Play... Fantasy College Advisor!

In My Humble Opinion
1

It’s that time of year again for college students–Pre-registration! So, I once again found myself engaging in one of my duties this morning: advising young, impressionable undergraduate Geology majors.

It is not as exciting as it sounds. First, most students already know what they want to take, and you’re not likely to change their mind–and if they do pretend to sway to your advice, they go back to doing what they wanted to do when the register, anyway! Second, what do students want to take? What they are required to take for the B.S. degree–and not a damn bit more.

So I got to thinking: What do I wish that all students would take? I mean, in addition to my classes–what did I take that I think all students would benefit from, regardless of major? Limiting myself to classes NOT in my field of study (which would produce a rather boring list for most folk), I came up with the following three:

  1. Historiography. There’s no better a class for any student in any major to both learn how to do research and critically evaluate data, news, books, etc. History majors are required to take this class–but I think that everybody should.

  2. Physical Chemistry. Thermodynamics, baby. It explains it all. There’s hardly a subject in science or life that I can’t apply a thermodynamic to!

  3. Macroeconomics. What can’t be understood by thermodynamics can be understood by the Laws of Supply and Demand. I took this class from a pretty die-hard Libertarian, which made it that much more interesting.

So–limiting yourself to three, and staying out of your own field of study (just to be fair; I didn’t recommend Igenous Petrology, did I?)–what classes do you think that EVERY college undergrad should be required to take?

2

Many of the students in my university have to take either Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or some other economics course, either becaue it’s required for the major or to satisfy a gen-ed requirement.

I would say a class in foreign language, or in foreign literature (that could be translated). Different perspective and way of thinking, plus an asset in many careers.

Some basic first aid class should be required… very practical.

I can’t seem to come up with many other required courses, simply because I believe that college, for the most part, should not have required courses (except those for your major). Spending 12 years of pre-college education taking required classes, I would like to have some liberty at the moment of picking up the college classes.

3

I disagree with the OP–I took someone else’s advice and I’m taking a class this semester that is outside of my major and not required. My three:

  1. Some sort of politics course. It’s how the world works, so it does you good to know it no matter what your field.

  2. A speech class. Required, in my case, but oh-so-great. It was impossible to get up there and give a talk every other week, but now I’m much the better for it.

  3. An extracurricular club/activity. Yeah, it’s not a class, but I think it’s wrong to not be even the least little bit involved in your college, if you’re there full-time. People who don’t participate miss out.

4

Well, I’d say “Avoid the Rocks for Jocks type classes” (special courses in a field that are designed explicitly “for non-majors”). My old school had very broad distribution requirements, but unfortunately, some of the departments had blow-off courses designed to just process students taking distribution requirements. Fortunately, this was being phased out.

5

-An art class…because college is the only chance they’re going to get to do it…plus, art classes are fun!
-Someone said it already, but a first Aid/CPR class…I’m taking one now and it is so very interesting and useful.
-a good Writing class…everyone could benefit from knowing how to write well.

6

A film studies class. In college, everyone learns how to read and write critically, but there are still tons of graduates that will say films “don’t mean anything”. Just one film studies class will change the way you watch movies (a lot of people actually complain about that- they miss being able to watch them without thinking) and provides a good background for a lifetime of thinking critically about all media.

7

Philosophy! It’s not an easy class, and it’s not always fun, but it sure does give your mind a workout if you take it seriously. Also, I’m one of those people who worry about the Big Questions (God, Good & Evil, Free Will, and so on), so I’m glad for the opportunity to take this class for other reasons as well. But even for people who don’t care about the Big Questions, this class should be valuable–it introduces one not just to the Big Questions, but also to the Big Answers by the Big Thinkers. Then there’s tons and tons of logic and critical thinking, which should be useful to most everybody, plus lots of reading and writing. I’ll never be a philosophy major, but I’m certainly going to take several more philosophy classes before I’m done. So take that, Pantellerite–some of us do take extra stuff! :slight_smile:

Considering the world we live in, I think most college students should take one or two introductory classes in mass media. My first class in this area–Intro to Mass Media–was probably the most varied in subject matter I ever encountered. Novels, radio, television, the world wide web, rock concerts, magazines . . . politics and media law . . . censorship and freedom of speech . . . the past, present, and future of communications . . . laser beams and radio waves. Man, this class sure touched on a lot of subjects–to a certain extent, almost all of them. And it sure was an eye-opener for some people to see how the media really works. Plus, of course, it is good for a person to understand how important and valuable the media is, how fallible it is, how it serves us, and how it manipulates us. A very good class. And fun, too. Although I had to read a text book and write a couple papers (the subjects of which for me ranged from pornography to newspapers in the good ole USSR), most of the homework was watching TV and listening to the radio . . . pretty hard to bitch and moan about that. This was the only class I was forced to take that I found both interesting and valuable. An elective for most people, this class is one I think everybody should take.

The third class . . . I dunno. I think every student every semester should take at least one fun/stupid/goofy class that doesn’t necessarily have a lot to do with the more traditional stuff. It’s just really hard for a student to wake up and look forward to his or her day when all it’s going to be is quadratic equations and stupid dead guys and the life cycles of bugs. What exactly that extra class should be will vary with each student, but I think it would be best if it’s something physical . . . fencing or paint ball or something. Working out is a good change of pace, a great stress reliever, and it can be fun . . . plus, why not get in the habit of daily exercise while you’re young*–you’ll be glad you did when you’re a fit and sexy forty-five year old and all your friends are fat! :slight_smile:

  • Mephisto needs to take his own advice here–he used to be physically active, but has really slacked off lately, and it’s really starting to show . . .
8

Speaking as someone who once did a humorous graphic about a liberal arts major who found that the only job she could get with her degree was one as a living lawn ornament, I think all liberal arts majors shoud be required to be double majors and that the “other” major should be in business or the hard sciences. Not just because it gives the student a “fallback” position, but because the additional expertise will give them a field in which they may be able to combine their liberal arts and hard science/business studies.

