Hi guys! I wanted to get a discussion going on some of your guys’s favorite classes. For the sake of reaching the widest audience, I’d like to add that they should preferably be straightforward, accessible to most students, and have few registration restrictions. But other than that, post away!
I’ll start:
** ESS 101 - Introduction to Geology (Rocks for Jocks) **
I’m a freshman and haven’t taken that many classes, but I’m pretty sure that this one will continue to be one of my favorites. It’s easy, satisfies a NW requirement, and is actually really interesting to boot. There are plenty of extra credit field trips offered that will take you all around Western Washington, and you’ll get to meet a lot of people. The professor really cares about the subject and his students, and his teaching assistants (this class does have a lab component, but it’s completely manageable) do as well.
** PSYCH 101 - Introduction to Psychology **
This is seemingly the quintessential freshman class—everyone I know has either taken it or is about to. The tests themselves aren’t too bad if you pay attention in lecture, and there’s a lot of extra credit offered. Most professors are great (although I would check the course evaluation catalog and RateMyProfessors to make sure) and you’ll learn a lot of stuff that you can apply in real life. Not necessarily in the workplace or anything, but you’ll have a finer grasp on the nuances of how our minds work.
That’s all I have for now, but I plan on continually updating this with classes that I or other people hear good things about. If any Huskies have suggestions, free to contribute!
(edit: formatting)
In terms of an easy and enjoyable class, I’d recommend:
INFO 101 – Social Networking Technologies
The class should be an automatic 4.0 if you are willing to put in the necessary work because your grade is dependent on total accumulated points (there are an almost infinite # of points possible depending on the work you put in), rather than a percent. The work can be sort of tedious at times as the basic work involves watching pre-recorded mini lectures and completing fill-in-the blanks, but overall the class was very good. If grades didn’t matter, I might not recommend the course on the content alone, but the combination of the two factors makes it an appealing course.
In terms of a class that I think everyone should take based on the utility of what you learn, I’d recommend:
Econ 200 and possibly Econ 201
I believe all students should take an introductory economics course before graduating, but that is just my opinion. I didn’t find either course particularly challenging conceptually, and they are definitely not time-intensive in my estimation. In terms of grades, Econ 200 places a lot of weight on your performance on a midterm and a final, both of which are very short (few questions / each question worth a lot). You don’t have much margin for error, but like I said, the concepts are pretty easy. I found 201 to be even easier than 200, though I have heard they made the class harder since I took it.
I am a Senior and a double major in History and CHID, but I took a really great class last fall quarter that I would recommend for any level and discipline. It’s HISTCMP 247 “Before Global Health”. It’s taught by Adam Warren, who is one of the most engaging and entertaining professors I have had at the UW. The class had several freshman and some upper classmen, ranging from potential pre-med students, history students, and even business students. It covers everything from the plague to Ebola, and is absolutely fascinating!
I have another class or two to suggest!
** MUSIC 120 - Survey of Music **
I’m currently taking this class and really enjoy it. Yes, many people take it because it’s a legendary easy A, but if you put effort into the course (I’m taking the distance learning version although it’s usually offered in both formats) you’ll find there’s a lot to be learned about the progression of music over the centuries. The class covers musical movements and composers from the medieval to postmodern eras. There is a concert report you have to write, but it doesn’t seem too bad and is an excuse to get out there and listen to classical music in a formal setting. Tests are multiple-choice and offer ample extra credit.
If you feel like you’d prefer a more recent VLPA, look no further:
** MUSIC 162 - American Popular Song **
Like the title suggests, if you take the traditional in-class version, you’ll be listening to plenty of pop music in class. From what I’ve heard, this course is very straightforward–depending on the professor this may well be the easiest class offered at the UW. I don’t know much more about it, so if someone here has taken it and wants to chime in, go for it!