College is a time to expand your education and learn new things you would not have the chance to learn elsewhere. While it is important to focus on classes to prepare you for the career you want, there are also some classes that will make you a better person and will help you in everyday life. Here are some classes you should take before you graduate. Regardless of your major, they will influence the way you think about things, give you valuable skills for the future, and maybe even change what you want to major in.
I may be a bit biased on this one because I am a psychology major, but I think having a basic knowledge of psychology is important for everyone. You will be given insight into the reasons behind peoples' behavior, and more importantly, the reasons behind your own behavior. I personally like social psychology the most, because it talks about the way society shapes our decisions, but in Intro to Psych you will learn about all the different areas of psychology and their impact on our day to day lives.
I am horrible at math and even I can appreciate the importance of taking Intro to Econ. Especially in these tough economic times, it is important to understand the basic principles that drive the economy. I use the ideas taught in my Intro to Econ class in everyday life as I make purchases. It was hard for me to sit through the math parts but it was definitely rewarding to challenge myself in a such a beneficial way
No matter who you are or what you do in life, at some point, you will have to give a speech or presentation. Communication skills are one of the most vital skills a person can have. An Intro to Public Speaking class can give you public speaking experience and teach you the skills that are necessary to be an effective public speaker.
Why limit yourself to scholarly classes when you can get your creative juices flowing with an Art class? It really can be whatever you want; drawing, painting, sculpting, and even graphic design. If you are fortunate enough to have a class offered that covers all of these, I would definitely take it. Having a creative outlet will be a nice break from textbooks and lectures.
George Santayana once said, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.” And I believe him. History is such an important thing to learn about because it shapes our world today. Even if history isn’t exactly “your thing”, just pretend it is one big story, because that’s basically what it is.
This one might seem random, but learning about all the different religions that people practice is an eye opening experience. Regardless of how religious you are, you should always be tolerant of others' religions. Tolerance starts with understanding exactly what they believe. An Intro to Religion class is a great way to get a reliable education on various religions and beliefs from around the world.
Some colleges offer the strangest classes that are totally random and unique. So why not take The Science of Harry Potter (offered at Frostburg State University) or Simpsons and Philosophy (offered at UC-Berkley)? Every college has those totally strange classes that are unique to that school, so why not expand on totally useless knowledge that you will never use again but is still super fun to know? Then you can impress your friends with all your fun facts!
What do you think are important classes to take in college? Have you taken these classes? What did you think of these classes?
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