Underlying the philosophy of the liberal arts education is the belief that a student should explore the range of human knowledge while also mastering one concentrated field of study. Proceeding from this assumption, most students should get an early start on satisfying the general education requirements, while simultaneously choosing broadly from the various academic disciplines during the first two years. This process often facilitates the discovery of a satisfying and appropriate major.
First-year students are not asked to elect their courses prior to matriculation, but serious consideration should be given to the courses listed in Your First-Year book so that you will be better prepared to make selections at the start of the academic year. While early choices of direction are rarely irrevocable, courses you elect in the first term will have consequences for your program of study in subsequent terms. Thus, it is worthwhile to plan your first term with care.
The ability to express one's thoughts in clear, concise prose is invaluable to a student, both during and after college. The first-year writing courses--Writing 2-3, Writing 5, Humanities 1 and Humanities 2, and the First-Year Seminar--seek to develop this ability. The courses are taught in small sections of no more than 15-20 students. Writing 2-3 provides students with guidance through the reading, writing, and research processes; Writing 5 serves also to introduce the student to English literature; and the First-Year Seminars offer the experience of independent research and small group discussions on a particular topic of interest to the student. Before a student can take other courses in English, (s)he must have completed or been made exempt from Writing 2-3 or Writing 5. The First-Year Seminar requirement must be completed in the term immediately following the completion of Writing 5. A student is not eligible to take part in an Off-Campus Program until the First-Year Seminar requirement is fulfilled.
Students taking Writing 5 will complete the course during the fall or winter term (not every first-year student can be accommodated in the fall). Students taking Writing 2-3 will enroll in this two-term course in the Fall and Winter. Invitations to take Writing 2-3 are extended to students based on a proficiency examination administered and evaluated by the Writing Department. Students whose scores indicate that they might benefit from a two-term writing course are strongly encouraged, though not required, to take Writing 2-3. Some students will receive exemption from Writing 5 based on College Board verbal SAT I scores.
Those students who receive an exemption from Writing 5 upon entrance will be required to enroll in a fall term First-Year Seminar. Those first-year students enrolled in Writing 5 in the fall term will take their First-Year Seminar in the winter term. Students selected for the Writing 2/3 sequence will take a First-Year Seminar during spring term, along with those taking Writing 5 in the winter term.
Humanities 1 and 2, "The Classical Tradition," a special two-term course for first-year students at Dartmouth, may be elected as a First-Year Seminar. The course is offered in Fall and Winter terms only, and both terms must be taken to qualify as a First-Year Seminar.
The foreign language requirement is based on the conviction that mastery of another language unlocks a new world of people, ideas and achievement. Students must complete the language requirement before the end of the seventh term, unless they have been exempt from the requirement on the basis of College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) scores or qualifying examination taken during Orientation. Where no department or program exists to determine a student's fluency in a language, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty's designee shall make the necessary arrangements to determine fluency.
Students should decide soon (unless exempt from the language requirement) whether they plan to satisfy this requirement on-campus with language courses numbered 1, 2, and 3, or by participating in the Language Study Abroad (LSA) Program.
Most courses taken by first-year students are electives chosen according to interests. There are some guidelines to keep in mind, however. First, while electives should be used to explore areas of possible interest, you should attempt to balance your courses in any given term. For example, it would be unwise to elect three laboratory sciences, three intensive writing courses, or three large lecture courses in any one term. Second, students contemplating majors in some of the sciences should include certain recommended courses in their programs. For example, first-year students thinking of a major in biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering sciences, mathematics, or physics are encouraged to elect Mathematics 3 in the Fall. If students are interested in the sciences or completing pre-med requirements, Chemistry 5 may be an appropriate Fall term course if credit has already been granted for Math 3.
In thinking about a course, you might consider three questions:
The emphasis you place on one question or another will depend upon a variety of circumstances. Balancing the "practical" with the "enjoyable" is part of learning how to take control of your education. Your first years at Dartmouth should be a time to discover those areas of intellectual inquiry that bring you pleasure, while remaining focused on the need to complete your degree and prepare for citizenship in the world.
You will also want to balance the kinds of courses you are taking. Think about types of work, reading and writing loads, and the kind of learning environment that you will encounter in each classroom. Most students like to balance lecture and seminar formats. Above all, think for yourself when choosing your courses.
