Last semester, while selecting courses for my final year as an undergraduate, I had to really consider what kind of material I wanted to focus on. It really was a hard decision, one of the benefits of going to a small liberal arts college is that professors are allowed to really dive into material they’re passionate about, and have created a wide variety of unique courses. This led me to think about the courses that I’ve most enjoyed over the last three years. Here are five of my favorite courses that I’ve taken in undergrad.
- Introduction to book history
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Contrary to the title- this course was one of the methods courses for the English major, and it is one that I’m so happy to have taken. The first half of the semester we focused on the history of book printing and it’s cultural impact. Our professor gave us super interesting assignments- such as reading by candlelight and translating Olde English. In the second half of the semester we studied various linguistic theories. We spent one week with the library staff binding our own book.
- Applied drum set
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In most cases taking a class that meets on Sunday would seem like an extra chore, but being able to end the weekend with an hour of music might be the exception. Every other Sunday afternoon I take an individual lesson, where I can learn different techniques and learn to play songs that I enjoy. The vibes are always good, the professor is super passionate about drumming, and is always interested in my choice of music.
- Literature of the Civil Rights Movement
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Every freshman has to choose a first year seminar, a course with a small number of students that allows you to explore a topic that is niche and interesting to you. Back in 2021, I took The Sixties Revisited. It’s a history course that primarily studies the sociopolitical progression of the decade, including the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the impact of assassinations on the nation as a whole. The choice of material was super interesting. Another major bonus is that I met my best friend!
- James Baldwin- fiction and essays
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This course focused on James Baldwin- both a study of his life and how it influenced his writing. In all honesty, before enrolling I had heard of James Baldwin in relation to other authors, but didn’t know much about him or his work. The course was super engaging, and he quickly became one of my favorite authors. I took this course and Lit of the Civil Rights Movement in the same semester, it was really interesting to study his role in the movement from multiple perspectives.
- Shakespeare and the early modern stage
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As someone who studies both history and English, this course immediately caught my attention. While taking this course I was able to study Shakespearean plays from a literary perspective then focus on the historical elements of the play’s productions. We would compare text describing how various plays were performed in the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, then compare them to modern productions. All things considered, this was a course that had fun material and combined elements of literary and historical analysis, as well as media studies.