You are advised to begin assembling any reserve readings early in the term, to avoid the rush as they come up for discussion. If you think you may be interested in writing about one of the texts on the schedule after the proposal are due, read ahead and we can discuss the material during office hours. Detailed assignment sheets will be provided in class for the papers. Students should turn in written proposal of 1 - 2 pages for the final paper including a working thesis, list of texts under consideration, and a sketch of the argument. This portion of your grade includes your productive oral presentation in class, attendance, the extent to which your written assignments reflect that you are listening actively in class, and the improvement in your work over the course of the semester.
Students enroll in the class with varying degrees of preparation.
Even if you enter the class with a strong background in the subject, you must demonstrate that you are learning something from this class in order to do well in it. If you are studying the subject for the first time, do not fear that you will forever be lagging behind the more advanced students. You are strongly encouraged to discuss your papers, as well as all of the assignments, with me at my office hours or in e-mail. There will be no opportunities for extra credit, but if you would like to improve your performance on written assignments, I will always accept drafts in advance, to be returned ungraded with comments and suggestions. Most students who turn in drafts and take the suggestions seriously learn a good deal about writing and improve their assignments one-half to a full grade.