# Most oddball courses you took in High School/College? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 18, 2016, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911 "2016-10-18T01:53:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/21 "2016-10-18T11:37:01Z")
High School: Russian; Chamber Orchestra College: Hegel’s Dialectical Idealism; Geodesic Solids; Fencing; Rowing ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/22 "2016-10-18T11:41:52Z")
I fulfilled a foreign language requirement in high school with Latin (I was being a smartass). The instructor was a genius, but he also was teetering on the edge of severe mental illness. Some days he would just sit quietly at his desk, contemplating the bottles of medication lined up in front of him and periodically taking one or two, seemingly at random. Other days he taught; sometimes effectively, sometimes totally unaware the class was present. He once turned while erasing the board and threw the eraser at a student, then ran out of the room. We all accepted it, enjoying the experience as you would performance art. Incredibly, _nobody_ told anyone in power. There were ten students in the class, all the type who would elect Latin. Eventually he “went off the deep end” (whatever that means). We never saw or heard from him again. He had kept no records of the class. The administration eventually gave us all “B” for the course. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/23 "2016-10-18T11:51:34Z")
It makes me sad. I moved from a good school district with 9-12 high school and A.P. classes to a “highly regarded” school district with a 10-12 high school and no A.P. classes. I was ahead of everyone by at least one year. My senior year of high school consisted of Journalism, Advanced Swimming (note: not an A.P. class), Jazz Band, Orchestral Band, French 1, Spanish 1, German 3, Pascal (the programming language), and some mediocre social studies class wherein we listened to Rush Limbaugh for his social commentary (yeah, way back in 1990). To boot, those assholes wouldn’t even let me graduate in January despite having met all of the requirements. Maybe none of those are oddball per se, but collectively it was an oddball combination. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/24 "2016-10-18T13:19:30Z")
Needing a GPA boost in college, I took Roman Art and Archeology (a notorious source of “A” grades). It involved looking at lots of pictures. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/25 "2016-10-18T13:32:58Z")
I took a couple in college; the Physics of Science Fiction, the Psychology of the Paranormal and Other Popular Movements, and an archeology course based on (debunking) the In Search Of TV series. None were a cake walk and the first actually screwed up some seniors who needed the credits for distribution of studies and didn’t make the cut. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/26 "2016-10-18T13:35:05Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I took a couple in college; the Physics of Science Fiction, At Pitt? Did the professor wear sandals with socks (year round) ? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/27 "2016-10-18T14:07:53Z")
> [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > University: The mythical illness of masturbatory insanity. Part of my science degree. Was this a whole course? an entire semester of masturbatory insanity? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/28 "2016-10-18T14:33:20Z")
Mine weren’t oddball in and of themselves, but odd for someone on a STEM trajectory. In high school I did advanced chemistry with the geeks and metal shop with the stoners. In college there were some interesting liberal arts electives such as Humor in American Literature, Study of Film, and Comparative Religious Philosophy. I also learned typing on mechanical typewriters in HS and the first year of programming in college was done on keypunch. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/29 "2016-10-18T14:50:12Z")
High School - Mechanical Drawing / Drafting. This was pre-computers so we each sat at one of those big wooden drafting tables with the sliding ruler and a box of pencils, triangles, t-squares, compasses, & cet… Drew machine parts and architectural drawings. I still have all my old drawings from that class somewhere in my files. “Industrial Arts” in our high school had the standard wood shop and metal shop, but we also did “electronics” where we learned to to simple wiring and soldering. The most fun though was when we learned to use a dark room to develop film and prints, learned to bind books, and printed using hand set type. That was a great class. My kids don’t get to do anything like that in their schools. Also in high school I took economics as an elective. Covered more or less the same material I’d see in my first Econ class at Cornell. Elementary School - Small Engine Repair. To take that course you had to bring in a lawn mower engine which the teacher taught you how to disassemble, clean the carb, set the gap on the plugs, stuff like that. Incredibly useful class in later life and I was able to take it in 5th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/30 "2016-10-18T15:48:16Z")
In college it was map reading, or Physiography. Taught by a legally blind professor. Great course!! ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/31 "2016-10-18T15:55:39Z")
I took a course generically titled ‘Humanities 101’. It ended up being taught by an adjunct who spent the whole term sharing his hobby of building [dulcimers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dulcimer). Dulcimer history, crafting, and playing. One whole class session was spent on ‘critique of feather vs bamboo as pick material.’ I can’t complain, an ‘A’ was given for attendance plus a 5-page essay on any topic of your choosing. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/32 "2016-10-18T16:01:47Z")
I took marine biology in high school. We got to dissect sharks, sea urchins and squid. I really didn’t take anything too outrageous in college. I tried to choose electives that were somewhat practical, seeing as how it was costing all this money. I did take a marriage and family class that was taught by a nun, which I found somewhat ironic. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/33 "2016-10-18T16:04:04Z")
I went to a one year immersion school in Bemidji, MN to learn German. It had a strange setup where we had octomesters so each class was compressed into one month. We had a standard college class, then another hour long class that would be more language focused. In the final octomesters, we were able to chose a subject we wanted to work on. A group of decided we wanted to learn Swedish-in German. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/34 "2016-10-18T16:53:24Z")
Pornography. It was an overview of the genre (written only) and we read things like _Fanny Hill, The Story of O, Tropic of Cancer_ and _My Secret Life_. The professor had testified in the _Deep Throat_ obscenity case, saying that the movie did have redeeming social value. The homework was also interesting. We had to buy a porn magazine. Get your mind out of the gutter! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/35 "2016-10-18T17:06:16Z")
The oddest class in high school was probably “Bachelor Foods.” Otherwise known as “HomeEc for Jocks.” Really paid off, though. The weirdest college class could be several: “History of the Fantasy Film,” “Cross-Cultural Child-Rearing Practices,” “Disaster Medical Coordination, Monitoring and Surveillance.” I’ve had a number of majors over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/36 "2016-10-18T18:05:49Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > A group of decided we wanted to learn Swedish-in German. Snyggt! Lärde ni något? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/37 "2016-10-18T18:25:36Z")
I took an Advanced Russian Literature course because it was the only thing that would fit the schedule that semester. Not my cup of Borscht. Didn’t help the GPA, either. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/38 "2016-10-18T18:31:38Z")
There wasn’t anything weird to take in high school. In college my most offbeat psychology class was “Nonverbal Communication.” We learned a lot about the current (at the time) research on lying, and the evolution of facial expressions. Interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/39 "2016-10-18T18:32:17Z")
High school was boring. College was more fun. I took fencing, the psychology of human sexuality, semiotics, Swahili, and a field linguistics course with a Tigrinya speaker as our subject. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911/40 "2016-10-18T18:33:11Z")
I had a good one. Went to high school in a central California podunk town so along with the plain-Jane courses I got to take an elective called “Animal Health Technology”. Along with bookwork like studying common livestock diseases, nutrition, anatomy and parasitology, we had some hands-on work: injections and innoculations tail docking castration slaughter shearing artificial insemination Not many 17 year olds have been up the the shoulder in a cow’s arse. Best class EVAR! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-oddball-courses-you-took-in-high-school-college/768911.md?page=3)