All through high school our teachers told us that when we got to college we would get to take classes in subjects we were interested in. While classes are definitely more tailored to our interests now than in the days of general courses such as humanities or science, this rarely pans out to mean you will be interested in all of your courses. We get to pick our degree, which means more of your classes will be of interest. Someone on a pre-med track won’t spend a majority of their time studying history. However, this doesn’t mean that a pre-med major won’t take a history class. Even within your major, there may be some courses that just aren’t directed towards your areas of interest.
For some of you, the opportunity to take classes outside of your major may have been a huge consideration in choosing your university. I didn’t do enough research to realize that the purpose of a liberal arts education was to end up well rounded through taking a wide range of classes. If you were looking for this opportunity, you probably already wanted to be in the classes. Still, it can be more challenging to excel in classes apart from the area in which you focus the majority of your time. Learnings from your other classes probably won’t line up with the information in this one. In this case, one of the most useful things you can do is show your professor that you are interested in what they are teaching you. Professors want to help us, but considering some people don’t value their required classes, demonstrating that you have an interest in learning will convey that you share the interest in being in the classroom. Find your professor’s office hours, and go. If you don’t think there is anything you could use clarification on, there most likely still is and your professor can help you find it.
In the beginning of freshman year, I often felt like I was wasting my time when I took classes outside of my majors; I was there for the core credits, not because I actually cared about what I was learning. I quickly learned that I was completely wrong – I ended up switching my major based on my interest in one of my core classes. As much as you may think you know what you are interested in, or what you have no interest in, there are classes that will surprise you. I’ve never followed politics in my life, but after being taught more about how they connect to my interest in ethics, I have become a news junkie. Finding a class with an amazing professor can also be a game changer. You don’t have to have an interest in the same subjects to be moved by the teaching styles of a professor, and making connections with professors can only help you. Having a mentor or reference from someone outside of your major might even give you a different view of your academic plans or give you a well-rounded application to graduate school.
No, I am not claiming that every core class you take will lead you to having a life changing epiphany about what you want to do. Some classes might end up being a pain to show up to. It can be difficult to put as much effort into classes that you aren’t particularly interested in. Even in classes you find entirely boring, you can learn a lot. If you don’t care about the material, focus on learning about how you learn and how to do so more efficiently. Create good habits of how to get work done and tangible ways you can tackle learning regardless of the subject. Taking a course where you are struggling gives you the opportunity to create methods of overcoming these challenges. If your course isn’t giving you any problems, find a way to make the course more challenging. You should always be learning something from class; instead of deciding to glide through, take the chance to push yourself. Does it seem ridiculous that I’m saying you should make classes harder for yourself? Think about how much money and time you are wasting if you take a class without getting anything out of it – it’s a sure way to make the experience seem important. One of the most important things you can learn in how to learn, and you can work on this skill in any class.
If after reading this, you still have zero interest in core classes, just remember that all of your classes affect your GPA and therefore, your future educational prospects. At least force a fake interest in these classes and convince yourself to put in the time necessary to succeed. You will probably do better, however, if you can find a way to connect to the class in a real way. Look at the assignments from a perspective of interest or push yourself to learn something completely unfamiliar. If you don’t know how to, ask your professor. I’ve never heard of a professor telling someone they don’t want them to be interested in their class, so I’d say there’s a high chance they will be eager to help you connect to the material.