What should College Freshmen be Reading?

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Particularly for science/physics majors.

I'm neither and loved both "Surely Your Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and "What Do You Care What Other People Think?". Now the Lectures... That's another matter.

[v1k1ng1001]

Honestly, I have tough time getting my 1st year students to read their assignments. They seem to think that sparknotes, wikipedia and (yikes!) youtube are all you really need to do well in college.

And then they get their first test or paper back.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

I'm neither and loved both "Surely Your Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and "What Do You Care What Other People Think?". Now the Lectures... That's another matter.

I liked hearing the lectures of most of my college teachers, although there was one history professor who delivered his entire lectures in a complete monotone. I swear that man could put someone to sleep on a railroad crossing while warning them of an oncoming train!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I liked hearing the lectures of most of my college teachers, although there was one history professor who delivered his entire lectures in a complete monotone. I swear that man could put someone to sleep on a railroad crossing while warning them of an oncoming train!

Oh man, I had one like that! Man....made the class twice as difficult.

[ellimak]

Originally Posted by v1k1ng1001

Honestly, I have tough time getting my 1st year students to read their assignments. They seem to think that sparknotes, wikipedia and (yikes!) youtube are all you really need to do well in college.

And then they get their first test or paper back.

Really? I thought freshmen were usually really eager about their work since they don't really know the tricks of the trade yet; I used to do my notes twice so I could maximize my knowledge retention. The older I got, the more crafty I became and the less work I did. The only thing that I neglected freshman year was my in-class participation. I was so shy and insecure that I barely spoke. By the end of sophomore year though, no one could shut me up!

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by ellimak

Really? I thought freshmen were usually really eager about their work since they don't really know the tricks of the trade yet; I used to do my notes twice so I could maximize my knowledge retention. The older I got, the more crafty I became and the less work I did. The only thing that I neglected freshman year was my in-class participation. I was so shy and insecure that I barely spoke. By the end of sophomore year though, no one could shut me up!

Yeah, I'm just kind of venting. There are some really excellent first-year students for that very reason.

I think it makes a difference where you are. I teach at a branch campus of the University of Texas, down on the border. The students from this area come from high schools that are barely functioning. Many of them are the first people in their family to go to college. They often come from poor homes where they have to work many hours to stay in school. The whole machismo phenomenon discourages intellectualism. On top of that, the University admits students that do not meet the minimum requirements for admission in order to cash in their tuition checks before they fail out. If they can survive their first year, many of them learn to keep up and do well in subsequent years.

I have taught at two major universities and things are better but not as you'd expect. Students expect to be spoon fed information that they can memorize. I suspect that teaching a private liberal arts college full of go-getters would be an eye-opening experience for me.

The truth is that I am kind of happy with the problems that this area presents to me. I feel I am doing some good when a student snaps out of his or her apathy and catches on. Some of my best students could barely write a complete sentence when they started.

Many years ago I was admitted to graduate study at Vanderbilt. On my visit, I noticed that students were driving to class in sports cars worth twice my father's yearly salary. I very quickly judged that students in such a place would likely earn very good grades but not really have an investment in what they are learning.

[stardustshadow]

Plato: The Republic

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by stardustshadow

Plato: The Republic

Good call. Allan Bloom translation (kindle) or Joe Sachs translation (paperback only) preferably.

[stardustshadow]

Originally Posted by v1k1ng1001

Good call. Allan Bloom translation (kindle) or Joe Sachs translation (paperback only) preferably.

It was the first book I read at university. They sent it to us in the mail to read before we got there for the fall term.

I read it again in philosophy classes, etc....each time, I have found more relevance in it.

I think it is essential for an understanding of western thinking!

[WT Sharpe]

I think it's time to re-read The Republic. And some more Aristotle as well. Timeless classics!

@v1k1ng1001: Do you have a link to the Bloom translation? It that the Penguin edition?

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I think it's time to re-read The Republic. And some more Aristotle as well. Timeless classics!

@v1k1ng1001: Do you have a link to the Bloom translation? It that the Penguin edition?

Just search for "Republic Bloom" in the Kindle Store and it'll pop right up. The footnotes are awesome!

I've not read through the Sachs translation because it is so new but he is a knockout translator of Aristotle. Too bad his books are not available electronically. His approach is to work against the way in which the orginal sense of the Greek has been "Latinized" by centuries of formulaic translations.

[v1k1ng1001]

Actually Emerson's essay on Plato is pretty cool--way ahead of its time.

http://www.emersoncentral.com/plato1.htm

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by v1k1ng1001

Just search for "Republic Bloom" in the Kindle Store and it'll pop right up. The footnotes are awesome!

I've not read through the Sachs translation because it is so new but he is a knockout translator of Aristotle. Too bad his books are not available electronically. His approach is to work against the way in which the orginal sense of the Greek has been "Latinized" by centuries of formulaic translations.

Thanks, got it!

When I earlier tried "Republic Bloom Translation," in the Kindle store, it took me to the paperback version which it said was unavailable, and had one of those "Tell the publisher you'd like to read this on a Kindle" buttons on the bottom of the page. Go figure!

Now I wonder just how many of the books for which I received a "Tell the publisher you'd like to read this on a Kindle" message were actually in the Kindle store had I entered a slightly different search term?

[pwalker8]

I can't believe that no one has given the obvious answer - Their text books!

There really is no one answer. It depends on their background, what they are studying and their areas of interest. There are a lot of "100 books everyone should read" lists if you are talking about general knowledge and common culture stand point.

[v1k1ng1001]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Thanks, got it!

When I earlier tried "Republic Bloom Translation," in the Kindle store, it took me to the paperback version which it said was unavailable, and had one of those "Tell the publisher you'd like to read this on a Kindle" buttons on the bottom of the page. Go figure!

Now I wonder just how many of the books for which I received a "Tell the publisher you'd like to read this on a Kindle" message were actually in the Kindle store had I entered a slightly different search term?

Yeah, you can't search under books, you have to search the kindle store. They need to work on that.