Pass times for Winter Quarter have officially started. For some students, it can be a struggle picking classes: whether that be because you couldn’t get into one of the core classes you need for your degree, you need to take that one extra class to keep your financial aid status as a full-time student, you prefer to keep a full schedule, or you just want to take a fun class.
Whatever the case, here is a list of courses offered this upcoming Winter Quarter that you might find yourself wanting to take.
1. Soc152A: Sociology of Human Sexuality
This class is probably the most popular offered at UCSB. This might be due to the fact that the material has to do with all things sex, from sexuality to circumcision, to how to condition yourself to last longer which makes this class one of very few whose lessons you’ll be able to apply and use later on in life.
Pro: Interesting, fun, and easy to engage with.
Con: Three midterms that can be a bit tricky to navigate, especially if you don’t test well.
2. Classics 40: Greek Mythology
This class is all about Greek myths and how they’re interpreted or understood in modern times. If you’re a fan of the Percy Jackson series, this might be a fun class to take. It does require a fair amount of textbooks though.
Pro: Many students claim it’s an easy class.
Con: How fun and easy the class is depends on the professor that is teaching it.
3. Writ105M: Multimedia Writing
This is such a fun class because you’re not only creating written content, but visual content as well. From websites to flyers, to social media posts. This class teaches you a lot about the intricacies that go into content, beyond just wording.
Pro: You get a lot of creative freedom with your assignments, like making a TikTok or a video essay about how gold diggers are not evil, but women who know what they want (something I actually did!).
Con: Can be a bit time-consuming, especially if you’re nitpicky about details like me.
4. Theater 5: Intro to Acting
This class introduces you to the elements of acting, such as tone, body language, and so on. You don’t have to perform in front of anybody else other than your classmates.
Pro: Fun warm-up exercises like mirroring.
Con: It can be a bit nerve-wracking performing if you get stage fright easily.
5. Psych 1: Intro to Psychology
Learn how to condition the people in your life the same way Pavlov trained his dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell. In this course, you’ll learn about development, perception, memory, learning, cognition, personality, psychopathology, and more.
Pro: You’ll gain a better understanding of the human psyche.
Con: Very content-heavy!
6. English 106 CW: Catalyst Writing
Poetry, prose, art, Adobe Photoshop, and InDesign! The epitome of creativity, this class has you writing original pieces based on the vaguest and most general of prompts. In the second half of the quarter, you move on to the lab portion where you design layouts for your writing and art. This class is responsible for publishing the English department’s quarterly magazine, The Catalyst.
Pro: So much fun and freedom with creativity, and Professor Donelly is one of the best teachers at UCSB.
Con: There is a short time frame to produce the magazine, so you might find yourself creatively drained fairly easily.
ED 123: Culture, Development, and Education
Get ready to question education and learn about how to make education inclusive to all students. In this course, you’ll examine the role culture plays in shaping human development, behavior, and classroom relationships. It’s truly an eye-opening experience about the state of the current education system, beyond the general knowledge of low test scores.
Pro: There is a lot of fun questioning the educational system and coming up with possible solutions.
Con: The class meets once a week for almost two hours.
Here are some honorable mentions for classes that are not offered Winter quarter, but if ever they reappear you should definitely consider taking them:
Classics 110: From Homer To Harlequin: Masculine, Feminine, And The Romance
This class is about romance from the time of Ancient Greece, to the modern day, and how it shapes masculinity and femininity. This course explores beyond the love story and explores gender roles and romance as perceived by the audience. As a bit of a pessimist when it comes to love, I didn’t think I would enjoy this course as much as I did. It really opened my eyes to how the romance genre is perceived and how much of an effect it has on society’s outlook on the roles in a relationship.
English 165LW: Life Writing
This class is about you. It explores memoirs and how we as humans go about writing our life stories. Readings include poignant and moving illustrations of experiences and not just retellings of past memories. It very much requires a personal vulnerability with assignments, but you’re not the only one being vulnerable. Your classmates are your own little writing community, whom you get comfortable sharing with.
Regardless of what classes are recommended to you or what classes are dubbed as fun or boring, the choice is yours. And remember, just because others claimed a certain experience with a class does not mean you are guaranteed to have the same experience. Ultimately, you have to decide which classes you want to take for yourself.