It’s that time again: registration week! Yes, it might be the most intense and stressful two or three minutes of your life, but don’t worry, Her Campus Conn’s upperclassmen are here to help! And we can honestly say that it doesn’t stay that stressful forever. In hopes of making what can be a very anxiety-inducing process just a little easier, we want to suggest some of our favorite classes, or classes taught by some of our favorite professors, just in case you need some course inspiration. And if the worst case scenario really does happen (meaning all the classes you wanted to take get taken before you can register), maybe these suggestions will save the day and serve as your backups.
Who knows, you just might end up discovering your favorite classes from this list. At least, that’s what we’re hoping.
- CC: Islam’s Golden Age (GIS 280)
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Although I have not taken this specific GIS course taught by Professor Bridget Pupillo, her previous courses taught under both the Global Islamic Studies and Italian Studies departments have consistently covered engaging and important topics. Her course in the spring—which will meet on Mondays at 5:15 to 8:15pm EST—is a Conn Course and fulfills both Modes B (interpretative/analysis) and E (social/historical inquiry). There is also a one-hour FLAC section in Italian. The course will investigate how scholars, poets, and scientists from Islam’s Golden Age preserved knowledge from the classical world and made their own advancements in many fields including philosophy, literature, and the arts. Pupillo hopes to facilitate a conversation about how a Eurocentric bias skews our perspective of Islam’s Golden Age.
– Elizabeth Berry ‘21
- Economic Development (ECO 234)
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While I have not taken this specific class taught by Professor Sadia Priyanka, I took her senior seminar (ECO 409: Women and Work) this past fall, and I loved it enough to confidently recommend any class taught by her. Her teaching style makes economics very approachable (and if ECO 234 is anything like ECO 409, it shouldn’t be too technical, either). Prof. Priyanka’s areas of expertise within economics—gender and human capital development—as well as her approach to the discipline, are very related to “the real world” if you will, as opposed to being theoretical. This specific course is about poverty in underdeveloped countries, and how economic theory shapes development policies. If you have already taken both introductory economics classes, or maybe you’re considering majoring or minoring in economics, I’d imagine this course will help you gain a more well-rounded understanding of economics as a discipline. ECO 234 will meet remotely Mondays and Thursdays from 12-1:15pm EST.
– Samantha Barth ‘21
- Media, Self, and Society (HMD 314)
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I took this class last semester, and despite being an English major, it ended up being one of my favorite classes that I have taken at Conn. In a nutshell, this class discusses how a person’s identity, from childhood to adulthood, is shaped by the media and the narratives they perpetuate. I initially took this class because I was interested in taking a social psychology course, which wasn’t available through the psychology department at the time. Human Development is very closely related to psychology, but I think it offers a less obviously scientific approach and connects very closely with our own life and immediate experiences. Also, this class doesn’t require any HMD prerequisites, which means you can take it without taking any other courses from the department.
Even if you aren’t interested in majoring in Human Development, I would still recommend taking this class for fun. Professor Bhatia assigned videos and essays as homework, which kept the assignments and discussions very engaging the whole semester. I also found that if you are interested in courses that discuss social identities—specifically race, gender, and sexuality—this class allows you to discuss those topics in new and interesting ways. If you need more convincing, Disney and other media entertainment, especially for children and adolescents, as well as the use of social media were key topics in our discussions. My final essay actually ended up being about race and Disney, and it was the most fun I have had writing a paper—ever. HMD 314 will meet remotely Mondays and Thursdays from 10:15-11:30am EST.
– Elizabeth Vinson, ‘21
- CC: Lit and Evolution of the Mind (ENG 119)
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As an English major, I couldn’t not include an English class on this list. I love Conn’s English department, and though I am a bit biased, I wholeheartedly would suggest taking some type of English class at some point during your college career. ENG 119, or Lit and Evolution of the Mind, is a Conn Course I took during my first-year that I think does an excellent job in helping first-years adjust to college, specifically to college writing. Since Professor Shoemaker is also head of Conn’s Writing Center (which I also recommend checking out!), he uses a very clear, multi-step process for writing essays. His process allows students to build confidence with writing at a higher level than what was expected in high school. I also think that the combination of English and psychology is a very compelling approach to literature that creates some great discussions. ENG 119 meets remotely on Tuesdays and Fridays from 1:45-3:00pm EST.
Of course, if you are planning on being an English major or minor, I would prioritize ENG 150, the introductory English course, as it is required and a great course itself. And if you are an upperclassmen, and therefore are no longer looking for Conn Courses to take, I would recommend ENG 301 (TF 3:30-4:45pm EST), American Women Writers, which is taught by Professor Rivkin. That course connects to both American Studies and Gender, Sexuality, and Intersectionality Studies. Professor Rivkin is good at not only including a diverse course list but also encouraging thoughtful insights.
– Elizabeth Vinson, ‘21
- Introduction to Sociology (SOC 103)
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I am a biology major and a theater minor, so most of the classes I have taken at Conn are because I needed to take them rather than I wanted to take them. I enjoy science and math, but I think there are a lot of people who don’t. Plus, if you’re taking science by choice, you probably have set classes like me that you have to take, so I did not include any of those classes. I would’ve included theater classes, but a lot of the classes are geared towards people who want to pursue theater, so those don’t really fit. I had a little bit of time my freshman year to take some random classes that don’t pertain to my major or minor and, to be honest, I was miserable in a lot of them, but there were 2 that I liked. Intro to Soc (SOC 103) was taken because the MCAT has a sociology section, but I ended up loving it so much. If you have the chance, take a soc or anthropology course. They allow you to see the world for what it is, and I felt so much more educated about people and the world after taking the class.
– Elyce Afrifa, ‘22
- Intro to Dance: Movers and Shakers (DAN 101)
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The other class that I took for fun that I want to recommend was the dance class, Movers and Shakers. This dance class was a last minute addition because I needed 4 classes and all the other classes I wanted were full. Dancing in front of a whole group of people and not being a dancer was nerve-wracking, but it was fun. The time went by fast, and it was an easy 4 credits. You just had to participate and give it your all. It gave me more confidence. Now with the pandemic it might look a little different, but if they are offering it, it could be a fun class to take. DAN 101 meets Tuesday and Fridays at 1:45-3:00pm EST, and it fulfills Mode A (Creative Expression).
– Elyce Afrifa, ‘22
So if you haven’t registered yet, we will leave you with one last thing: During course selection, may the odds be ever in your favor.