lab....less math, more writing/reading/discussion (this can count as her Natural Science core class) She does not want to major in Education unless she is sure she wants to do classroom teaching as the major is almost all required courses. Instead of actual teaching, she has a few ideas in mind for her future - reading specialist, School Psychologist, Child Life Specialist, maybe Childrens Librarian. These would all require a masters degree but she wants her college work to really prepare her, kwim? She has spoken to her adviser, some professors, the heads of the Education, Honors and Psych depts and she has a plan. She will major in Psychology but take certain (a lot!) education classes that interest her. It is sort of an unofficial minor (can't minor in Education, it seems!). And, if she does decide to become a teacher she can still get a masters without first majoring in Ed. But- no Literature. None. She hasn't been assigned a real book all year, just textbooks. And no French. The Honors course options change every semester and she may end up with an interesting "English" type class but it is unpredictable. It is not that I think she is specializing too early as her plan should work for several different masters and jobs. I just can't believe that a girl who reads Dostoevsky for pleasure is so uninterested in taking any more English classes! My mind is boggling :001_huh: Maybe I am just not thinking about this in the right way? College is the time to specialize, right? There are only so many credits she can take a semester and she does want to graduate in four years and I did give her a good background in History and Literature in High School so it is not like she is ignorant or unread and now I am rambling! Any thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 17, 2010 Share Posted March 17, 2010 But- no Literature. None. She hasn't been assigned a real book all year, just textbooks. And no French. The Honors course options change every semester and she may end up with an interesting "English" type class but it is unpredictable. It is not that I think she is specializing too early as her plan should work for several different masters and jobs. I just can't believe that a girl who reads Dostoevsky for pleasure is so uninterested in taking any more English classes! My mind is boggling :001_huh: Maybe I am just not thinking about this in the right way? College is the time to specialize, right? There are only so many credits she can take a semester and she does want to graduate in four years and I did give her a good background in History and Literature in High School so it is not like she is ignorant or unread and now I am rambling! Any thoughts? When I heard the learn’d astronomer, When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me, When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them, When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself, In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars. She loves to read, that doesn't mean that she loves literary analysis and that's okay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted March 18, 2010 Author Share Posted March 18, 2010 Oh yes....I needed to read that. Thank you! But - my husband and I did not go to college so this is all new to us. I was not expecting her to specialize so soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 I only took one lit class in college, and it was Children's Lit for my Ed major. If she's reading on her own, it means you've made it lifelong for her. That's a worthy goal achieved. It's time to let her decide what to do. You have to let her go. But Mrs. Mungo said it best--Gosh, Mrs. M, that was beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 But Mrs. Mungo said it best--Gosh, Mrs. M, that was beautiful. Walt Whitman. :D I thought of the Indigo Girls -- I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind, got my paper and I was free. Sounds like she's getting her paper, which, in this economy, is important. If she loves reading great books and does it for fun, then you've done the right thing. She is consulting all the people she needs to and making responsible choices. Maybe her senior year she'll get to take some "fun" classes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Walt Whitman. :D Yes, indeed! Sorry, my inner-lit-major thinks everyone has heard that. It is my favorite thing to use for literary analysis, since he's complaining about it but you have to analyze the poem to see that. Oh, the irony. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Thanks. Yes, I do have to let go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edithcrawley Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 (edited) I wouldn't worry too much about her lack of literature courses. I do have some suggestions just for general course planning stuff: She might want to plan out exactly what she'll be taking for her major each semester until graduation. My school has something called a DAPR (Degree Analysis Progress Report)-basically it tells you what classes you still need to take before graduation. She may want to see if her school has something like that. I suggest planning all of her psych classes now because some are probably only offered certain semesters and some have pre-reqs that need to be completed. She doesn't want to get to her final semester and find out that a class she needs won't be offered for a while and she needs to stay in school extra semesters. There should be a calendar of what courses are offered when-I'd suggest asking the adviser or the dean of the psych department. Once she gets all of her requirements planned, she can do the same with her core requirements (these tend to be offered more often), and then fill in the leftover spots with whatever she wants to take. Hope this helps! Edited March 19, 2010 by jennifermarie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Does she have an