(OHSC0) Reading About Lucretius With HSC Peer Tutor Kristen Ahn

In this article, the Board of SASS interviews History and Philosophy of Science (OHSC0) Peer Tutor Kristen Ahn. 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 it last year with Dr. Walker-Dale.

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

In a given week, I spent between 6 and 8 hours in preparation for discussion sessions, and around 5 hours on periodic writing assignments.

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

I’d usually start reading the week’s material either the day or weekend before classes. Most of my time was spent on annotations and taking rough notes.

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

As painful as it sounds, the perpetual internal confusion. It’s really intriguing when you find yourself in a position where every argument seems valid in its own way, and yet you still have to formulate a decisive response.

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

Lucretius and his theory of atoms

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

It took a while before I got used to philosophical writing--both my own and in the pieces I was reading. Honestly, the way I overcame this was by waiting for myself to get comfortable with the style. If you’re really struggling, I’d suggest actively reading philosophical papers in your own time.

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

There are no midterms, but there are final exams in HSC. A comprehensive overview never hurts, specifically dissecting each philosopher’s main empirical observations and philosophical arguments (alongside their respective structures).

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

Besides the final project (which is comparatively more liberal in structure), for writing assignments, I’d recommend first rereading the material thoroughly followed up with writing down your own thoughts on where he/she ran into circumstantial issues or had contradictions.

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

For text-based classes, I’m more of a typer when it comes to notes.

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

In the beginning, throw out every idea that you have--even the ones you consider stupid. Studying philosophy is likely going to feel unintuitive at first, but over time, actively contributing will get you places.

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

Read and then reread. There are inevitably going to be times where you’ll have to spend 10 minutes on a single page trying to understand what’s being said (and that’s alright!).

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?

Compared to MSB which is the only other core class I have taken, HSC is definitely a curveball. Personally, it was my first time seriously studying philosophy, so I would say it’s something you’ll need to fully immerse yourself in since it’s frankly a strange discipline.

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

I don’t have any off the top of my head, but if you have any specific inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me through Skype!

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

#HSC #OHSC0