Why You'll Love Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law, from a Peer Tutor

This article was part of a series by the Board of Student Academic Support Services (SASS) that interviewed OHS course peer tutors about the courses they tutor. You can book an appointment with these peer tutors through the OHS Writing Center, which can be found on the OHS Gateway site. 

SASS: What did you enjoy about DFRL?

Catherine Yeo (‘18): To be completely honest, having always been inclined towards STEM subjects, I was not looking forward to taking a class named "Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law" when I joined the OHS shortly before 11th grade. That opinion definitely changed for me last year -- it was one of my favorite classes. I loved how DFRL exposed me to so many thinkers and philosophies, and how the course constantly challenged me to consider and argue/refute from different perspectives.

SASS: What was your favorite topic covered in DFRL?

Catherine: I particularly enjoyed the unit on equality (i.e. Burke, Tocqueville) in the fall semester and the unit on the rule of law in the spring semester. Additionally, I've always really loved reading court cases so I had a lot of fun reading all the court opinions -- Wisconsin v. Yoder, Brown v. Board, Virginia Pharmacy Board, etc.

SASS: What tips do you have that could be useful to students taking DFRL?

Catherine: Office hours are the number one most useful source of help for DFRL -- if you're unsure about an author's ideas, or you're having trouble planning your paper, discussing any issues with your instructor will be extremely helpful. Not to shamelessly advertise us, but I'd also recommend peer tutors. Last year, I regularly visited or communicated with two DFRL peer tutors, and they helped me a lot, especially in improving my argument construction and philosophical writing.