1st Semester Complete!
Now that I’m 1/8th of the way through and absolutely a college veteran, I want to recollect on my classes and experiences going through the first half of the first year. I took five classes this semester; Global Business, Principles of Microeconomics, Differential and Integral Calculus, Interpretation and Argument, and Introduction to Philosophy. Funnily enough, none of my classes were in the Tepper building. I ran throughout the Doherty/Wean/Porter/Baker complex instead of the school I was enrolled in.
- Global Business – Contrary to popular opinion, I actually really enjoyed this class. The lectures aren’t entirely helpful, but I found the textbook to be an interesting read and it gave a nice overview of the different venues in business. Granted, we barely scratched surface level, but we covered the major areas of study. Global Business is a good introduction for thinking about what you want to major in specifically.
- Microeconomics – To be honest, this class annoyed me quite a bit. It was well taught and Professor Kushnir is a good lecturer, but it was newly implemented to be mandatory, despite any AP/IB credit. Most of what I learned, I already knew. That being said, I still went to classes and got some review from it. I don’t look forward to Principles of Macroeconomics in the Spring semester, but maybe intermediate-level next year.
- Calculus – What made this class great for me was actually not my professor, but rather my TA. In such a large class, it’s more difficult to teach and fully communicate ideas and concepts. I found that I learned more from recitation and office hours, than from going to lecture. My TA was extremely helpful and I’m thinking of applying to be one for some classes in the future.
- Interpretation – This class was fun for me, but I think some of that might have to do with the focus being on Marvel and its characters. I had actually signed up for science fiction, but the topic got changed to Marvel; good stuff. We talked about presentation of male vs. female characters and the effect superheroes have on attracting audiences from other movies. The final project was great too because it let people focus on what they were interested about instead of required topics.
- Philosophy – I first chose this class as a filler because I needed to complete credits, but it ended up being very enjoyable. Professor Smith was a delight, greatly interested in the topic, and I was happy to go even if it was my first class of the day. He connected past puzzles and arguments to modern instruments and issues, such as self-driving cars and other innovations. The class helped me gain some new perspectives and a view on different ways of thinking.
All in all, in terms of classes, my first semester at the Tepper School of Business was not too different from my experiences in high school. The largest change was newfound freedom and forcing myself to wake up and actually go to the classes. However, I can tell they’re going to become very interesting soon and I’m excited for the years to come!
- 15-112 - January 31, 2018
- 1st Semester Complete! - December 24, 2017
- Tartan Student Fund - November 18, 2017
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