Junior

Colloquium Antiquity (fall)
Once you return from your semester abroad, you embark on yet another voyage, this one further back in time. The fall Junior Colloquium helps you explore the historical, philosophical, political, and literary revolutions that shaped the worlds of Antiquity, whose richness and variety is represented by writings from Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy and the Mediterranean, spanning more than 2500 years (from 2200 BCE to 400 CE). From The Odyssey to the Bible, you may discuss the beginnings of monotheism, the practice of slavery, Plato's and Aristotle's conceptions of the soul, Herodotus' understanding of history, or gender in the Bacchae. As in all our colloquia, COL instructors encourage your input as a class to help create the theme and reading list.

For a sample of syllabi for the JUNIOR COLLOQUIUM (fall), click below:
-COL Antiquity sample syllabus 1
-COL Antiquity sample syllabus 2
-COL Antiquity sample syllabus 3

Colloquium Middle-Ages and Renaissance (spring)
The Middle-Ages leading to the Renaissance are less and less portrayed as the Dark Ages of Europe, and more and more seen as a time with its share of enlightening ideas and moments. Religious, social, and political changes abound, after all, and you may find yourself reading texts from three different religious traditions with Saint Augustine's Confessions, excerpts from the Qu'ran, Jewish Spanish poetry, and Dante's Inferno all in one semester. Women are also more present as literary agents, from Hildegard, to Marie de France, and Christine de Pizan, and their voices might surprise you.

For a sample of syllabi for the JUNIOR COLLOQUIUM (spring), click below:
-COL Medieval sample syllabus 1
-COL Medieval sample syllabus 2
-COL Medieval sample syllabus 3

Comps (April-May)
Junior COL majors take comprehensive exams in April (written part) and May (oral part). The Junior comps (as they are known and beloved) are based on the material studied in the first 3 colloquia (20th, Antiquity, Medieval), but allow students to draw on the work they have done in the college to that point. The examination is given and evaluated by two examiners from other universities and is intended to encourage students to integrate the work they have done up until that time. Junior comps can receive citations of Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors (in exceptional cases), or Credit (or No Honors). An ungraded option (pass/fail) is available.

In the past, COL students have created study groups (sometimes starting in late Fall of their Junior year) to prepare for these exams. Each new class also benefits from using the questions asked by previous examiners that are available in the binder on the Junior Shelf in the COL library. Make good use of it, and don't worry too much. It's a nice opportunity to review what you know.