This post was moved from an older website hosted on a college server. These have been unedited and contain many mistakes. Whatever. It was college.
The Phil90- Introduction to Philosophy class varies depending on the professor, but the material is approximately the same. For Prof. Amy Kind’s class, the Phil90H Syllabus included appx. four essays, an in-class debate, and the final exam. For Prof. Amy Kind’s Philosophy Honors class, you have to start out the class strong through classroom participation and a strong first essay because it will make an impression upon your performance for the rest of the semester.
According to a previous classmate of Prof. Amy Kind’s Phil 90H class, “You don’t have to work to get a B+, but you do have to work to get an A- or A.” If you have minor debate experience, IB Theory of Knowledge, or can think independently, you will get a B+. The real test of whether you can effectively communicate is whether you can get an A- or A in this class. The best way to make a good first impression is to:
- Write a strong essay that analyzes the arguments of the text. Pay attention to Prof. Kind’s recommendations on writing a good essay. Although some of the recommendations are not the most specific, Prof. Kind does give a good starting point. The best way to learn how to write a good essay is probably to learn by example. Prof. Kind helps your writing through a circle discussion on the first essay without name identification. Probably the best way that I learned how to write a philosophy essay was by learning from the guy who received A’s on our philosophy papers. Below is an example, posted with permission from Gabriel Rocklin ‘07. Aside from the minor spelling and grammatical errors, look at the line of analysis and the construction of the arguments. Also, pay close attention to the construction of argument and counter-argument. Professor Kind doesn’t care about the grammatical or spelling errors, just about the arguments.
- Go into her office. This is a usual lesson that you can apply to all of your professors. For those who are not blessed with the preternatural ability to think extremely critically, it is best to learn from one who is an expert in the field. Prof. Kind’s door is always open. If you go see her during her office hours, you will be guaranteed a B+, and will have a better chance at the A- and A. It is important to “listen” to her tips on analysis. She has something in mind that you can do, it might be easier for you do that, than your own ideas. However, it is easier for you to come prepared to her office with ideas and thoughts on your approach. She can help “green-light” your essays through.
- Split up the work on the questions given by Prof. Kind for the final exam. Have someone compile the answers to the questions and send them back out over e-mail. For those still worried about the retention of answers for the exam, you can have an optional study session. The final exam is not too difficult if you know your material on the study guide.
Fall 2003 Phil90H Study Guide
- On the design debate, make sure that you dress up for the debate. The debate grade is actually based on the evaluation of other students in your class. Although you could have all the students give A’s to each other, you must justify the grade given. Thus, I suggest that preparation for the debate be clean. It’s important that you don’t get into the debate itself. Get into the underlying arguments of the debate (most likely theodicies and design arguments). By doing so, you will have achieved the purpose of the debate. If at worst, the two sides tie (which is highly likely), you should dress up because you took the debate seriously.
Hopefully, you will learn a lot in this class. If at all, you’ll learn how to construct much more formulaic and argumentative essays. If you are not taking the honors Introduction to Philosophy course, the aforementioned tips are still a monumental help in your class.