Embrace the Familiar: Give It a Shot!
In the Fall of 2015, Melissa Parnagian, a student at Princeton University, chose to delve deeper into the Faculty of Social Sciences. This decision was a testament to her strategy of exploring one new department every semester at the university.
Parnagian's approach is rooted in the belief that immersing oneself in various departments is a means to discover one's interests and stay true to them. She felt that this strategy would provide her with a broader intellectual horizon and the ability to navigate diverse independent work.
For the Fall 2015 semester, Parnagian decided to revisit some familiar departments. In the spring, she had settled on courses in History, African American studies, Politics, and the Woodrow Wilson School, all of which she had previously studied.
In addition to her familiar subjects, Parnagian also chose to challenge herself by enrolling in new courses. She felt that the more knowledge one has in a particular subject, the better equipped they are to raise challenging questions themselves.
Parnagian's schedule for the Fall 2015 semester was carefully crafted. She consciously tried something new, but also ensured that she wouldn't abandon her comfort zone entirely. She chose courses in departments she was familiar with, while also venturing into new territory.
One of the courses Parnagian enrolled in was the Junior Paper (JP) course, a research-based course that allows students to delve deep into a topic of their choice. Parnagian encourages other students to consider such courses, citing the benefits of expanded intellectual horizons and the ability to navigate diverse independent work.
The JP course was not the only research-based course Parnagian was interested in. She also provided a guide for "Research-based Courses" and a guide for "Reading Courses" in her article.
Parnagian warns against framing a conflict between comfortable and challenging classes. Being comfortable with a general subject area does not mean that subject area won't raise challenging questions. Instead, she suggests that understanding multiple perspectives on the same issue can help design a research proposal to uncover answers, raise new concerns, re-examine old ones, or apply theories in a new way.
By the end of the add/drop period, Parnagian felt comfortable with her schedule. This was an unusual feeling for a Princeton student, as they are often known for their rigorous course loads and academic challenges. However, Parnagian's strategy of balancing new and familiar subjects seemed to have paid off, providing her with a schedule that was both challenging and manageable.
