Course Selection - Tentative

Final preparations for the academic nature of my year abroad were made while I was at Millersville on Thursday. It was good to be back on campus, and part of me would have maybe just given up on the whole study abroad idea and gone back to school, but I knew that in less than a month, I’d be enjoying my time in Europe and it would only take a little bit of stamina to hold out. I know in the long run it will be worth it, but right now it seems like such a burden to bear. A good proverb worth remembering – “Good things come to those who wait.”

First I had a meeting scheduled with my economics minor advisor Dr. McPherson. I wanted to touch base with her about the course at Marburg that would most directly correspond to ECON 102 (the micro course) at Millersville. The thing is, there are not two distinct and divergent courses for macro and micro at Marburg; the introduction is taught for both in one course and all subsequent courses build off the material from that one course. In order to make sure I would get credit for something in taking that course, I had to talk with her about that. As it turned out, her son got sick that morning and she had to cancel our appointment – after I got there. She left me a note about rescheduling, but that wasn’t an option given the distance that I drove. I, therefore spoke with the department chair Dr. Smith and got the go ahead for that introductory course. I emailed Dr. McPherson to give her an update on what I discussed with Dr. Smith so that we’re on the same page. All is going to be fine with the econ course for the first semester at Marburg.

The next meeting was with my major advisor Dr. Nimmrichter. It was good to talk with her again. We discussed all the courses that I had selected and she had no problem with any of them except the one that I had selected to be my GERM 312 course. I had picked out “Humanism and Reformation,” but she thought that was too late and that 312 should be later literature. I have to find something that will fit that bill, but otherwise things are in order for what I want to take. I might also pick up a Greek course, but not get a Schein (that is, a proof and record of a grade) for that class. She says that German students do that a lot – sit in on courses but not get a grade. It might be a good way for me to get the necessary Griesischkenntnisse before I take the class on New Testament fundamentals in the spring.

As it stands now, these are the courses that I plan on enrolling in when I get to Marburg:

Winter semester:
A modern German literature course
Academic Writing
Introduction to economics
Latin III
Greek I (perhaps for no grade)

Spring semester:
New Testament fundamentals*
Old Testament fundamentals*
The Bible as a Source for Literature*
Macroeconomics OR Microeconomics OR Both

*Marburg is renown in for its theological education and is known for being the site of the convocation for the great heads of the Reformation. It is worth taking courses in undergrad on theology here and especially fitting given my hopes and plans to attend seminary after graduating from Millersville.

I will give more updates at a late date, and hopefully something that’s a bit more exciting to read about. People have been asking me what I will take while I’m there, and now that it’s somewhat finalized, I thought I’d let you know.