AMST 4559

THE CITY: Do not take this class unless you like small classes, talking a lot, and a ton of reading. Honestly, the class chemistry is what made this actually doable. I thought this was going to be about city planning and urban development because that's what the description suggested; however, that is not the case. The class consists of many left-side-view readings and ideas that are very abstract, and often no one in the class knew what the readings were saying. There are 4 critical thinking papers, 2 journal checks (no computers), a midterm, and a final. The exams are in her office and are oral exams, which we thankfully got to do with partners, but still... the midterm was 45 mins long, and the final is an hour and 15, which I think is just a little ridiculous. She is an easy grader, but it's not worth the stress tbh. Overall, I would not take this again.

This is a class for you if you like abstract thinking. If you are someone that is straightforward, want clear definitions, and being able to make quizlets out of the concepts, this is not for you. If you are someone that enjoys postmodern philosophy, political commentary, and debate, I would reccommend it. I think the thing that is going to trip a lot of people up is the course is oriented towards the struggle of understanding abstract ideas (like the politics of city space, failures of responses to detrimental educational policies, and critiques of critique). I think this is a healthy environment to experiment with that, and Professor Ngo encourages that debate and that struggle and will not judge you for thinking it is complicated. I received an A in this course without really understanding what was going on half the time, the readings were not crazy, the journal assignments weren't crazy either, and the midterm and final were both certainly manageable (she gives you the first question) and she isn't trying to trip you up. She will want you to succeed. A lot of things about this course are sort of against the grain for UVA but I think that is necessary in the long-run. Try it.