Course Selection

Advising Students on Course Selection

1. Speaking, Arguing, and Writing (SAW)

The student who has thoughtful and compelling reasons for her views, and who can communicate them clearly and forcefully, will be able to master her intellectual environment in college no matter what disciplines she chooses to explore. After college, her articulate expression of powerful ideas will make it possible for her to put them into action, to make a difference in the world. For these reasons, Mount Holyoke has established a program in Speaking, Arguing, and Writing.

Each entering student should elect at least one writing-intensive course during her first year. Because the College expects that students at all levels of proficiency, and in all disciplines will continue to hone their writing and speaking abilities, there are writing- and speaking-intensive courses at all levels of the curriculum, and in nearly every department, from introductory courses to advanced seminars. Thus, while some students might seek to improve their skills of expression in English 101, others may choose to practice their writing and speaking in any number of courses from across the curriculum.

Often the advisee who is most eager to avoid a writing- or speaking-intensive course is the one who should be most encouraged to elect one. It is always helpful to emphasize that writing papers and speaking both informally and formally in college courses will be much more stressful if the student does not take a course that focuses closely on strengthening those skills.

2. Courses in Group II

Some of your advisees may come with an excellent preparation in, and an enthusiasm for, math and sciences. Such students will be undaunted by laboratories and will find them to be no more difficult than would a humanities major find a research paper for a history class. On the other hand, those advisees whose training has been particularly weak in quantitative areas may be quite apprehensive and deliberately delay satisfying the Group II distribution requirement. Open discussion about the student's level of preparation and a plan to fulfill the requirement within the first two years should occur. In this context, it is wise to remind the apprehensive student that most science and mathematics courses incorporate "help sessions" or tutoring, not to mention faculty office hours, and that they may find that courses offered at Mount Holyoke will help them address their difficulties in quantitative areas of study.

It is acceptable for a student to decide to take her first science or mathematics course in her second semester, particularly if she is coping with unusual concerns about adjustment in other areas. At the same time, an extended delay (beyond the first year) is not advisable in most cases. Please consult with the chairs of biology and chemistry, or urge your advisees to do so, if you are uncertain about how to answer questions on science course sequences.

3. Foreign Language Requirement (Ancient or Modern)
(The requirement as stated here applies to students who enter the College in fall 2008 or later.)
Ordinarily, a student should satisfy the foreign language requirement by the end of her sophomore year with one of the ten foreign languages taught at Mount Holyoke: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, or Spanish. She should either:

1. complete a formal two-semester elementary course sequence in a foreign language new to her or for which she has little or inadequate preparation. (The self-instructional and mentored language courses offered through the Five College Center for World Languages cannot be used to meet the Mount Holyoke language requirement.)

2. complete a designated one-semester foreign language course or foreign literature course taught in the foreign language at the intermediate level or above.

Note: international students are not exempted automatically from the language requirement.  However, a student whose first language is not English can satisfy the language requirement with:

• documentation that she attended a secondary school for at least one year at which instruction was conducted in a language other than English.
• documentation that she attended a secondary school outside of the U.S. where the language of instruction was English, but she elected a language or literature course taught in her native language.
• an O-level, A-level, or GSCE language result (for students from India, this would be a Grade X or Grade XII) or an official record of a college-level course in her native language.

If a student meets at least one of the criteria listed immediately above and wishes to be exempted from the language requirement, she must contact dean of international students Donna Van Handle (dvanhand@mtholyoke.edu), who will review the student’s records and inform the registrar's office if she determines that the language requirement has been fulfilled.

A student who wishes to complete the requirement with a foreign language not offered at Mount Holyoke should consult the Dean of First-Year Studies.

4. Multicultural Perspectives

Balance refers as well to creating a schedule that spans five days of the week and different times of day.

Remind students of the PE requirement (6 units), and encourage them to remember the need for exercise as a balance to their academic endeavors.

Finally, students should be urged to balance their academic programs with involvement in the community outside of the classroom, through Co-curricular activities and organizations.