By Junho Hong

Today, I would like to share my roster. I hope my personal recommendation helps you plan your roster at Temple University. Before I show you my schedule, first I want to introduce my principles regarding registering for classes. One of the biggest reasons I chose Temple was because I wanted to experience high quality education. Since I am a MIS (Management Information Systems) student, I wanted to take MIS major classes. Furthermore, I wanted to take English classes and a guitar class to start a new hobby. Thus, I am taking 5 classes in 2023 spring semester including two major classes, two English classes, and a guitar class.

First, I would like to share what I have learnt in MIS classes. I am taking a Digital Systems and a Data Science class. In my Digital Systems class, I am learning basic concepts of MIS, tech-related topics, and JavaScript. For those who are already MIS majors, this class can be a good recap and a good chance for learning JavaScript. If you want to learn more about MIS and experience Temple’s organized curriculum, then I really recommend you take this class. A difference between my home university’s MIS major and Temple’s was that the curriculum at Temple is more focused on learning programming languages and deploying their service. Next, in my Data Science class, I have learnt Excel, big data concepts, and Tableau. The professor shares informative resources, articles, and his own experience in tech domains. Those materials can be used in future projects, and they help in reinforcing your knowledge base.

Second, I am taking a Public Speaking class and an Introduction to Academic Discourse class, which are speaking and writing classes. For the Public Speaking class, I have five major presentations during the semester. I prepare a presentation on specific topics every two to three weeks. In the beginning of this course, I was worried because I had never done a presentation in English before. However, the professor gives useful instructions on how to deliver my thoughts and assertions in an effective manner. Therefore, if you truly want to improve your speaking skills, Public Speaking class would be one of the best options. Lastly, I have a lot to share about my writing class, Introduction to Academic Discourse. I personally think the biggest weakness of my English is writing. Word usage was limited, and grammar errors always occurred. However, I am learning how to write concise sentences and how to build easily readable structures. Moreover, students must read several articles before writing a new paper. In this case, I read many papers, which helps me to improve my reading skills as well. Not only reading quickly, but I can also read an article to find main topics, and the author’s persuasive writing skills - finding ethos, pathos, and logos, etc. In this semester, we must submit a total of four papers which requires a lot of effort. I know it sounds tedious, but as you already know, if you want to improve something, time and effort are needed.

To sum up, I strongly recommend MIS major classes especially if you are a MIS student, and speaking and writing classes, which can be excellent English practice. Lastly, I would like to tell you that at Temple University, there are tons of great curriculums and classes you can register for. Just push yourself and it will definitely take you further.