My Classes this Fall!
If you've read my blog in the past, you know I love to start each fresh term with a brief summary of my classes! I think this is a great way to give a look into the academics of Dartmouth on a more intimate level, as well as a nice way to learn a little bit about me and my interests.
In continuation with my first four terms at Dartmouth, I am taking more Arabic at Dartmouth! This term I'm able to take Arabic 31 (third-year Arabic) due to going on the Morocco LSA this summer. This class is taught in Arabic and places an emphasis on acquiring more vocabulary and grammar in order to improve reading, listening, and speaking skills. There are six people in class, which makes it a great environment for asking questions and tailoring the lesson to whatever areas are weakest for us linguistically. Moreover, continuing with language at Dartmouth has allowed me to become a drill instructor, on which I'll elaborate in a future post! The amount of Arabic I've been able to learn in only a year goes to show the strength of language programs at Dartmouth.
Another class I'm taking is Craft of Fiction, a creative writing class with visiting professor Alaa al-Aswany. An author from Egypt, al-Aswany has written a number of bestselling books in both the United States and the Middle East, including titles such as The Yacoubian Building and Chicago. One of the greatest benefits of a creative writing class like this one is that it's fun! The readings for class are short stories and excerpts of creative writing, which keeps me engaged. In addition, the opportunity to learn from a famous author is incredibly valuable, and I am eager to write more in the class and receive feedback from him.
My last class is Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. This is a pretty stark departure from the classes I'm normally used to, as I've generally taken classes in the Middle Eastern Studies department. However, I'm really enjoying it; having the opportunity to branch out is exciting. Furthermore, I think that taking a foundational Greek philosophy course will really help my writing and critical thinking, as it is these Greek and Roman ideas that Western knowledge is built on.
Overall, I'm really excited to experience these classes this term; towards the end of the term, come back to my blog and see if I still think so highly of them!