# What communication classes should I take **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365 "2005-04-14T22:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365/1 "2005-04-14T22:39:08Z")
In the interest of a well rounded education I want some classes in communication. [http://www.indiana.edu/~cmcl/courses.htm](http://www.indiana.edu/~cmcl/courses.htm) Classes I think that I could use in life include C122: Interpersonal Communication C223: Business and Professional Communication C227: Public Discussion and Debate C324: Persuasion C380: Nonverbal Communication I won’t take all of them, but they seem the most useful for my life. Does anyone else have any recommendations (either communication classes, or other classes you can use in life)? Do any communication majors recommend these classes for the life skills they’d teach? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365/2 "2005-04-14T23:21:29Z")
Former journalism major here. Do you want to know how communications works, or do you want to be a better communicator? I had many classes in both. There’s nothing like a good theory course (either personal communications or mass media) to explain why you say A and I hear B or why we’re always complaining that journalists are biased while they’re complaining they have to be so evenhanded that the real story never gets told. On the other hand, if you want to sharpen your communication skills, I’d start with the basics – learning to write effectively, public speaking, basic sales training and marketing communications. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365/3 "2005-04-15T00:09:31Z")
I want to communicate better mostly. I can already express ideas through writing well enough, and I am a good debater, but I’d like classes on interpersonal interaction like the professional, business & interpersonal communication classes I listed. ---
**Author:** ![Sgt.Pepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sgt.Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sgt.Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365/4 "2005-04-15T02:32:33Z")
Go for the Interpersonal one. I took that one at my school, and I found it enjoyable. We touched on psychology and personality styles and how that fit into everyday communication. I found it interesting as it was just a general interest course, an introduction, more or less. It gave some great tips for dealing with difficult people or how to approach a delicate situation in a way that won’t seem confrontational. Our professor claimed that students would often come to him and tell him how his class improved their relationships. One part that really stuck out in my mind was “I” vs “you” statements. Instead of “You forgot to close to fridge door”, one could say, “I would appreciate it if you remembered to close the fridge door”. By starting with “you” it comes across as an attack on the person as a whole, and they get defensive. The message is then lost. The goal is to have the other person remember to close the fridge door, not cause a fight. The “I” statement takes away the accusation and the message is more likely to get across. Interesting stuff, I recommend you take the interpersonal communication course. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2005, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-communication-classes-should-i-take/299365/5 "2005-04-15T03:53:01Z")
I took a class once in “small group decision making” that I emjoyed a great deal and learned a lot from. It’s really about the dynamics of committees and how differing personalities clashing within different group structures will tend towrard certain types of actions, or total inaction in some cases. It is very useful for understanding how businesses and bureaucracies work.