(OHSC0) Conceptualizing Darwinism With HSC Peer Tutor Mark Zhu

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) Peer Tutor Mark Zhu. We hope that this article will help current and future HSC students in their academic journey!

When did you take History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0), and who was your instructor?

I took HSC in the 2019-2020 school year with Dr. Wallhagen.

About how much time did you spend a week working on assignments and preparing for discussion sessions in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

I think I spent about an hour and a half preparing for each discussion, max. Writing assignments probably took me about 3.5 hours or so each.

What did the typical week in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) look like?

Each week consisted of me going through the readings and procrastinating on writing assignments. In all seriousness, I only used the given readings to prepare.

What did you enjoy about History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

Well I love the topic so that made the class very enjoyable for me. I also love how we get to choose our topic for the Research Papers.

What was your favorite topic covered in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

This is a tricky one because I found pretty much everything fascinating. However I really enjoyed the unit on Darwin. And though we only touched on logic/epistemology briefly, I found it super interesting as well.

What challenged you the most in History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)? How did you overcome those challenges?

I think the Writing Assignments gave me the most grief, but that can’t be unique to me. I found that creating outlines for WA’s was super helpful, because they allowed me to really digest the information and form my own arguments.

Are there midterms/finals in this class? How would you recommend reviewing for these exams?

No midterms but there are finals! Watching the quiz reviews were such a lifesaver, and going through the Start-of-the-year handout was great.

What are the major assignments for this class? How would you recommend approaching these assignments?

The only major assignments were the WA’s and the Research Projects. To write these well you need a sound understanding of an argument. I took notes for all readings, and formatted them as to make the argument clear.

Do you recommend typing or hand-writing notes for History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

I always like handwriting notes, the very act of writing them burns them into my brain.

How should a student participate and engage in discussions of History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

Discussions are crucial to getting your questions answered. Write down questions when taking notes, don’t be afraid to challenge the views of others (respectfully of course), and don’t forget to crack jokes!

What tips do you have that could be useful to students taking History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0)?

Please please please go to Dr. Walker-Dale’s quiz reviews sessions. They are incredibly helpful and I would not have survived finals without them.

If you have taken any other core classes at the OHS, how does History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) compare to other courses in the core sequence?

Well it’s far more philosophical than MSB, which was still mostly scientific. It’s quite similar to DFRL but just a completely different topic. Much more writing than MSB, so don’t slack off!

Do you have any resources (i.e. study tips, useful websites) to share with students who want to take the course?

I didn’t really utilize the tutoring center but I think I should have. The DeWitt textbook is wonderful, and so was the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP). The SEP gave me so many ideas for WA’s and the Research Paper, because practically everything is there.

Do you have anything to add?

Subtle plug, but if you need anything, the peer tutors are MORE than happy to help!

Mark Zhu is a Peer Tutor for History and Philosophy of Science and can be found on the Writing and Tutoring Center.

#HSC #OHSC0