I toured Brown during my junior year of high school and immediately knew that Brown was the place for me. I fell in love with the campus, the location and the student body, but in all honesty, it is hard to describe exactly why I was so drawn to Brown. I somehow just got the vibe that I would fit in here.
Before my campus tour, I hadn't done extensive research on Brown's academic programs. Of course, I learned more about the New Curriculum during the tour and did a lot of investigating before applying. Still, after that tour I knew that I wanted be a Brown student, and no fact about academics would dissuade me from that goal. Upon learning about the New Curriculum, I thought it would be "cool" - an exciting, rare opportunity - but in hindsight, I see that I did not understand what the actual experience of hand-picking my courses would be like at Brown.
As a high school student it is no doubt difficult to fathom what the academic experience of college holds in store and why it is so different from that of high school. So instead, during my college search, I concentrated on student life, location relative to my family and the University's reputation. I can't help but think that a good percentage of other students handled the college application process with that same mentality.
I entered Brown with only vague ideas about what I wanted to study. I knew which subjects interested me and which subjects I wanted to explore. The New Curriculum allows students to take whichever classes they'd like, and thus it would seem that anyone with a passion for learning would thrive here. But the art of shopping classes and creating a balanced schedule are daunting tasks as a first-year. While first-years can utilize the numerous advising resources, the decision about which classes to take is ultimately their own. Excluding those entering Brown as pre-meds or engineers, the majority of students start from scratch when choosing classes for the first time, and without distribution requirements to fulfill, it is difficult to know where to begin.
It is also difficult to gauge which type of student is best suited for the New Curriculum. Are those who know what they want to study better candidates? Or are those without a clue the ones who can take advantage of all Brown has to offer? Of course, these arbitrary categories are not mutually exclusive, as many types of students can excel under Brown's academic roof. Yet, I believe the stress, freedom and responsibility that come with hand-picking one's own courses each semester are not for everyone. And I believe that there needs to be a system in place that explains to prospective students the reality of the New Curriculum.
Please understand that I am not writing this article as a way to vent about my experience choosing classes as a first-year. In fact, the process for me went rather smoothly. Instead, I am writing this as a believer in the New Curriculum, and I feel that prospective students would benefit from learning about its pros and cons before applying. This process would not only better educate prospective students about their potential new home, but also allow Brown to hear from applicants who better understand what it means to be student here.
I picture a system in which prospective students learn from current Brown students about their experiences with the New Curriculum. In this process, prospective students would also have a chance to evaluate what they hope to gain from their college education and to examine what their individual academic needs are. A one-on-one scenario would be ideal, and the conversation might occur in addition to a campus tour. For prospective students who do not visit campus, we could instate a system where high school students contact current students with questions via "G-chat." Indeed, the Bruin Club has a similar program in place called "Ask a Brown Student," in which prospective students can reach out to Brown students to inquire about life at Brown, and perhaps this program can be expanded upon to include a specific focus on discussing the New Curriculum.
Of course, the program I envision is not without its imperfections: Each student has a unique experience upon entering Brown and thus may relay certain opinions or biases to prospective students. In addition, it is difficult for high school students to imagine college life, let alone the process of choosing courses and why that process is an integral part of the experience here at Brown.
Still, the goal of establishing this type of contact between prospective students and current students would simply be to start a conversation about what it means to take responsibility for and be in total control of one's education. I feel that initiating this conversation would compel high school students to think about what they want out of their college academic experience at Brown and at the other institutions to which they may apply - which would be a fantastic accomplishment in and of itself.
Jaclyn Katz '14 still hasn't mastered the art of shopping period and can be reached at jaclyn_katz@brown.edu.
