Preparing for the Future
Senior Samantha Davison is taking an independent study in Hebrew this semester with religion professor Gary Stansell and two other students. Because she plans to attend law school and pursue diplomatic relations with Israel and other countries in the Middle East, Hebrew seemed a natural subject for her to study.
“It’s important that I understand the language,” she said. “But there was just no way I could take a course in Hebrew.”
Last spring, one of her friends approached Stansell about advising their independent study. With his help, the three students planned out the class. They selected a textbook, brainstormed assignments and developed a syllabus. When they were finished, they submitted all of the information to the registrar and were officially registered for the course.
Now that the semester is in full swing, the group has class three times a week. On Wednesdays, they meet with their professor, who goes over new grammar concepts, introduces new vocabulary and gives them a new assignment based on their progress. The remaining two days, the students get together to work on assignments.
Exploring New Topics
Unlike Davison, Taylor Brorby ’10 didn’t have a specific career goal in mind when he decided to do his first independent study. As an English major, Brorby was required to take two survey courses, which together covered the scope of literature from the beginning of the language to 1850. However, there was no course to address literature after 1850, which, for him, was quite disappointing.
Brorby and a friend approached a professor about advising their independent study in literature from 1850-1950 as a way to fill the gap left by the official curriculum. The professor agreed, but suggested that they might also discuss their proposed class with a different professor, who would be more knowledgeable in some areas.
In the end, Brorby’s course consisted of two professors and two students. Like Davison, he went to class three times a week, twice a week with the other student and once a week with one of the professors, who alternated each week. Brorby liked the arrangement.
“We got two different perspectives on the material, and the assignments were consistent, so it wasn’t confusing,” he said.
In the spring, Brorby will be doing another independent study, this time on C.S. Lewis. He will be studying by himself, which he thinks will make the course even more demanding, because there are no other students to share the burden. Still, he says he is very excited to examine one of his favorite thinkers.
Many students share his excitement. Last year, 296 students participated in independent study or independent research courses, in topics varying from Green Blogging and Fashionable Eating to Architectural Preservation and Astrophysics. Some, like Brorby, are just delving into topics that have always interested them. Others continue research they began over the summer or seek to improve their artistic skills.
“Independent study lets you fill in the gaps in your education,” Brorby said. “It allows you to delve into those areas that have always interested you, to deepen your knowledge and hone your skills.”
New Options
In 1961, independent study first appeared at St. Olaf as an option for seniors in the department of their major. Over time, the restrictions were gradually lifted to allow sophomores, juniors and seniors to take an independent study or independent research class in any field in which they have sufficient preparation.
Along with directed undergraduate research and internships, independent study and research allow students to interact with the material being studied in a direct manner, outside the usual classroom setting. However, both directed undergraduate research and internships require the student to follow a plan laid out by others, while independent study and research are completely student-designed courses. The student controls everything, including planning the course and completing the work. Of course, the student meets with a faculty adviser at least once a week to discuss the information being studied, but the student is largely responsible for the content and pace of the course.
The two types of independent courses vary primarily in the level at which the material is being studied. Independent research is a level III course, and students are required to have taken at least five courses that provide a preparation for the topic being researched. Independent study is a level II course, and students only need three preparatory classes.
In order to enroll in an independent study or research course, students must pick up a form from the registrar’s office and fill it out with the help of a faculty adviser. At this preliminary stage, the course description is not expected to be overly thorough, but the student is required to present their goals for the course, an explanation of their preparation for the course, an outline of the work they will be doing, an explanation of how the work will be supervised and a list of resources. While the resources are very often books, they could also be museums, research materials or another educational benefit.
Both independent study and independent research provide new options for students to fulfill requirements and explore topics that truly interest them. The courses may meet requirements for a major or fulfill the Writing In Context GE in a class tailor-made for that particular student. Because the class is completely student-designed, it can take any form. An independent study or research course need not be taken on campus, or even in this country. One may perform field research in Utah, or examine the cultural norms of American tourists in Paris. If a student can think of a topic and find an adviser, and is willing to put the time and effort into making the course worthwhile, nearly anything is possible.
The Highs and Lows of
Working Independently
“Sometimes doing independent study can be really difficult, especially for a language course,” Davison said. “Most languages have you doing some type of work for the class every day, but we only get to meet with the professor once a week.”
Despite the challenge, independent study Hebrew is her favorite course. She describes it as both laid-back and intense at the same time, because the workload is at least as heavy as a normal course, but the atmosphere is informal. Davison said that their professor gives them weekly assignments based on how well they mastered the material from the previous week, so there’s never any doubt that they have really learned everything.
That personal attention is definitely not something you would find in a normal course, which is one of the major reasons Brorby loves independent study.
“It puts you in a different relationship with your professor,” he said. “It’s almost like two friends getting together to discuss good books.”
But the format can also put more pressure on students, because they need to lead the discussion and there’s nowhere to hide if you don’t do the work. This pressure can be a good thing, though. According to Brorby, he learned the material in his independent study course better than the material in some of his other courses, because it forced him to think deeply about what he was learning.
Both Davison and Brorby emphasized the importance of good planning and organization.
“Independent study requires forethought and drive,” Brorby said.
The workload is designed to be equivalent to a normal class, but the independent nature of the course requires more responsibility from the student than is needed in other classes.
Mary Cisar, registrar and assistant vice president for academic affairs, concurs.
“Independent study and independent research definitely aren’t for everyone,” she said.
“They’re for highly motivated students with a lot of background and a strong interest in the area they’re studying.”
Still, if a student is willing to make the commitment, an independent study or independent research can be an incredible experience. Because the participant designs the course, they do not need to spend time discussing uninteresting topics. The student gets to know their professors on a personal level, and can truly delve into a subject that they are passionate about. For Brorby and Davison, the benefits clearly outweigh the costs. Their final word of advice: Go for it. You will not regret it.
frankm@stolaf.edu
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