Adventures on the other side: A science student takes a walk on the arts side

Engineering student Alex Horwood. (Photo by Chris Parent)

As I walked into the lecture hall for the “Study of Journalism,” I could almost feel the difference in atmosphere in the air. Everyone was at ease, and the environment was more open. I could tell that discussions were very common in this class room.

Today was guest speaker day, and we were lectured on the ethics, or lack thereof, in journalism. I jotted down some notes, chatted with Matt and eventually left having enjoyed myself.

After only attending one class I could already see a vast difference between the two undergraduate programs, with arts and engineering sitting at completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

I would feel relaxed when walking into the economics or journalism classroom. This was completely different from being in a physics or chemistry lecture hall, they always have a serious air to them.

Next, I went off to sociology and economics with Matt. Economics felt more like one of my lectures. The material used a logical step-by-step process, much like in the sciences.

Sociology was different. It was much more thought and opinion-based than the other courses. The classes revolved around discussion as a means to keep the lecture moving forward, something I was unaccustomed too.

To conclude, I think both engineering and arts have their pros and cons, with a lot of the experience depending on what kind of professor is teaching you the material.

In terms of workload, engineering is pretty high as opposed to the taste I got of Matt’s courses. That being said, it is very hard to compare the two as both require different things of the student. Where I would be required to do an assignment, Matt may be required to do a paper and both of these rely on skills that your specific course of study prepare you for in advance.

Check out the other side HERE.