Arianna Dunkley
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Fall Into First-Year Courses
As it approaches the end of my first month at Dartmouth and the ascent of Week 4 (almost halfway through Dartmouth's 10-week term), I decided it would be appropriate to share the three courses I am taking this fall!
My first class that I am taking my first-year fall is Spanish 1. I wanted to take an introductory-level course that would fulfill my language requirement while solidifying my understanding of a language I already grasped the basics of. At Dartmouth, taking a language course requires you to adhere to two constituents: attending traditional instruction and attending a 50-minute "drill session" (taught by a teaching assistant) in which you learn to properly speak, read, and write in that language. Considering I already had fundamental knowledge of Spanish after taking two years of the language course during my first two years of high school, it is not a stressful class for me to keep up with.
The next class I am taking this term is called Politics and Artificial Intelligence. It is a fairly new course that not only intrigues me because of its connection to elements relating Government and Computer Science, but I am interested in potentially majoring in Government. This class allows me to learn how to read and interpret cutting-edge research papers, algorithms, and comprehend biases in artificial intelligence. There are lecture components and discussion components where students learn about a particular algorithm and how it affects a dimension of politics and discuss the course readings in relation to how it affects political behaviors. Throughout the term, I am able to compose a research project on a topic of my own choosing. Although the freedom to choose any topic in the Politics and AI realm grants me flexibility, I have to maintain responsibility and keep up with my project to avoid procrastination.
My final class of the term is Math 3, an introductory Calculus course. The course incorporates lectures, homework sets, and weekly written assignments. Compared to my other classes, it is slightly more challenging, but it is a great opportunity for me to strengthen my mathematics skills. Additionally, since I am between majoring in Economics and Government, this course is a requirement for Economics majors. I am slowly getting my prerequisites out of the way.
In order to adapt to the fast-paced 10-week term at Dartmouth, I wanted to take classes that were interesting and manageable to me. Even if I am not immersing myself in a multitude of Government or Economics classes, I am still getting through a few of my requirements. I adore my classes and I am thrilled to share more of my term in next week's post!
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