Undergraduate students at Brown can choose from almost 1,000 courses to create their schedules this semester. While picking the right courses can be difficult, Brown makes the whole process a bit easier by allowing students to “shop” classes during the first two weeks of each semester.
The Herald asked six students about their favorite courses from last year, which courses they are most looking forward to this semester and what their personal approach is to exploring courses during shopping period.
Jason Shan ’27 took POLS 1440: “Security, Governance and Development in Africa” last fall because he was interested in learning about current politics in Africa. He is planning to concentrate in Business Economics and International and Public Affairs.
Robert Blair, associate professor of political science and international and public affairs, who taught POLS 1440, was “super great” and “engaging” compared to Shan’s high school instructors, he said. Although he was unsure about taking the course as a first-year because the other students were mostly upperclassmen, he said that after sitting through the first lecture, he became sure about taking it.
This semester, Shan is looking forward to taking ENGN 1800: “Social Impact of Emerging Technologies: The Role of Scientists and Engineers” taught by Professor of Engineering and Physics Arto Nurmikko, which explores the intersection of modern technologies, societal problem-solving and related ethical considerations. Shan deemed the course “the best of both worlds” because it fulfills both Brown’s writing requirement and a concentration requirement.
But Shan says he is a “terrible shopper,” adding that he prefers to explore his interests outside of the classroom instead of through coursework. After having nine classes in his Courses @ Brown cart the night before the first day of classes, Shan “cut it down to four without going to a single class, because that’s kind of how I always did it,” he said.
Josie Alston ’25 is also not planning to “shop” many classes this semester. “I'm cautiously optimistic that I’ll like my classes,” she said.
Last spring, Alston took IAPA 1702G: “Governing Marginalized Groups: How State Institutions Shape Social Inequality in the U.S,” which is also offered this fall. According to Alston, a double-concentrator in international and public affairs and urban studies, the course examined government development. Through discussion of current events, articles and academic journals, Alston said it was “really cool to see how these abstract concepts were playing out more tangibly.”
Applied Mathematics-Computer Science and Mathematics double-concentrator Eugenio Macias ʻ26 enjoyed last semester’s MATH 1530: “Abstract Algebra” because it provides “an actual representation of the structure of what math is,” he said. Macias added that the course, also offered this semester, is “a very essential class for every person that wants to pursue a career in mathematics or any related field.”
Although Macias, like Alston, does not tend to shop many classes, he is excited to shop ECON 1710: “Investments I” this semester.
Biology and History of Art and Architecture double-concentrator Julia Clark ʻ26 noted that because she has two concentrations, “there’s not much freedom within my schedule.”
“I love — so far — most of the classes that I’m taking,” she added, highlighting ARCH 0398: “Arts of the Sacred and the Demonic in the Ancient Mediterranean” and BIOL 0410: “Invertebrate Zoology.”
Chandler Stevenson ʻ25, who is double-concentrating in electrical engineering and philosophy, does research that “deals a lot with information theory,” he said — so he took APMA 1710: “Information Theory” last spring.
“There aren't a lot of classes at Brown that allow you to go into the rigorous depth that professor (Cole) Graham provided,” Stevenson said. He added that because he’s “fully an engineer” and not a mathematician, it was “really cool” to be “in an environment with other mathematicians and go through rigorous proofs (and) see your research built from the ground up.” APMA 1710 will be offered next in the spring.
Alex Hogue ’26 took CSCI 1300: “User Interfaces and User Experience” last spring. CSCI 1300 allowed Houge to “be creative and learn about design in the CS context,” she said, noting that it was “a nice change of pace from the intro sequence in CS.”
Hogue said that although she typically knows what courses she is going to take, she shops about three extra classes each semester “just in case I'm swayed.”
“I just shopped French, and I wasn't going to take French, but maybe now I will,” she added. “So, unexpected things can happen when you shop classes.”
Kate Rowberry is a senior staff writer at The Herald.
