A friend of mine who happens to be a freshman recently asked me for help deciding which classes to take in the fall, when most of his core requirements will finally be out of the way.
He handed me his tentative schedule, which already overflowed with classes required by his major, and after a glance I asked the obvious question.
By Chris Ulicne
Senior Staff Writer
A friend of mine who happens to be a freshman recently asked me for help deciding which classes to take in the fall, when most of his core requirements will finally be out of the way.
He handed me his tentative schedule, which already overflowed with classes required by his major, and after a glance I asked the obvious question.
“What interests you?” He flipped to a bookmarked page in his course catalog—the page that listed course sections related to his chosen specialty—and started to drag his finger down the list with a shrug.
“I’m taking everything that’s offered next term.” I leaned over and thumbed through the rest of the catalog, reading off suggestions.
“Drawing. Acting. Photography. Fiction writing. French. Spanish. Computer programming.” I grinned.
“Modern dance?”
“I’ll never use any of that,” he protested.
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard that response. As a senior who still somehow manages to take a lot of classes populated by younger students, I get requests for advice about scheduling all the time, and rightfully so. I remember those days. There are over 800 courses to choose from at Seton Hill, according to the online course catalog, and sorting through them all to find the ones that are right for you can be intimidating.
I’m an English major minoring in the graphic arts and a foreign language, so obviously I was a little biased in my suggestions. But I had taken most of those courses and knew firsthand that they were excellent choices. I had also deliberately pointed out classes I knew my friend wasn’t required to take.
When it came down to the best unbiased advice I could offer, I could only admit the dark truth of my college experience: most of my favorite classes turned out to be the ones that really seemed to have nothing to do with my major at all.
I don’t plan on turning my back on writing, the love of my life, to pursue a career in acting, for instance. But sticking an acting class into my schedule, which soaked up literature and computer courses like a sponge, helped to break up the monotony and challenged me to overcome my fear of public speaking (and my fear of just generally making a fool of myself in front of others).
You’d be surprised how much you learn in these classes that can be applied to your major, too. Acting forced me to quite literally imagine myself in the role of fictional characters, which has had a tremendous impact on my writing.
Even if what you learn doesn’t have an obvious connection to your major, there are still other benefits to consider. One I already mentioned is that taking a class that strays from the obvious path can help prevent boredom or frustration by opening you up to new experiences. It can also give you the opportunity to pursue personal interests, things you’d like to try or hobbies you already enjoy. Who knows, you might even discover a new path for yourself.
Tired of the same old song and dance? Give yourself a break and try dancing to a different tune. That’s my advice.