As part of the college experience, people tend to branch out for their courses to new subjects that they had never studied prior. This is often because these classes weren’t offered, or we find ourselves needing to fill a credit. Additionally, with a major, classes become more specific rather than a business 101, which may have been offered in high school.
This year, one of my courses is Principles of Human Rights, which is a criminal justice class, but it focuses on the issues in the judicial system that violate our human rights. We have discussed over-policing, unjust arrest, people practically born into the system, and more. This class has become one of my favorites for a few reasons.
First of all, there are a lot of classes that have been discussion-based. This means that the class is able to share their thoughts and opinions on situations that are often thought-provoking and create strong opinions. Although we do not delve into politics too much, you can clearly see the ideas of everyone when considering the situations.
I knew I was passionate about topics like this, especially over-policing in schools, and police brutality, but taking the course has allowed me to further educate myself in a way that’s been more enjoyable than reading articles by myself. I’ve really liked talking with people about the hypotheticals and comparing systems by location. It has also brought to my attention exactly how strongly I feel about these situations.
Out of all my courses, I feel as though I’ve gained the most from this one, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone, or something similar. As a younger generation approaching the age of real careers and being able to make an impact, it’s important for us to understand the world and these issues outside of just what directly affects us.