Scheduling Conflict by Mitra L. '07
Which class should I take? (Results from the previous poll posted.)
From the comments on my last entry, the mean is 3.21748954013248 and the standard deviation is 1.07001670365812.
These two classes are offered during overlapping time slots — which one should I take? Don’t Doonesbury vote-bomb me though!
A new class will be offered by the Economics Department in fall, 2006: The Challenge of World Poverty. The class is intended for students interested in the challenge posed by massive and persistent world poverty, have some economics (14.01 is the prerequisite), and believe that the economists might have something useful to say about this topic. Questions to be taken up include, but are not limited to: Is extreme poverty a thing of the past? Why do some countries grow fast and others fall further behind? Does growth help the poor? Does foreign aid help? What can we do about corruption? Should we leave it all to markets? Should we leave it to the NGOs? Where is the best place to intervene? How do we deal with the disease burden? How do we improve schools?
OR
11.025J D-Lab: Development
Issues in international development, appropriate technology and project implementation addressed through lectures, case studies, guest speakers and laboratory exercises. Students form project teams to partner with community organizations in developing countries, and formulate plans for an IAP site visit. (Previous field sites include Haiti, Brazil, Honduras and India.) Recitation sections focus on specific project implementation, and include cultural, social, political, environmental and economic overviews of the target countries as well as an introduction to the local languages.
Any advice?
I’d say go with 11.025J. You’d probably learn a lot about world poverty through that class anyway, and you’ll get a chance to actually help out and go to a developing country… It just seems so much cooler to me than the first class.
FOr 11.025J, the IAP visit to another country sounds cool, but the first class seems more interesting. (Just my opinion, but…) Go with The Challenge of World Poverty.
WWTKD? Hmmm…
I would probably opt for the first option (only because I’ve seen “emerging market” countries before). But the practical experience of the second course — going abroad to see the problems first hand — would perhaps yield more meaningful insights than the theoretical “armchair” insights gleaned from the lecture hall. My own, normative, value-laden opinion (for what it’s worth)!
Sounds as though you’re staying right on track…
tkd
Hmm… go with the second.
second
In the second option you will not only study problem but actually apply solutions. In any case, I am very impressed that you are taking classes to really make a difference in the world. It makes me really want to go to MIT
Go with the second. It seems to me like it’s the first class + actual application. Instead of just talking about the problems you do something about them.
11.025J sounds amazing! What are the prereqs? Do you think they would let a rising sophomore take it?
first :D
Hey ree2, I don’t think there are any prereqs. You probably can take it too, though it might fit better in later years.
take the second
Second, as those above have already pointed out, it includes a practical aspect that makes it a lot more interesting than the first…
I’d go for the first one def!!!
They both seem great, but I’d prefer the 2nd one I guess