Thankfully, college is more than just Chem and Econ 101. And a break from all those dry, useful classes for something a little more, well, crazy, is exactly what we often need. Sure, we all tease our friends for taking those ridiculous sounding classes—but we secretly wish we could take them ourselves! So, if you’re stuck this semester memorizing molecule structures in orgo, check out what some of your peers across the country are taking—it’s okay to be a little envious, especially when some of them have left the classroom and gone fishin’…
Belmont University: “Beginning Fishing,” “Hiking,” and “Ice Skating”
Your schedule is always filled with extracurriculars and sports anyway; kill two birds with one stone and actually earn credit for doing so at Belmont University. These courses, among others (um, walleyball, anyone?), all count towards wellness requirements and some health-related majors. “It’s definitely hilarious that you can get college credit for ice skating,” says Belmont junior Bianca Ortega. Because really, could you ever actually think of ice skating as class?
Boston College: “Studies in Children’s Literature: Disney and the Wondertale”
We may officially be adults now, but with this English lit class you can still watch your favorite childhood flicks… and earn college credit! “The goal of this course will be to explore the issues presented in such Disney films as The Lion King, Aladdin, Prince of Egypt, and Pocahontas,” reads the course description. Taught by “a wonderfully nutty English professor,” the class, according to BC grad and HC contributing writer Allison Lantero, is “solid…with an epically long waitlist.”
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Dartmouth College: “Sex & Violence in the Bible”
Always assume that religious education courses are a bit dry? Think again with Dartmouth’s seminar discussing the Bible’s roots in man’s baser instincts, along with “the moral and political ideas we find there.” This is “bible study” taken to a whole ‘notha level.
Florida State University: “Golf for Business and Life”
In this class, offered through FSU’s Dedman School of Hospitality, “students learn the basics of the game in a casual, fun environment.” The course can only be taken pass/fail, so no worries if your game is a bit, er, sub-par.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: “Creative Dance for Children”
The course description reads: “Through lecture, discussion and practice, students develop skills to teach elements and concepts of dance to children ages 4-7.” We’d definitely say this class caters to a niche market (like, why only children until age 7?!), but that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t sound like a seriously fun class… and great exercise, too.
New York University: “Holy Grails”
NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study has a rep for offering unique classes, so it really shouldn’t be too surprising that this interdisciplinary seminar is all about “the quest for the Holy Grail.” “We will [also] discuss why we pursue holy grails in the first place—what keeps us striving for those tantalizing, ultimately unreachable goals that nevertheless compel us ever forward,” the course description poetically explains.
University of Southern California: “Food and Culture”
As if a class on the history of food and “the premise that the pursuit and cooking of food…give birth to culture” wasn’t attractive in and of itself, this seminar also includes “trips in and around Los Angeles” and (no joke) the final exam “will take place at the Caribbean restaurant ‘Cha Cha Cha’ where we will test the mahi mahi mango taco, discuss its cultural significance, and then head to Pinkberry’s in Koreatown for a dessert of green tea frozen yogurt.” Never did we think we would find “Pinkberry’s” in the description of a final exam.
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Wellesley College: “Reading Elvis Presley and 1950s America”
“This course will consider the early career of Elvis Presley as a unique window for the study of race, class, gender, and heteronormative sexuality in postwar popular American culture,” explains the description for this class based entirely on the impact of the King. It was “absolutely amazing,” gushes a Wellesley student on the Her Campus website, “My classmates, professor and I developed a huge bond studying the King’s music, movies, and life.” We’re not exactly sure why this course counts towards the women’s studies major, but hey, we’ll take it…
Yale University: “Furniture and American Life”
Yes, crazy classes even exist at Yale. Interior design buffs or art majors bored with the typical studio rotations will gravitate towards this freshman seminar, an “in-depth study and interpretation of American furniture from the past four centuries” and discussion of “materials, techniques, styles, use, and meaning.”
Sources:
Allison Lantero, Boston College ‘11
Bianca Ortega, Belmont University ‘13
http://www.bc.edu/crs/en/course/en23700.shtml
http://courses.illinois.edu/cis/2011/fall/schedule/DANC/350.html?skinId=2169
http://dornsife.usc.edu/fsem-fall2011/
http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/seminar-descriptions
http://www.gallatin.nyu.edu/academics/courses/detail.FA2011.FIRST-UG70.001.html
http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergrad/depts/hospitality_admin.htm
http://oracle-www.dartmouth.edu/dart/groucho/course_desc.fysem_main