Once the usual subjects like biology and calculus are taken care of, college students are allowed the freedom to explore classes that fit their liking. Elective classes are usually associated with fun and intrigue, some more so than others. For instance, what if you could take a class like â Scuba Diving’ or âHow to Watch Televisionâ? Well, believe it or not, some students actually have these course titles listed on their transcripts.
1 â  âMaple Syrupâ â ALFRED UNIVERSITYÂ
How would you like to study the sticky, sweet stuff you drizzle on your morning pancakes? At Alfred University, students can take a seminar all about maple syrup! The course description says, âThis class will explore the history of maple syrup production, discover the ins and outs of making syrup, create (and eat) some sweet confections, and take field trips to local producers, restaurants and festivals.â What could be sweeter than that?
2 â âUnderwater Basket Weavingâ â ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
RIT undergrad Jenna Deutsch knows that her school offers some quirky classes, but âUnderwater Basket Weaving?!â Thatâs a first! According to the university website, honors students can âUnwind in a unique utopia while uttering about umpires, undertakings and underwater basket-weaving.â We canât think of a better way for all of those talented young minds to spend their time.
3 â âHow to Watch Televisionâ â MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITYÂ
Broadcasting majors are used to studying media and its impact on society, but at Montclair State, anyone can enroll in âHow to Watch Television.â Imagine a class where flipping through channels is actually an assignment! MSUâs website says that this class is about âanalyzing television in the ways and to the extent to which it needs to be understood by its audience. The aim is for students to critically evaluate the role and impact of television in their lives as well as in the life of the culture.â So next time youâre watching the tube, donât feel guilty about putting off that exam prep. Technically, you are studying, right?
4 â âThe Art of Walkingâ â CENTRE COLLEGEÂ
Tired of sitting in a cramped classroom? Then sign up for this outdoorsy class, where students ponder philosophy while embarking on three-hour long walks. Ken Keffer,who teaches the course, leads pupils on treks through battlefields, farms and nature preserves in the surrounding area. What better way to learn, reflect and exercise all at the same time? The course was even featured on an episode of Jeopardy in 2009… now, honestly, what other classes hold that claim to fame?Â
5 â âScuba Divingâ â OHIO UNIVERSITY
Swim 23 yards underwater, survival-float for seven minutes and tread water with no hands. Sound easy enough?If you can pass the swim test, consider yourself enrolled in Ohio Universityâs scuba class. OU student Jessica Salerno says, âItâs actually pretty intense. You have to know how to use all the equipment and take regular tests on every aspect of scuba diving. You also have to pay extra to take it and if you pass all the tests at the end you get your license!â
6 â âChocolate: History, Culture, and Scienceâ â CAL BERKELEY Â
Calling all foodie friends and cultured connoisseurs! This class will satisfy your chocolaty cravings and make youthink of dessert in an entirely new way. According to the course description, students will spend the semester learning about the technical aspects of chocolate by delving âinto the world of chocolate research, finding out what commonly held ideas are being debunked, and asking questions as-yet unanswered about the culture, history, and science of chocolate.â
7 â âHarry Potter: Ethics and Imaginationââ UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM
Youâve read the popular books and seen the highly anticipated movies, but have you taken an exam on Hogwarts History? Most Harry Potter fans would jump at the chance to take a class centered on the series. UAB student Jaime Ritter says that her school offers a solution to your wizardly wishes. âIt’s an English 400-level class. It dissects all the books and their summaries, symbolism, and the socio-ethics of both the wizarding and Muggle worlds.â Another cool fact? UABâs Museum of Health Sciences even had an entire exhibition dedicated to the teenage wizard for three months this past year, housing the traveling exhibition âHarry Potterâs World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine.â
8 â âLove and Sexâ â UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
According to U of O student Jessica Williams, this class is different from anything most students have experienced. During the semester, you study the topics of love and sex by examining animal behavior. âLearning about love and sex through the scientific study of monkeys is quite interesting!â Williams says. âWatching videos about couple-drama from monkeys in the wild was unlike anything Iâve done in other classes I have ever taken.â
9 â âAlien Worldsâ â BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Interested in outer space and extraterrestrial life? BUâs Astronomy department offers a course especially suited to you! In âAlien Worlds,â students investigate stars, planets, and the possibility of other life forms. The class even provides opportunities to use telescopes. Recent BU grad Bekah Handler says, âI had always wanted to take an astronomy class. The topic seemed fun and would satiate my curiosity about outer spaceâŠand the possibility of extraterrestrial life!â
10 â âGaGa for Gaga: Sex, Gender, and Identityâ â UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIAÂ
Sure, you go to her concerts and blast her lyrics on your iPod speakers, but have you thought about the residual effects of Lady Gagaâs massive media presence? University of Virginiaâs popular class focuses on gender boundaries and how Lady Gaga challenges them. During the term, students study social divides while honing in on their argumentative essay writing skills. So thereâs some work involvedâŠbut itâs hard to complain when the topic is none other than the Lady Gaga.