As a Florida State student nearing the completion of my chosen major, I have come to an academic standstill. The first semesters of college were energized by excitement and anticipation, as each course and prerequisite taken meant that I was one step closer to entering the heart of my major. Now that graduation leers around the corner, and I am fully entrenched in my major’s coursework, I am realizing that my major is not what I thought it was. All the times I promised myself that my classes would progressively get more interesting, I was actually steering myself in a direction that did not align with my interests and values. Below, I have listed all the classes I have taken that reinvented my college philosophy and helped me arrive at the conclusion that I should pursue a major where I see every class to be taken as an opportunity and not a milestone to pass.
1. Creative Writing: Fiction Technique, Poetry Technique, Drama Technique
Florida State University has one of the most prominent creative writing programs in the country. The Creative Writing program at FSU houses faculty awarded the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award and other notable writing accolades. The Creative Writing major is delegated as a concentration in the English major. Many classes with the prefix CRW are open to all majors, with the entrance classes being Fiction Technique, Poetry Technique and Drama Technique.
These classes are the perfect introduction to creative writing and allow students of all levels and majors to develop their own individual works that they can tout around and edit for a lifetime. These courses are prerequisites for Fiction Workshop, Poetry Workshop and Drama Workshop, where students who want to further their creative writing abilities can elevate their skills through more rigorous examinations. The CRW Technique courses give students the opportunity to formulate pieces of writing that are quintessentially personal.
2. Social Psychology
Social Psychology has no prerequisites and is available to all majors. The class is an introduction to understanding people. This class examines how people interact, influence and think about other people. Different from other psychology courses, it focuses less on the background of the field and the intricacies within psychology. Instead, it centralizes communication and human relationships, phenomena that involve all individuals. In essence, it is a class where students learn about their own implicit and explicit biases, and where students are able to question themselves and their motivations.
This class is essential to a more well-rounded education, as it enables students to become more cognizant of the conflicts that riddle the social world. Understanding the ins and outs of why and how people interact gives individuals the opportunity to gain new perspectives. By taking Social Psychology, FSU students open themselves up to the outside world around them to better tackle their own academic coursework and personal development. This class is under the prefix SOP and precedes the class Prejudice and Stereotyping.
3. American Sign Language
Most majors at Florida State require students to take a foreign language. American Sign Language (ASL) falls under that categorization and allows students to gain a new perspective on communication and the art of language. Contrary to popular belief, ASL is its own language separate from English that follows separate rules and grammatical structures. ASL is a language course that is deeply cultural and allows students to learn more about the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) community.
ASL is different from other language courses available at FSU because it is void of the spoken word. In learning about a language that is based on hand movements, facial expressions and body language, students are forced to gain a new perspective on language and how we communicate with others. By taking ASL, individuals open themselves up to communication with the DHH community and all those who utilize sign language for communication. At Florida State, ASL can be taken through Beginning ASL, Intermediate ASL and Advanced ASL.
4. Personal Finance
A little less exciting than the courses I have previously mentioned, Personal Finance is essential to developing financial responsibility. There are two beginning personal finance courses available at FSU: ECO 3041 and FIN 3140. ECO 3041 Personal Finance focuses more on the practical application of financial choices whereas FIN 3140 Personal Finance focuses more on concepts and processes that are involved with personal finance decisions. Both, however, are key to obtaining a head start on financial accountability and planning. This class allows students to ease the anxiety associated with the weight of financial responsibilities while preparing students for life after college.
To receive a more versatile education, all FSU students should take classes outside of their major. To fully take advantage of Florida State and all of the resources available, students can branch out and take classes that are of special interest, are personally beneficial and are just plain exciting. These are all classes that have helped me develop the most as an undergraduate student. All of these classes brought new meaning to my academic career and challenged previously held beliefs about myself. Fiction Technique, Social Psychology, ASL and Personal Finance are all classes that emphasize individuality and personal betterment.
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