General Education, Part 2

Gen Eds

Everyone has to take gen eds and, almost inevitably, we all have to deal with the one or two areas with classes we’d rather avoid entirely. For many students, Area 5, the Natural Sciences, is the dreaded area. I never had any problems finishing my sciences, but I had trouble choosing classes in some of the other areas. I came to AU undecided, but have always been a science and math person (and I’m now a math major and music minor). While I didn’t use the gen eds as much to help decide on a major, I wanted seize the opportunity to take classes in subjects that I might otherwise never experience.

Area 1 was especially challenging for me, but I eventually decided I wanted to take Meaning and Purpose in the Arts, PHIL-230. I play the viola and am passionate about music, plus I’d never taken a philosophy class and thought it might be interesting. It’s a choice I’m glad that I made. Meaning andPurpose with Professor Erfani was an absolutely fantastic course. It was conducted mainly as a seminar based on weekly readings. The subject itself was interesting, and I really enjoyed having something different from my math classes. Math courses don’t have many reading assignments, and it was nice to be able to take my readings outside on nice days and sit in the sun, rather than always needing to work at a table. Plus, I got to write one of my papers about Finding Nemo, which was pretty much the most fun assignment ever for me, since I happen to LOVE that movie.

I had a good experience overall with my gen ed classes. Some gen eds I chose because the description sounded interesting, while others I signed up for with friends so that we could all have a better experience completing the requirement. While the gen eds you take may not be your favorite classes, going into them with a positive attitude can make the experience worthwhile. Take time to really look at the options, read course descriptions, peruse wildcard courses, and likely you’ll find at least some classes you think you might actually enjoy.

-Emma Morgan