Five College Courses to Take Even If You Don't Have To

Whether you're a college freshman or preparing to graduate, there's something all college students must face at the beginning of the academic year: course registration. Knowing and planning which classes you want to take can be stressful, especially if you're in a high-intensity major where life as you know it has been laid out for you in a rigorous schedule of classes you have to take. Yet even the most rigorous majors leave a little room for electives and free classes that are meant just for you to experiment and broaden your horizons. The question is how to wisely use these electives, or what classes to take in general if you either have a relatively light-weight major, have not yet chosen a major, or simply have a lot of freedom in what classes you can take.

Have no fear! The fact is that while you could burn off some credits in extra classes in your major or classes in the arts you may like but may also realize later you had no use for (except for fun!), you can also spend those extra credits on courses that will be a major benefit to you in the future. Which courses are those?

I'm glad you asked.

Newswriting, Magazine Writing, or Introduction to Journalism

So you major in Engineering major, not English. Look at almost any job description from any employer, and no matter what the position you'll likely see something about the ability to write. The ability to write well with precision is a very good tool to have in your toolbox. Journalism classes with writing intensive focuses are great resources for learning to write this way. Writing news and/or editorials is a work of precision. In news stories, for example, you'll find most sentences are twenty words or less. Many paragraphs are less than five sentences. There are precise formats for guiding readers through an article, grabbing their attention, and keeping it up to the end of your article, no matter what kind of information you're sharing. Taking one of these classes teaches you how to do these things, which will come in handy in any job you may get later.

Philosophy

Philosophy has a lot more to offer than confusing questions with confusing answers that seem more like more questions. A class in philosophy will teach you debate an issue logically, problem solve complicated situations, analyze complicated ideas, and otherwise engage in some pretty interesting conversations. Philosophy can help you analyze everything from a pressing moral issue at work to the latest Star Trek episode. A class in philosophy offers you skills you can, and probably will, use in everyday life, from work to leisure.

Languages

Even if you've studied Spanish or French every year since fourth grade, college is a great place to invest some time in some other languages. How about an introductory course in Italian or Portuguese? If you plan on going to Law school later, you could always use a few Latin classes. If your school offers classical Greek or ancient Hebrew, sign yourself up! Fluency in a foreign language is a big bonus on any résumé. Even if you only take introductory courses in some more fun or obscure languages, you'll at least walk away with some pretty great phrases you can throw around in conversations to impress people!

Personal Finance

What college student couldn't use a lesson in personal finance? This course will likely offer some of the most helpful information for your daily life you'll ever receive. A personal finance course will teach you, among other things, how to manage your money, create a budget, the need-to-knows on renting or buying a home or apartment, how to pay off your student loans in the least amount of time, and more. Whatever financial business you may plan to do, be it now or ten years from now when you finally decide it might be a good idea to buy some stock, a personal finance class will give you the know-how to . . . well, know how to do those things!

Public Speaking

We've all seen movies and television shows where someone stands up to give a report in a meeting and fumbles over their words. Perhaps you've seen an episode of a doctor drama where a doctor is called on to give an account for his or her actions. Maybe you're addicted to Law & Order and marvel at the way Jack McCoy wins a jury with his words. Even if you're in to soap operas or romantic comedies, you see good public speaking at work when a character expresses their love in words that make your heart swell and eyes water. A public speaking course will teach you how to research topics, express emotions effectively, and communicate better overall. In any career or life situation, the ability to effectively communicate what you're thinking, selling, feeling, or needing is a must. A public speaking class-or any course in Communications that involves giving formal and informal speeches or debates-helps you figure out how to do these things without all the "um"s, "er"s, "so"s, and "like"s that seem to permeate conversations these days.

As always there are many other courses you could take that would come in handy for everyday life. A class in modern ethnic literatures, for examples, teaches you critical thinking and gives you new glimpses into different cultures in the world. World religion classes provide insights into the beliefs of cultures you may have never understood, and an understanding of the differences that flood our society. Ancient and modern history classes teach you where we've been, where we're going, and how we're going about getting there. Classes on popular culture give you new insights into modern entertainment, and are usually filled with lectures where you watch movies or television, listen to music, and otherwise analyze some of your favorite elements of modern culture. Learn to make the best of your classes, using them as tools to further your knowledge and learn things that will help you in all areas of life, from your social life to the work place.