At the very least, make them take some business management and marketing courses.

9

I was tempted to say foreign languages, but most schools do have a foreign language requirement and all too many of the students seem to regard it as one more useless hoop to jump through.

Therefore, I think everybody should spend at least one semester abroad. It doesn’t matter so much which courses they take (or even whether they take any courses at all – some of the student work-exchange programs sound like a perfectly good alternative to study abroad) – just as long as they stay in one place long enough to learn the language and put down a few roots. (Nothing against traveling, of course, but you can always do that later in life; students are in an enviable position because nobody minds if they stay a while.)

10

(Another advisor-type person checking in…)

I’d say… have fun with college! Here, you aren’t charged for any hours above 12 (except for any extra lab fees, books, etc.), so you can take 18 hours for the same price as 12. Use this to your advantage and take courses ‘for free’! Always wanted to do Underwater Basket Weaving? Grab it! Horseback riding? One-shot classes that cover odd topics? Go for it! Don’t be so hyper about everything having to count towards your degree. Spread out a bit. Enjoy yourself.

So, for the three classes I say everyone should take, following basically the above reasoning:

  1. Some sort of get down-n-dirty art course. Splash paint around, get clay under your nails, whatever floats your boat. Keeps the braincells alive and flexible, and saves your sanity by giving you something different to do. (Art-related majors should do the reverse: take a dry, technical course that requires more ridgid thinking.)

  2. Small group communications course. Here, you do have to take a public speaking course, but non-communications majors don’t have to take anything beyond that. It is really helpful to know the dynamics of working with other people in a group.

  3. Some sort of wacky, one-shot class a professor is offering just 'cuz they want to and can. It’s in classes like these that the passion for teaching usually comes out, and that passion for teaching can translate into a passion for learning by the students involved. (Or, alternatively, check around to see which professors are nearly always showing their passion for teaching, and take a course from them. Even if it means taking ‘(subject) for Dummies’.)

<< Bee-bop-a-lu-la… >>

11

As noted by Fretful Porpentine foreign language–in addition to a couple of semesters of political science and a semester of speech communications–are typically already required, and students do tend to treat them as simply another class that they have to get out of the way.

(I should note, however, that a few colleges are starting to scale back on the foreign language requirement for B.S. students, which I think is El Wrongo.)

A couple of fine arts classes are also usually required, but most students take something like “Introduction to Art Appreciation” and also treat it as something ot get out of the way. I really like the idea of encouraging the students to take an Art class where they do some Art instead of just learn about Art (i.e., sleep through the lectures you don’t skip, cram, and get a C without actually learning anything.) Excellent suggestion!

12

I agree with Fretful Porpentine. I took time off before college to do a work-exchange program in Europe. I think it prepared me for the real world a lot better than college alone would have. I learned a lot about tolerance of others with a different cultural background. It also helped my work ethic, allowing me to take college more seriously than I would have otherwise.

13

“Freshman physics is invariably the most satisfying course offered by any American university.” Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

14

Feh… not at my college, ftg. But then it’s because the lecturers seemed more intent in scaring the non-physic students and make them change their major, than in actually teaching them to love that science.

There’s a difference between being challenging and evil.

15

We are talking first semester calc-based physics, right?

Algebra-based physics is a complete waste of everyone’s time.

Signed,
Podkayne
Algebra-Based Physics Lab Instructor Extraordinaire

16

Pod, I would’ve taken calc-based (I already took Calc 1 and 2) if it wasn’t for the co-requirement in my college that in order to take calc-based Physics II, you needed Calc 3.

I’m sorry, but I realized that although good at math, it’s simply not my interest, and I decided not to take that class, in order to take something that I really enjoy.

So I took algebra-based physics. And that still doesn’t excuse the lecturers (and some TAs) of their standoffish and somewhat rude behavior.

17

Everyone should have a course in Logic and a course in Probability and Statistics.

There’s so many scams, misleading advertising, badly reported new stories, miracle cure offers, etc., out there that people need a good B.S. detector just to survive. If most people had even an intuitive of what “statistical significance” meant, of the difference between cause and correlation, and of why “post hoc ergo propter hoc” is a fallacy, the world would be a much safer place for all of us.

18

I’m just saying that I’d never recommend that someone take algebra-based physics for fun. If you’re interested and want to take physics to learn physics, you should take it calc-based, even if it’s just the first semester.

[VERY LONG RANT DELETED] [NO, REALLY, I ACTUALLY TYPED A REALLY LONG RANT AND DELETED IT.][TWICE]

Algebra-based physics is a terrible, kludgy mess that we foist upon students who the Powers That Be have decided simply must take physics, but, for whatever reason, should be protected from calculus at all cost. You can’t get into any really deep physics because they don’t have the math for it. We barely scratch the surface of problem-solving, which is probably a good thing, judging from how poorly the students do at it, and how much they complain when we make them do homework to practice it.

If you really want to learn some physics, take it calc-based. Just take Physics I and skip Physics II if the math requirements are too stringent. Physics, in all of its glory, is well worth taking for real.

If you aren’t up to that commitment, most physics departments offer some kind of a non-basic-physics gen ed course that will probably be much more enjoyable.