This experimental class draws on three distinct premodern cultural traditions to develop strategies for social disengagement. We meet for three six-hour sessions during which we read a book in silence together and discuss it, all devices stowed away. Our fourth and final session will meet for two hours, during which students will be asked to silently write a reflection essay in person, on paper. There will be no outside assignments: just read the books in class, discuss them, and write about them in our final session. By reading in community, we hope to cultivate the rapidly fading humanistic skills of deep focus, long attention, and slowness of lifestyle.
2
UnitsLetter
Grading1, 2, 3
PasstimeNone
Level LimitLetters and science
CollegeLecture
The reading is a bit heavy but the content itself isn't the worst. I would say the worst part of EACS 4A is the participation requirements needed to earn points.
A lot of reading, and lectures were very dense with information, but overall pretty good. Tests were reasonable in content and grading.
There is way too much information crammed into each lecture. Readings are heavy, but tests are reasonable: you have to recall information about topics discussed in the course. This course is interesting though.
Professor Mazanec's dense lectures are essentially information dumps, and are sometimes hard to follow. Readings are lengthy and tedious, but there are very few assignments other than the readings. The midterm and final are easy, and grading is reasonable. I wish the lectures were a bit more engaging, but the class was fine overall.
If you have classes before his, get ready to have a ton of information thrown at you. His lecture slides provide a ton of information and he can elaborate too much at some points.
For a summer class, it's pretty easy. Essays are short and the readings are honestly not super necessary, skimming should be fine.