Column:

General education for today's Tigers

By Erica Zucco

Published Oct. 16, 2009

I logged onto myZou ready to find my (last!) enrollment date and took a few minutes to browse through some of my choices for classes for next semester. I've finished all my requirements as a journalism major — and, by accident, political science minor — so now I'm just looking for random classes to take that seem fascinating or I've heard are interesting.

But some classes do more than that. There are some classes that are completely mind-altering. They can have a huge impact on your worldview and perspectives as a student and young adult. You usually find them by accident, trying to fill an obscure general education requirement, but they make a difference.

I've talked to some of my friends throughout different majors to get their recommendations on those life-changing classes. Here's a list of a few that you should try to push in before you graduate.

Queer Theories/Identities: This class is interesting and covers a lot of topics that might be new to you to begin with, but one of the most consistent points and topics is the idea of "queering" theory, of twisting the way we present and consume information. I'm taking the class right now and as a result I'm essentially throwing away a lot of my previous notions about categories and dualisms and realizing how silly the necessities of "format" and "method" can be. Plus, the reading material is actually really engaging and personal. A friend of mine took it with a different instructor and had similar results.

Any English class with Dr. Sheri-Marie Harrison: This woman is a fantastic professor with a unique perspective, who is better at facilitating discussion and critical thinking than any English teacher I've ever had. If you're interested in West Indies culture or women's and gender studies, you're especially in luck. But even if you aren't an English buff, you'll enjoy her class. A lot of the students I talked to who are taking her Major African Diaspora Women Writers class right now have taken classes with her before -- once you take one, you're hooked.

Anything that starts with "topics in": Whether it be topics in political science, journalism, whatever — topics courses tend to be on specific issues that the instructor is really interested in and will try their best to engage you in, too. Make sure you click on the section letter on myZou so you know what the class is about — they tend to be very specialized. They're often more current, contemporary issues too.

A one-hour self-defense course: As I've mentioned before, my dad's really into the idea of pepper spray, but I'd rather not rely on a little black spray bottle if I'm ever in trouble. I'm taking a one-hour self-defense class next semester and you should take it with me. Half of safety is prevention, and I'm ready to learn more ways to protect myself when I leave campus and live in a big city.

Anyway, these are just a few suggestions. My last: Look outside your major! Don't be afraid to take a class you know absolutely nothing about. Ask your friends. And don't worry about minoring or double-majoring or whatever unless it will really help you to get into law school/grad school/your first job — use as many of those credits as you can to explore your interests and find new ones.

Happy registration!