You may have noticed that in the past week a wave of collective excitement has been sweeping Duke’s campus. No, not because of March Madness, but something potentially even more exciting to Duke students — bookbagging is finally here! But the excitement of finding cool electives and interesting major requirements is somewhat dampened by the stress of taking care of all those pesky T-reqs. It can be tempting to take an “easy A” class regardless of your interest in the topic but that’s usually not the best idea – not only can the supposed ease of the class be deceiving, but why would you waste your semester on a class you find boring when there are so many other choices out there? But never fear, Her Campus is here to help! Whether you’re mathematically challenged or the thought of writing any paper over three pages fills you with dread, check out these courses for each Area of Knowledge that don’t have any pre-reqs and cover unique, interesting topics!
SS:
Espionage, Cryptology & Psychological Operations (CULANTH 226/ISIS 235/VMS 245/ICS 235-01)
One-sentence description: Explores cultural context of spies, codes and psychological operations from perspectives of anthropology, complexity and multiple agency, towards understanding how tradecrafts of intelligence and disinformation shaped, and continue to shape us and our information technologies.
Take it if: You’ve seen every James Bond movie and think being a secret agent seems like the coolest job ever.
Pigging Out: The Cultural Politics of Food (AAAS 352-01/SOCIOL 374-01/ICS 206-01)
One-sentence description: Examine cultural influences of food, linking class, geography, ethnicity to food practices.
Take it if: You’re a huge foodie and/or are interested in a class that involves “hands-on experiments with food preparation and tasting.”
ALP:
Sports Writing (ENGLISH 222S-01)
One-sentence description: In this class we will explore different features of sports writing by reading some of the best models and producing some of our own.
Take it if: You’re currently freaking out over March Madness and have ESPN bookmarked on your computer, and are looking for a new way to express your undying love for your favorite team.
Writing the Movie (AMI 306S/ENGLISH 225S)
One-sentence description: Exploration of visual storytelling; analysis of screenplays and movies; developing original stories into screenplay format.
Take it if: You have big Hollywood dreams but stage fright kept you from acting…who knows, you could become the next big Oscar-winning screenwriter!
NS:
Exercise and Mental Health (PSY 214-01/PHYSEDU 207-01)
One-sentence description: Examines the neural and psychological correlates of exercise that influence mental and cognitive health.
Take it if: You love working out and want to learn about the psychology behind Elle Woods’ oh-so-wise summary of the connection between exercise and mental health.
Acoustics of Music (PHYSICS 136-01/MUSIC 126-01)
One-sentence description: The physical principles underlying musical instruments, room acoustics, and the human ear.
Take it if: You love singing, playing an instrument, or just rocking out to your favorite Spotify playlist and want to learn more about the scientific principles behind music.
CZ:
Shamanism & Spirit Possession (RELIGION 213S-01/CULANTH 214S-01/HISTORY 215-01/ICS 256S-01)
One-sentence description: Anthropological, psychological, and Religious Studies approaches to cross-cultural study of spirit possession and shamanism.
Take it if: You loved ghost stories as a kid, and are still pretty sure that a spirit actually contacted you through your Ouiji board.
Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 101)
One-sentence description: Examination of problems in philosophy; emphasis on metaphysics and theory of knowledge.
Take it if: You’ve always dreamed of college as being a place where you could sit around having deep conversations about the meaning of life…or you just want to impress your friends with how intellectual you sound.
QS:
Fundamentals of Web-Based Multimedia Communications (ISIS 240L/VMS 288L/AMI 325L)
One-sentence description: Practice in the design innovation, programming, and assessment of web-based digital multimedia information systems.
Take it if: You’re interested in the tech world but aren’t quite sure if you’re up to taking a CompSci course, so you want a course designed for students in non-technical disciplines.
Financial Accounting (ECON 174-01)
One-sentence description: Purposes of financial accounting, bookkeeping for basic business transactions that map into the statements, analyze corporate reports, interpret key financial information.
Take it if: Alright, I admit it – I couldn’t find two interesting math classes. But accounting skills will undoubtedly be something you’ll need in the future, so you might as well get a head start!