I went to college right around the time colleges were announcing that they had classes dedicated to the beautiful series. I contemplated and was seriously tempted to choose my school based solely on which Harry Potter classes were offered. I didn't end up doing that. I chose a school based on all the usual things, campus, classes, majors, people, that sort.
Imagine my surprise when the syllabus of one of my required freshman year classes had us reading Sorcerer's Stone! It was an Intro English class that taught us how to write papers that were up to college standards. That was the class that I was able to do a 10 page research paper on why Harry Potter should be considered a classic. I discussed all the mythology and classic literature references and allusions made throughout the series. I've never had so much fun researching in my life. I even had a very clever [read: puny] title to my paper: The Myth-use of Muggle Artifacts:
How J.K. Rowling Creates a Classic. My professor didn't get it... I was actually incredibly surprised that she didn't get the reference.
Although that class wasn't solely dedicated to Harry Potter, it was great fun reading and discussing themes and literary devices in Sorcerer's Stone. I rather enjoyed that beginning to my college career.
Fast forward three semester, my sophomore year I took a Children's Literature class. This class is as awesome as it sounds. There's a list of books, we read them and discuss them in class. The end of term paper was a lengthy discussion of what I think the formula for children's literature is based on the books we've read and the discussions we've had in class. It was awesome! Going into the class I didn't know for sure, but I was really hoping the Harry Potter would be included on the list of books we were to read that semester.
Again, I got the syllabus and class book list and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was on it! It was a good day to be me. When we actually got around to reading that book, my professor gave us the option to read whichever book in the series we wanted to. She encouraged those who hadn't read the entire things to pick up where they left off or start from the beginning. Since I read the books quite often, I chose to read Prisoner of Azkaban which is one that I always enjoy reading. (I mean I like reading them all, but PoA was one of the shorter ones, so it was easier to read in the short time span I had to read the book.)
That class is among may favorite I took in college.
Moral of my college career, it was a good thing I didn't go to the college that had all the Harry Potter courses. I went to the school that had everything I wanted AND I was rewarded with not one, but two unexpected Harry Potter classes. It's a beautiful thing.
Side Note: My aunt often called my schooling "pretend college" because she couldn't quite believe that I had just happened across TWO classes that had me read a Harry Potter book.
LOL this is awesome^^ I was just out of Uni when the series was ending. I started reading them then and I finished HBP right around the time DH came out so I rushed to the bookstore (10 minutes before closing) to get it the night I finished HBP and kept reading till past midnight. I would have LOVED to have any classes have HP books on the syllabus. Granted, I went to a French Uni and my English classes weren't many, but I DID have some and we studied literature so studying and researching HP would have been a dream. If I could get a HP degree, I would so I guess it's a good think they don't LOL
ReplyDeleteI would love a degree in Harry Potter. My family already acts like I have one, I'm the HP expert anyway. lol :D
DeleteThis is so cool! I wish we had classes like that at my uni. Also, I love the title of your paper :D
ReplyDeleteI love the title of your paper, that's so creative :D It's great that you had classes with Harry Potter books even though you didn't search them out specifically. It's great how things work out like that.
ReplyDeleteI read Sorcerer's Stone for my children's lit class and I took a 500 level class where we read 4 HP books. The 2nd class was kind of disappointing, because while it was fun to read them for class, I didn't learn anything new and the classes weren't what I hoped.
I think it would be fun to teach HP in a class of my own one day :)
I get the pun in the title of your paper, haha! That's so funny that your aunt called it pretend college. My sister took an HP college class last year, and I was extremely jealous of her because she seemed to have so much fun. It'd be so awesome to write a college research paper on HP. Like you, I'd have a blast doing the research and writing, lol. :)
ReplyDeleteHow fun!! That was definitely lucky that you happened across two classes that had Potter books to read. I know I never had HP in my schooling for High School or College. I would loved Literature classes a lot more if they actually has some good books on the list. My son was in 6th grade last year and they had Narnia on their list. I know I would have so much fun writing essay papers about HP <3
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