LATN UN3980

This seminar taught a multitude of things that are very helpful for being successful in grad school and a career in the classics. We covered good research methods, bibliography information, how to write good personal statements, and we got to practice giving presentations on a small scale. We also got to discuss issues facing the classics world and ask some hard questions. It also was designed, and I think succeeded, in giving an honest look at how grad school will look like and how we should prepare for it or even if it is the right fit for us.

I was given access to a plethora of resources that I was previously unaware of as an undergraduate. I now feel confident doing research on a variety of research topics in many different disciplines. At the very least, I know where to get started. I also learned about the tradition of classics and how it has grown as a field since the 18th century. I think this class is a useful course for getting your feet wet as a grad student in this department. I would only say that perhaps a little bit more curation of the course for individual needs might also be helpful. I know the course used to be about filling in research gaps within classics. I feel like I would have enjoyed a little bit more of this for my own personal experiences, but I get that some people need a basic overproduction. Therefore, perhaps the personal work for discussion posts could perhaps be a bit more designed for a students own personal needs going into graduate work.

I think the most valuable thing I got out of this course was the ability to have candid and open conversations about applying to grad school. Furthermore, part of our curriculum was to choose 5 canonical texts pertaining to classics, and read and write about three of them. I found this a valuable exercise, as it helped motivate me outside class. I also appreciated the course requirement to attend at least 4 'colloquia' or lectures outside of class, as it motivated me to go out of my way to expose myself to information and topics I would not have been exposed to otherwise. Finally, I believe this course was a valuable exercise in drafting a personal statement for admission to graduate school, and the peer reviewing process was deeply helpful.

The course was a macro-overview of the discipline of classics with particular focus on pursuing future advanced degrees in the subject. Use of specialized research sources and research practices in finding scholarship on ancient texts was also central.

I think this course or something similar should be offered to any student considering grad school because it helps you sort through the fears, the imposter syndrome, the unknown, and it gives you a solid footing moving forward in higher ed.

Since this is a required course for postbacs, I would only ever recommend this to an undergraduate who is considering the program.

I think it's difficult to recommend or not recommend the course as it is the basic requirement of the Postbacc, so you're either going to take it or you are not, but I think the basic thrust of the class and its light requirements and structure were a net positive and demystified a lot of the fog around the discipline of classics as a whole. It was a good combination of exploration of discipline and practices and academic advisement.

I learnt a lot about Classics in general. How to manage a small class. How to use some search engines. Using different methods of teaching from discussions to student presentations

It is a must do course if you have Classics at heart.

I learned more about the Classics field and about the process of preparing for graduate school.