<p>Any class that is in a field you know nothing about and where the other students will tend to be ones you don't usually socialize with or share classes with. College is about expanding your horizons. For me, this was an art history class. For you, who knows?</p>
<p>Biology. That tough weeder intro biology course.</p>
<p>You will be caring for your own body and probably overseeing and advising others as you go through life. You will be a much better medical consumer and advocate if you understand biology. You will also be able to better understand and evaluate much of what is in the news.</p>
<p>Then some wide ranging music-appreciation course. It will enrich the rest of your life.</p>
<p>Astronomy--the prof went on to be very well known as a writer of popular astrophysics books--he was tons of fun as a lecturer.</p>
<p>As others have said, Art History. I'd put Greek Mythology in the same category--you just know stuff that gets refered to a lot.</p>
<p>A philosophy course in Ethics--really taught me to rigorously question, think through, and be willing to revise my reasons for what I believe is good and right.</p>
<p>Another for the Arts--
the one I've found myself referencing most often in the many many years since college was a basic course in classical music. The Moldau, Brahms' Variations on a Theme by Haydn, the Brandenburg concertos, Beethoven's 5th piano concerto... I'm still sometimes tempted to look up my old prof and tell her how much I appreciated that class (drew the line at "Wozzeck," though). Graduated early due to family situation, but if I'd stayed another semester would have loaded up on art and music courses.</p>
<p>Other memorables-- several classics courses and Arthurian Literature.</p>
<p>Useful - newspaper journalism and psychology</p>
<p>During my first semester, I went to the writing support center for help. I was a good writer but wanted to be even better. A helpful graduate student was willing to take me under her wing when I asked her to help me learn how to write A-level papers & essays consistently. We worked together for a few months. During my time as an undergraduate, I was almost a straight A student. Much of this was because I knew how to write a good essay. </p>
<p>On a personal level, the 2 classes I enjoyed the most were:</p>
<p>-- calculus III because I loved being able to glimpse beyond our known dimensions. </p>
<p>-- a required music history survey. I still refer to what I learned when I listen to music. I especially enjoyed learning about western scales and a few other scales used by other civilizations.</p>
<p>I was an econ major heading for an MBA.</p>
<p>Another tip: ask around and find out what professor is thought to teach the best, most exciting class, and take that. It won't matter too much whether it is Political Philosophy, Intro Music, or Astronomy. Make sure you take some classes from inspirational profs.</p>
<p>The classes I remember most were "Modern British Literature" "Greek and Roman Mythology" and "Roman Archeology and Art" and an upper level American Lit class that covered from about 1910 -1960's.</p>
<p>I think it is interesting that for most posters the most valuable course is one that doesn't seem to have anything to do with the workplace.</p>
<p>You can put me on the art history list-- a course I'm really glad I took. (I hope AP Art History fits in my daughter's schedule next year.)</p>
<p>I wonder what courses have surprised with how useful they turned out to be (or would have been if we paid attention). I took U.S. military history to satisfy a ROTC requirement. The course was more about organization and governance of our military forces than it was about battles, campaigns, or wars. Organization and governance ended up mattering quite a lot in my professional life.</p>
<p>I didn't take writing-intensive courses, but I believe that would have been valuable (useful).</p>
<p>I audited the Art History Survey course, it would have been nice to have had the time to take it. I also audited a course on Asian art and culture which was wonderful. I took Chinese history and having been kicking myself ever since that I didn't take the second term which covered Japan. The best course I took was a seminar in Chinese landscape painting of the Sung Dynasty. I learned more about how art historians work in that course than either of the art history survey courses. The course I'm sorriest I never took was the Intro to Economics course - I still know next to nothing about the dismal science.</p>
<p>Take classes with professors known to be good. Take lecture classes with those known to be good lecturers. Consider auditing classes that are known for good lectures. Avoid bad professors if you possibly can, no matter how interesting the material ought to be.</p>
<p>thank you so much for the thoughtful replies-and to those who were concerned it was unwise to advise when you don't know anything about me, know I am taking all of these answers in first as anecdotes and then as suggestions, but merely to bring up classes I otherwise probably would not have though of looking into, so the randomness is very useful!
Keep 'em coming, some of these are pretty unexpected!
:)</p>
<p>mom58, your observation that most posters selected courses not associated with the workplace is a good one. An alum of my alma mater put it this way, "The function of a university is not to teach the means of life only, but life itseld, not only how to make a living but how to live.</p>
<p>Two of the courses I mentioned have enriched my life greatly in ways unmeasurable in a monetary audit sense. 20th Century Music engendered in me a life long love of classical music while Social Cybernetics sparked an intense interest in politics and social justice issues we continue to grapple with.</p>
<p>However I must add that spending study time in the student union jazz lounge where a wide range of recorded jazz music was played was as influential in sparking my interest in that music genre.</p>
<p>Interesting how Art History is mentioned the most - that is my first pick and the one class I asked my son to take. Unfortunately he never found the time for it.</p>
<p>Latin would be my other choice - I didn't take it, just wishing I would have.</p>
<p>Don't concentrate in any one area try them all as you might find an new area that turns out to be your passion to study. You will enjoy yourself and do better doing things you love than things you think you "should do" both in school and in the work force.</p>
<p>For Freshmen you need to learn to read/write at the college level so a course that has lots of writing is important and, if you can deal with it, Calculus is very useful for many majors. </p>
<p>For business (don't let future job prospects drive your studies but being practical with electives is not a bad thing as time goes on) Econ is key so you can take a finance course later. Accounting is another course that is inordinately impressive, like Calc, to hiring managers.</p>
<p>Try to have a spread of courses between those that will have lots of reading/writing (English and most other Social Sciences) and those that won't (Science, Math, or Econ) so as not to burden yourself too much at first.</p>
<p>While an Econ major and Grad student I did greatly enjoy Jazz, Latin, Greek Historians, and Astronomy.</p>
<p>Do pick by the Prof of course but that is hard until you have been at a school. You need to learn how your likes/dislikes match up with the general opinion of Profs. as you may not always agree with the conventional wisdom.</p>
<p>My advice to S (now junior) was to balance his semesters with a class he considered interesting and fun.It made the accounting,calc,economics,etc more palatable. Hes taken such classes as a survey of the political process in the South during the 60's 70's and 80's,Literary Curmudgeons(Twain, for example),SuperBowl Advertising, and coming up next semester, a Blues class focused on learning to play the harmonica.
Doing a happy dance for all the parents who listed a Music History/Survey class as memorable and useful fave...it bodes well for D's future as a Musicology PhD!!!!
I'll add that one of my faves was an Intro to Art survey class taught by a working artist.He was clearly not a trained teacher but impassioned of his subject, very cool/hip and made us all love what he loved.
I also took a film appreciation class from a famous retired film critic.The class was huge and wildly popular but boy he made us appreciate the films/genres we viewed.
And, by the way, my education was at a branch of the publicly funded ,at the time tuition free City University of New York..and not a very presigious branch at that!</p>
<p>I loved the film course I took - sadly last semester senior year, or I might have taken more. I agree an intro to Music course would have been useful. I was a bit intimidated because it was full of music majors and I would have been at a huge disadvantage. I thought I'd take it pass/fail, but I ended up having conflicts with required classes every year.</p>