There are a few classes which I fully believe every student should take, regardless of their background, major, or interests. There are just some things that all young adults should know. Obviously college couldn’t possibly prepare you for everything coming in your adult life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn more from college than your course plan of study. Here are a few wise elective classes to take.
Nutrition, Fitness, and Weight Control
This could be under many different names, but basically it is the introductory nutrition course. Pretty much every college will have one, and every student should take it. You will learn so much useful information in this class. Like the real difference between protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and the purposes of each. You will also learn about different forms of exercise for different goals. I wrote an entire proposal to the president of my university explaining why I think this should be required of all students.
Cant take the class? Pick any of these to teach yourself the basics! (click to see on amazon)
Introduction To Accounting
Here is another introductory class which I think every student should take. In accounting you will learn the difference between an asset and a liability (trust me, it’s not what you think), how interest works, depreciation, and so much more that will be important for the rest of your life. I’d bet most students don’t even know how the interest on a credit card works. Trust me, this is another really important one.
Here are a couple of books that you can get by with if you can’t take the course.
Public Speaking
For some students this can be a really stressful class. Public speaking definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but that doesn’t mean that every student shouldn’t experience it. Public speaking is part of life, and even just learning the basic fundamentals of it can be a real asset to your future. You might have to suffer through it, but you’ll be better for having the experience. Remember, these courses are to make you more successful in life, not to be fun or easy.
For those who can’t stomach it, read these.
Technical Writing
It astonishes me how few college students can put together a decent essay, letter, or even memo. It seems that somewhere in the midst of all that studying we forgot what congruent sentences were. I took technical writing, and it was one of the greatest courses of my college career. I learned so much invaluable information, and much of it has been used in this blog and will continue to be used throughout my life.
Again, if you are unable to squeeze this into your schedule, these books will suffice.
Introduction to Psychology
Understanding human behavior will be a huge key to success in your future, especially in careers that require prolonged social interaction. Even the most basic of human psychology courses can help you understand how the human brain works and what triggers certain emotional responses. This basic course will put you ahead of the crowd and help you work a crowd.
Supplemental books worth reading…
There are a few others that I would like to recommend, but for now these are the most important. Have you taken any of these? What were your experiences? Have another course you think students should take? Leave a comment and tell us about it!
