In college, one of the most crucial things you can do is to pick good classes. “Good classes” can be ones that pertain to a major/minor or count for general education, but this concept can even be as simple as something you want to take for fun or offers applicable life skills. In community college especially, I struggled to pick classes. What class was worth my time and money while also being beneficial in some way? I was lucky to have a well-rounded schedule and graduate on time with enough units to transfer. So now I’m here to help you out! Here are some of the classes I’ve taken that I can suggest to anyone who struggles with decisions (like me!).
- Nutrition/Health and Wellness
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I enrolled in ESS 3 (Nutrition) this quarter and I’m so glad I did. I’ve certainly never considered myself a “health nut” but I do think eating well and exercising is important and can be enjoyable. It also helps that my teacher is very knowledgable on the subject and it has showed me that I may not know what everything, but I can learn easily. It’s a 3-unit class at UCSB and the workload is fairly hefty, but I think it is worth it for the knowledge you learn.
- Economics/Finance
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I needed 3 extra units in community college one semester so I enrolled in a non-transferable personal finance class. Again, a last minute decision, but a worthy one. I learned so much about budgeting and finance in this seemingly simple online course and now I certainly know how important it is to budget and save even though it might seem hard at times.
- Writing and English
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This can be more broadened into English, but writing–as hard as it–may be the most crucial skill to have. If you are a good writer, it will set you apart from other employees. Also, writing can be fun! I love screenwriting and doing creative fiction, and it made something that used to be tedious fun for me.
- Public Speaking
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Okay, so I’ll point out that UCSB doesn’t exactly have a public speaking class. They offer ENGL 18 in the winter but sometimes it’s hard to get into. I would know. I was lucky to take a public speaking class in my first semester of community college. I’ll be honest and say that I get really nervous when presenting in front of people, but this class taught me to just do it. That sounds easier than it is, but if you need the class for a grade or for your self-esteem, it might help you in beocming less nervous.
- Psychology
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This might seem like the class that’s more optional to me, but trust me, it’s worth it. As a former double major in psychology and communication (I dropped psych because I didn’t want to do the BS program!), I had to take 3 classes in the major. It was certainly a lot of work but it was truly fascinating material. Who doesn’t want to learn about the human brain? Okay, I only learned about it once… but I still remember!
The thing about my list is that most of these might be under different names. For example, Economics and Finance were two different things at my college. I took both but some schools might make them mutually exclusive. As long as they offer the same material I don’t mind. People who read this might have differing opinions and that’s okay. I personally feel like these are the most fundamental choices for college students, but if anyone disagrees or has additions, I’m all ears. :)