#class review

[education-and-sadness]

European History: Course Overview

I finished my final paper for European History class today, so I wanted to share my experience, what I learned, and the outcomes!

EUROPEAN HISTORY: I took HST-102 (History of Europe Before 1600) at my university as a requirement for my History degree and as a supplement for the Honors Program I am a part of. We focused on Europe (mostly Rome and Spain) from the Mycaneans all the way to the Protestant Reformation

CURRICULUM: The course I took was structured like so: lectures Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We had a lot of very small grades (like, worth 2.5% of the final grade and two essays that acted as midterms. For the Honors section of the class, my “final” was a paper about a topic I selected at the start of the semester. My paper ended up being, “Henry VIII, His Advisors & The Game of Influence” about how the people around him impacted the split from the Catholic Church. I’m really proud of it.

FINAL OUTCOME: I successfully completed the course today when I submitted my final &H paper. Students not in the Honors section only had to write a thesis. Before the last grade is in (that final paper) I have a 96.5%. I need an 83% to get a 4.0 in the course. I think I’ll be ok, considering the grades on my last two essays (95% and 93%). I haven’t worried about this course at all. With my mental health, it’s the one I’ve missed the most of. But I’m not too worried. 

[thoughts-from-alex]

Class Season 1 Episode 6 Review – Detained

On the strength of Ness’ writing, the central conceit of the episode is able to transcend its apparent artifice, instead providing the impetus for some powerful character drama. It’s often moving, consistently nuanced, and regularly insightful; Ness has a real ability to get to the heart of his characters, and Detained is the best example of this. There’s a real energy to this episode – it’s a tense, moody piece of drama, quite unlike anything the show has given us so far. And yet, in many ways, one can’t help but feel that Class would have been significantly diminished, to the point of being incomplete, without this episode.

Frankly, this is undoubtedly the best episode of Class’ run. If we get a second season, more of this, please.

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[thoughts-from-alex]

Class Season 1 Episode 4 Review – Co-Owner of a Lonely Heart

There’s an interesting running thread regarding parents running through this episode, with Ram’s dad forming a direct contrast to April’s, and the parents’ evening that forms a backdrop to the episode. It’s nice to see a YA property that does depict one of the main characters trusting their parents, confiding in them about the aliens and so on, and actually maintaining a positive relationship with them. Equally, though, the depiction of April’s family is quite effective, with Sophie Hopkins giving another stellar performance. It’s clear that she’s a very talented actress, effortlessly switching between the vulnerabilities of April to the rage of the Shadowkin. 

Perhaps one of the weaker episodes of Class, but it had a lot of good stuff nonetheless. 

The picture for this review is the Shadowkin, who irritated me no end.

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[thoughts-from-alex]

Class Season 1 Episode 2 Review – The Coach with the Dragon Tattoo

Primarily, then, this episode deals with Ram (Fady Elsayad), and his reaction to the trauma he suffered in the series debut. It’s an impressive tale of PTSD and insecurity, as Ram deals with both the emotional damage of his girlfriend’s death, and the physical damage of losing his leg. Elsayad gives an impressive, nuanced performance; there’s a real sense of Ram as a multifaceted character, trying to be brave in the face of danger, dealing with his insecurities in petty yet understandable ways, and ultimately finding a sort of solace amongst his group of friends. Certainly, on the strength of Elsayad’s performance, it’s clear that Ram is beginning to become one of the show’s standout characters.

Another Class review; this one particularly focuses on Ram, Tanya and the show’s early aspects of character development. 

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[thoughts-from-alex]

Class Season 1 Episode 1 Review – For Tonight We Might Die

Class starts as any typical Doctor Who episode might: someone’s running from a monster in a darkened corridor. In beginning this way, there’s a clear connection to the parent show; we know right away that, at the end of the day, what we’re getting out of this is going to be engaging, it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be an adventure. And yet immediately Class subverts this with their titles sequence, emphasising that in spite of the similarities to Doctor Who, Class is very much its own show with a fresh energy and its own identity.

I’m finally getting around to posting these Class reviews on my blog; obviously, I was always going to review them, but I decided to do these reviews for another website rather than my own. 

I was quite fond of the opening episode of Class - it felt like a pretty competent beginning to the show, with a lot of promise for what was to come.

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[education-and-sadness]

International Relations: Course Overview

I finished my International Relations class a few weeks ago, so I wanted to share my experience, what I learned, and the outcomes!

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: I took PS-141 (Introduction to International Relations) at my university as a requirement for my Political Science and International Relations degrees, a supplement for the Honors Program, and as a supplement for my Women and Gender Studies minor. We focused on the history of International Relations, current global issues, and international organizations. CURRICULUM: The course I took was structured like so: lectures Tuesdays and Thursdays. We had 3 exams, one project, and attendance as our only grades. So, if you messed up, you were in trouble. For the Women and Gender Studies section of the class, the project had to be about how to help women and girls around the world. My project focused on gender equity and I was invited to present at a conference! In addition, I had to write a 7-10 page paper on a specific region of the world and issues facing it for the Honors Supplement. I chose South Asia and each country’s struggles with climate change and what steps they have taken to reduce the affects they will feel, should current trends continue. I was very proud of this paper.  FINAL OUTCOME: I successfully submitted the course after completing my final and submitting my paper. I really struggled with this class at the start of the semester, but I understood the material well and the professor really helped me out! I ended up getting a 4.0 in this class, which I was very thankful for. This subject really clicked with me and I understood most of the concepts we discussed. It shared a lot of themes with my Anthropology class this semester.

[education-and-sadness]

Cultural Anthropology: Course Overview

Hey studyblr! I figured with each final and class results, I’d post about how I studied for finals and a course overview! This won’t apply to every Cultural Anthropology class, but I wanted to share my experience, what I learned, and the outcomes!

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: I took ANT-102 (Cultural Anthropology) at my university as a requirement for my International Relations degree and as a supplement for my Women and Gender Studies minor. It is one of the sub-fields of anthropology and we focused on human subjects (gender, sexuality, religion, etc.)

CURRICULUM: The course I took was structured like so: lectures Monday and Wednesday, with videos and review quizzes due on Fridays. Our graded assignments (2 exams, the final, 5 written reflections, and participation) were due periodically throughout the semester. We reviewed 17 chapters and I learned a lot. This was a really valuable class for my major. I learned a lot about different cultures and the ways in which they are studied. I really loved the class!

FINAL OUTCOME: I successfully completed this course and all the assignments this past Monday, May 2nd. I ended up with a 90.12% in the course, meaning I earned a 4.0! This was one of the courses I was very worried about. I really thought I’d end up with a 3.5, but I’m absolutely ecstatic about the turnout!