HZ1989

I just got this little booklet advertising this course, and although I am very interested in enrolling, I wonder how tough this course will really be and whether I will have enough time for other demanding courses without completely sacrificing my social life. Are there any current Princeton students here who know about this course or are even taking it this year? thanks.

TarHeel3007

my host says there is a ton of reading. like of classics like Homer. and 1st sem they read 16 books i think and 2nd thyre supopsed to read 19...but mainly she seemed to advise against it if u want a BSE

sewbusy

My son took this sequence last year and loved it, but he's a quick reader and loves this stuff. His engineering roommate couldn't believe how much work my son had. Tons of reading and papers; few if any tests, if I recall correctly.

HZ1989

sewbusy, what was it that your son particularly loved about the course, and did he feel overwhelmed by all the work at all? Btw, what is his major?

2blue

My son wants to apply for this also. We'd love to hear more from current or past students on their experiences in the classes themselves, and whether the students in the classes tended to get to know one another well outside of class.

JoeTrumpet

Do any science majors pursue this? Because I am considering between Princeton and UChicago, I definitely want a strong humanities background from Princeton, but this doesn't sound like it's a good idea for science majors. Does anybody do it and survive?

abiste

Hi all. I'm a freshmen at Princeton and in the HUM sequence. I highly recommend it. Like the posters above mentioned, it is a lot of work. Not only the volume of the reading but the content of the reading itself is intense. This semester we've tackled Cervantes, Descartes, Erasmus, Flaubert, Hume, Goethe, Locke, Luther, Milton, Rousseau and Marx just to name a few. I admit, it's daunting. But it's definitely worth it. Since the reading list is basically the fundamentals of the Western canon- stuff everyone should read sometime in their life-, it's a great course to get a solid background in it all.

There are some drawbacks though. As mentioned, the amount of work is rough. But, frankly, it's arguably the most rewarding course/sequence you'll take at Princeton. Plus, after you've "survived" it, every other course you'll take will seem like a piece of cake. (I'm looking at courses for next year right now and everything looks so easy. Only 250 pages of reading a week? No problem!) Another common worry is that since the course covers so much in 12 weeks, it doesn't allow for much depth. Certainly this is true (we've spent one day on a work that people spend their whole lives exploring) and at times a little annoying but I've found that I really like the way the course is structured. As one girl in my class said, "the HUM sequence is like a tasting platter where you can try a whole a bunch of things from a variety of different disciplines and figure out what you like and dislike". I know I had no idea what I wanted to major in when I started in September, but since being exposed to so much and discovering where my interests really lie I've decided that History is for me. So although the course can't really go too in depth, it's a great jumping off point.

Now let's see if can answer some of you guys' questions. The people in it this year are really great. We all have gotten to know each other really well and I've found that our precepts have gotten progressively more interesting as a result. Once in HUM, it isn't competitive or cut-throat at all. Everyone is very supportive and, with the amount of work of bring us all together, there is a wonderful sense of camaraderie. Oh! And you also get really close with your professors, some of which are considered superstars of the university. When I mention some of the professors I've had to upperclassmen their jaws drop. It's especially amazing if you take into account that you're in a 30-odd person lecture with them and a 10 person precept!

To answer the question of whether or not prospective science majors should take HUM, I would say yes but they should know what they're getting into. If you are honestly interested in the texts of the course, then definitely do it, regardless of major. There are a two girls who are taking Organic Chemistry simultaneously and a few engineers, but they definitely aren't the norm. The work load is definitely manageable, just be sure the sequence is something you'd really like to do.

The structure of the course varies from year to year depending on the professors that teach it. Last semester we had four papers, a midterm and a final. This semester they decided to drop the midterm. Four papers seems like a lot, and compared to other courses it is, but I found them really interesting to write and helpful in that they made me very familiar with the texts I chose to write on. Also, the professors are always there to help and bounce ideas off of.

I think I've managed to answer all of your questions. Let me know if you have any more. But in a nutshell, the HUM sequence is a lot of work but very, very rewarding. So take it!

echang08

Hey, I also have some questions about the HUM sequence:

Is it pretty competitive to get in, or do not many people apply anyway?
Is it possible to take both HUM and the Integrated Science sequence?

I'm so interested in both, but something tells me the work would be killer... :-\

JoeTrumpet

When you say "four papers," what sort of length are we looking at? 4-7 pages? 12-15 pages? 20+? I'm also interested in knowing if anyone has been able to manage integrated science with the hum sequence. Sounds unbelievably rough.

quirkily

I wouldn't recommend the integrated science sequence with HUM. Both are very work intensive, and don't forget that you have to take writing seminar as well!
Last year, the papers were generally 5 pages long.

danas

JoeTrumpet...
5-7 pages.
However, the amount of reading is heavy. Someone pointed out in the Fall semester when the midterm was held that there were 1000 pages of reading that week. That was likely high. But still, you're talking about first century AD writings.
I wouldn't try integrated science and the HUM sequence at the same time.
In terms of "getting in", you must apply, but I have the feeling that the number who want to take it and the desired capacity are the same. I'm not certain why the application. It may be just to make sure people understand and are ready for what the course requires.

naturelover

For the HUM sequence, do you have to read something during the summer and write an essay for the application?

I just heard this from someone.

abiste

Yes, this year it was recommended that we read the Iliad, the Odyssey and sections of the Bible over the summer. It wasn't necessary to read it over the summer but it was just one less thing to do during the year.

You also have to submit a short essay as part of your application but it's not supposed to intimidate you. Basically the professors are just interested in why you would like to take the course.

naturelover

Thanks Abiste!

myau

How the workload in Hum 216-219 is compared with that of the other freshman seminars?