<p>Hi everyone,
I'll be attending Cornell next year, and I've heard there is a PE requirement with heavy emphasis on swimming. I'm very curious as to what this is going to be like compared to high school PE, or just how it fits into the grand scheme of life there (since rarely do I hear of a PE requirement in college). Can anyone shed some light on this, maybe give some personal experiences? Thanks!</p>
<p>You have to take a swim test to graduate. You also need to take 2 1 credit phys ed classes throughout the course of your four years. I took one in the fall but I’m putting off my other phys ed credit. If you fail the swim test you have to take a swimming class as one of your phys ed credits. The offerings are much more diverse than in high school-I took a fishing class for my first, and bowling and meditation classes are popular.</p>
<p>There are various PE course, and each of them has differing meeting times and periods of activity. The classes range from more well known stuff such as skating, hockey, dance, and basketball to less common things such as sailing, massage, backpacking, and riflery.</p>
<p>[Physical</a> Education, Phys Ed, Cornell University](<a href=“Physical Education | Cornell University”>Physical Education | Cornell University)</p>
<p>Honestly, the PE programs at Cornell are one of the hidden gems of the university. No one goes to Cornell thinking “I can learn several types of martial arts, racquet sports, handguns, yoga, etc.” but it’s awesome to be offered such variety in maintaining physical fitness. There is a boot camp class if you want something intense, or meditation or massage if you want something relaxing. I did a few semesters of tennis because I still wanted to play semi-regularly after high school.</p>
<p>As an example of variety, my D took bellydancing this past semester. Swim test is : one length of pool on your back & two lengths face down (any stroke).</p>
<p>I think that most people end up liking the PE classes that they pick, but I think the wide consensus is that although PE can be fun, most people wish that it wasn’t a requirement. For example, a lot of my friends go to the gym everyday, but are still forced to take PE, which takes up more valuable time. I still need to take one more gym class -___-</p>