In a recent series of articles, staff from Slate Magazine picked the “most useful, practical, and enriching” courses they had taken.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/classes/2015/08/what_classes_should_i_take_geology_coding_geography_math_poetry_acting_anatomy.html
In the last article, Slate readers recommended their favorite classes:
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/classes/2015/09/what_class_should_i_take_readers_recommend_religion_psychology_logic.html
Psychology. It’s about people and what makes us tick. What could be more relevant?
Practically useful: Stochastics, 1st semester calculus, 300 level statistics, 1st semester physics, upper sections of ROTC lectures, s/w engineering, microbiology (human diseases etc.), tech writing.
“Life” useful: Stochastics, 1st semester calculus, upper sections of ROTC lectures, both semesters English composiiton, cultural geography, 1st semester physics. Western civ.
Where the two intersect: Logic (math, science, English comp), Social empathy (ROTC, other humanities).
For me, it was a health geography class. It was really an eye opening experience about how the physical, built, and social environment influence our health (and few things imo are more important). Beyond that, it exposed my large class of fairly privileged students to the extreme health disparities and inequities that exist both near and far.
Logic and typing (yes this was a class in hs)
I had a lot that didn’t deal with my major/minor and they are all useful knowledge.
Biology was one, lots of information about woman’s reproductive system. Psychology was another, most likely why our phone number is 7-digit besides the area code. Sociology, about norms and cultures. Photography was my best class but it was very time consuming. Art history, good general knowledge about art. Music, I suck at it in a major way. I wish had taken more classes in anthropology.
Most enriching: Chinese landscape painting of the Sung dynasty - tiny graduate seminar, not sure why I was allowed in.
Useful: All the architectural history lectures taught by the incomprable Eduard Sekler - I probably wouldn’t have become an architect if I hadn’t taken his courses. (Every single one he taught.)
Practical: Probably the Architectural drawing class I was forced to take the summer before starting grad school. Or maybe German which allowed me to work in Germany for five years. (And also travel in Germany to do research for my senior thesis.)
A series of graduate seminars on 14th and 15 century Italian Paleography. I can read ANYONES handwriting. Even my doctors.
My son says most useful was Personal Finance.
For me…my clinical practicum was definitely the most useful.
@musicamusica you made my day. LOL
Meats, immunology, infectious diseases, public health
The most useful classes were typing (high school) and writing and editing (college). The most enriching classes were history (college). The most enlightening class was contracts (law school), which introduced me to the concept that the “correct” legal result often is not fair.
I had a lot of logic, philosophy and psych in college, and feel like they had a permanent impact on the lens through which I view life and relationships. And they also let me get a lot of the jokes in the Big Bang Theory that I’d otherwise miss! I also took a class in modern dance on a lark and still think back fondly on it; my class in martial arts also led to me pursuing it for 4 years and gave me a lot of self-confidence so that was pretty valuabe.
In terms of being useful for my professional life, my classes in Software Engineering and Operating Systems still give me value 20 years later. Overall I’d say the liberal arts classes were the most enriching, but the computer science classes pay the bills.
War Movies. It was an experimental studies course taught be two bohemian guys and very interesting. They proceeded through WWII with the movies made in the 30’s, then those made during the war as propaganda and to aid the war effort, and then to those made after the war looking back. Lots of history of politics, geography, government control of film stock.
Every courses I take except English. God, so boring
Modern Art History. It’ stream to be able to see a television show or a movie or read a book and really get the art references and the paintings. It’ slime being in on the joke.
I took a film studies class called Film and Propaganda. It reinforced everything I learned in a high school class called WARP - The Language of War, Advertising, Race, and Politics (yes, this was a high school elective in my high school in Indiana). To this day, I constantly use what I learned in those two classes.
One of the most practical courses I took was a Comparative literature course in translation. Up until then, I tended to think of foreign languages as a code for English. Translating, especially literary texts, forces one to abandon that idea quickly.
meterology- took as an easy elective- totally out of my field- use the knowledge daily
I can’t tell if this is supposed to be ironic…
Most enriching: Science Fiction Literature, History of Science, Philosophy of Art, Astronomy
Most useful: Data Structures and Technical Writing II