It’s that time of year again when we spend hours attempting to construct a schedule that is both academically fulfilling and doesn’t require you to give up your life outside of being a student. Luckily for me, I’m going abroad next semester, so while I still have a confusing selection process, it’s still a bit easier. However, out of the kindness of my heart, I’ve decided to give you all a little help by sharing three of my friend’s favorite classes they’ve taken since starting at UMass. If you’re lucky, I just might share my own.
Eve
Eve is a junior and a Natural Resources Conservation major. Her course load consists of various classes focusing on wildlife, forestry, sustainability, and more. Since being at UMass, her favorite course she has taken so far is “Fish Conservations” (NRC260) with Andy Danylchuck. This class looks at the various factors that impact our country’s fisheries and fish-related resources and can be taken for three credits. Eve’s reasoning behind this being her favorite course is that it covers fish biology, but also the ecosystem and the impact people have on it. She says that “not only was the content interesting, but it also gives insight on how to be more sustainable in our daily lives.”
Rate My Professor Rating: 5/5
Textbook Required: No
Attendance Required: No, but she took it online so things may have changed.
Anna
Anna is a junior at UMass majoring in Human Rights through the BDIC program. Her classes involve a variety of topics, from legal studies to sociology to psychology. Throughout the duration of her time here, she’s decided that her favorite class was “The U.S. in Latin America” (HISTORY329E) with Kevin Young. While she wouldn’t call it an easy course, she explained that the content is so informative and interesting that it is worth the work. Anna attests that this class opened her eyes to the United States’ imperialism of Latin America in a way that other courses have failed to do.
Rate My Professor Rating: 5/5
Textbook Required: No, all texts were provided by the professor.
Attendance Required: Yes, but students each received two unexcused absences.
Marisa
Marisa is a junior finance major at UMass and is well-versed in the business world on campus. Her favorite course that she has taken here is “Women In Antiquity” (CLASSICS335) with Teresa Ramsby. The course focuses on women in ancient Greece and Rome, and the different intricacies of their lives. Although the class is very different from her major requirements, she discovered a great interest in the subject once she attended the course. Marisa says that she found the content incredibly engaging, and she loved seeing the ways in which the past and present compare and contrast.
Rate My Professor Rating: 4.5/5
Textbook Required: Yes, but some material is provided by the professor.
Attendance Required: Yes
Bonus: my favorite!
I am a junior psychology major at UMass, and I’ve mainly taken psychology classes with a few journalism and NRC courses here and there. However, my favorite class that I’ve taken so far has been “The Family” (SOCIOL222) with Naomi Gerstel. I took this course online during the fall semester of my freshman year when I was a business major, and it is the reason that I switched my major. Not only is it full of extremely interesting content, but it also made me realize that I’m meant to be a humanities person. By focusing the class on family research from the United States, professor Gerstel takes you through the history of the nuclear family, starting with hunters and gatherers and ending with modern-day family structures. While it can be heavy on the readings at times, the course load is manageable, and it wasn’t difficult to get an A!
Rate My Professor Rating: 4
Textbook Required: No
Attendance Required: No
I know that this article probably hasn’t taken away all of your schedule stress, but I do hope that it helped give insight into the fact that there are a plethora of interesting and informative classes at UMass. Keep looking, and take some deep breaths. I believe in you and I know for a fact that it’ll all work out!
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