academic adviser? Has she declared a major? Is she on track for that major? That's the kind of questions to ask her. If she has spoken with her adviser and isn't on the six-years-to-nowhere plan, let her be. It will be okay. It is all hers now. Sounds like you have done a great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 i took no literature courses in college, i tested out of everything. i am a psych major (well i have a BA in psychology and am doing my MA in marriage and family therapy) and i will tell you that it is very reading intensive; at least at most schools and most programs. she may end up hating psychology, or any of the other "majors" she's looking at right now. i changed my major from education, to english, to pre law with an emphasis in english, to psychology all within 2 years of going to college lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 If she is planning on being a classroom teacher at the elementary level, I would be more concerned with the lack of math and science. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I agree with EKS that what struck me was the lack of science and math. Even if she is going to be a a school psychologist, having statistics would be very helpful and probably totally necessary to get an advanced degree. Stopping with college algebra seems very week to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 Yes, if she majors in Ed she will need to take more math and science. If she majors in Psych...I am not sure but she will find out soon as she has another meeting with her adviser today. I was more concerned about her electives all being spent on major-related courses...I imagined that she would take as many English classes as she could! BTW, SWB wrote about majoring in English and writing on her blog recently. I read it last night, had my daughter read it and feel even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 I was more concerned about her electives all being spent on major-related courses. Having attended a school with a rigorous core curriculum, I sympathize entirely with her. All of my "electives" were major related courses also, all four years. One can only take so many courses each semester. No courses, just because they interested me. FWIW, the concept of a true elective didn't exist in my high school either, where we were only allowed five classes a semester, which meant that an elective (like band or orchestra) meant not taking a foreign language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liza Q Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 Thought that I would update here. Not that it is so interesting but still...I asked you all for advice! She registered for her classes for next semester: French 1 - a FL is a requirement for Psych as well as Ed! I am very happy to see her going back to French. Philosophy - the first of three required core courses in Philosophy Communications - a core class Intro to Psych Research - this is a 4 credit *lab* class and a prerequisite for most of the Psych classes she wants to take later. Business Leaders in US History - this was the Honors class she chose. The other classes being offered for sophs/juniors (freshman get special seminars and seniors write a thesis with an advisor) were Environmental Science and German Art and Culture. I wanted her to take the science class but she did not want to take an Honors science on top of French (lots of vocabulary to relearn!) and Psych Research. About math/science...the Psych major requires two natural science classes and Statistics so she will need to do those as well. She decided to do French first, though, because it has begun to fade, if you kwim. On other fronts - she made a resume with the help of the college job office and applied for a job at our local Staples. They are hiring and we are hopeful! The college also has a job bank so she may also get an offer there. She is extremely stressed about money and is convinced that, the economy being what it is, she will not find a job and will run out of money next year. So we are praying hard! her Psych professor suggested that she ask about additional scholarships (she has a partial scholarship of about 2/3 tuition) because she has excellent grades. I suggested this last month but she feels more confident now that someone else told her the same thing! she has some OCD issues and over and over I have seen her battling and often succeeding. There is a lot to be said for maturity! Well, thanks for reading :001_smile: There is really no one else to talk to about this so I am glad to have this forum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 It looks like a great and well thought out schedule. Good luck to her with the summer job. Sadly, they seem near impossible to get around here. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted April 13, 2010 Share Posted April 13, 2010 When I majored in psychology, a statistics course from the psych. dept. was required. I had already taken statistics for a math requirement, but I had to retake it in the psych dept. I took another statistics course as part of grad. school. I'm not much a a math person, but I think a basic knowledge of statistics is very important in ferreting out fact from fiction. From a professional viewpoint it's a necessary course for someone working in education, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 I think she is wise to avoid literature courses if she loves to read, also, but here is another thought: My homeschooled son, who is now in college, pointed out something to me. Everyone said, "But you peacewalk. Don't you want to take any peace-related classes?" and he answered that he already had a good way to learn about peace and that he wanted to take classes in things that he didn't have a good way to learn about on his own. -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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