Sometimes in the midst of trying to complete all of our graduation and major requirements, we forget that there might be some breathing room for extracurricular courses. There are definitely some classes that should be required and that everyone should have under their belts as part of their college education.
Some of these classes are just interesting and should be taken for a different point of view or material base, but some teach useful life skills that everyone should know, but don’t always get a chance to learn.
1. Finance/Accounting/Business Management
These types of classes teach practical skills for managing businesses and finances (including paying taxes). These are skills that everyone should have, but people who are not majoring in these types of subjects or economics usually don’t think to sign up for these classes and therefore never learn important life skills.
In these kinds of classes, you learn how to better communicate your message and why people choose to communicate or advertise their messages in a certain way. Comm classes are interesting and relatable, especially if you plan to go into a job that requires constant interactions with others or even speaking to a large group.
3. History/Art History
History and art history are important topics because they explain how and why events happened in the past (duh) but they also help prevent certain events for the future. It is important to have a grasp on history because it is a constant topic of conversation, especially in current events and world news and can also give you an insight and understanding into cultures that are foreign to you. Art History is also useful because it lends a perspective into someone’s mind as well as the sociopolitical climate at the time an image was created, and therefore can be very informative.
Learn about why people do certain things or behave in certain ways. Learn about the human mind and human interactions so that you are prepared and you understand certain mental disorders or behaviors as well as relationships between humans. It is not only an extremely captivating subject, it will help you understand the human mind as well as help you deal with problems that you may face yourself or when working with others.
5. Computer Science
This is one of the practical ones more than interest but it is definitely a good one to take in this day in age. This type of intro-level class will help you understand different types of computer technologies that will make you a skilled and valuable employee in your future. Understanding the ins and outs of the most recent technologies and applications on computers as well as learning simple web design will help you greatly as computers are such a large part of work in today’s society.
This article originally appeared on Surviving College, the ultimate source for all things college and entertainment, made for college students.
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