So I started my last two gen ed classes, cultural anthropology and physical geology, today. I’m genuinely interested in anthro - at least the book is quite interesting - but geology seems quite boring. The assignments are straightforward and I expect to have an A if I don’t slack off too much, but I had hoped I’d actually like it some.
I am partially taking the course because I’m trying to broaden my scope to sciences outside the golden trio. (I’m a math/stats major, French minor, and don’t need any specific science.) Any suggestions on how to consider it more interesting without spending an inordinate amount of time?
You don’t have to like everything you take. Maybe you just don’t like geology.
One way that you can try is to try to relate it to the things you do like. If you’re a math/stats major, there are lots of applications of those fields to geology - try to think about the overlap. Similarly, the geosciences have a big influence on the social sciences and vice versa - so if you are interested in anthro, look for connections.
I found the geology classroom to be a little on the dry side, but loved the lab. It doesn’t sound like your class has a lab component, though. I liked the hands on side of trying to puzzle out what kind of rock matched the descriptions we’d been learning about, and studying samples under the microscope.
I will say that I routinely see things in photos, out airplane windows, and when driving (especially in the West) that I can identify and know the origin of because of the couple of geology courses I took. And when you read the news about a volcano or earthquake someplace in the world, you probably have a pretty good idea of what is going on. You might try reading about some of the natural disasters caused by geologic events – a little morbid, but learning about tsunamis (caused by undersea earthquakes), major earthquakes, big volcanic eruptions, etc. might help put some of it in context. Heck, fracking news of small earthquakes has a geologic component, too. Recent news on depression of the sea floor due to melting glaciers is geologic news, too.
I took astronomy in college (way back when) to fulfill a science requirement thinking it would be interesting and fun but like your experience with geology I was disappointed when the class turned out to be quite dull. That happens sometimes. Just stick to it, do the work, get the best grade you can, and move on. Hopefully you will take other classes that will unexpectedly inspire you!