4 Classes That Unexpectedly Prepared Me for the Future

Why do we take certain classes in high school and college?

Sometimes we take them to meet a certain graduation requirement. Other times we catch ourselves being pressured to do so by our family, peers, and counselors. But shouldn’t we be taking classes that we see value in?

I knew for a fact that a high school geography class was not on my list of interests. I would have much rather taken an art or a baking class. Yet my dad encouraged me to take something “useful” that would be “helpful for my future.” And you know what? I reluctantly took that geography class 8 years ago, and all I remember is powering through worksheets to receive a 100% grade, all without absorbing the tiniest bit of knowledge.

Consider an art class to expand your creative horizons and learn to work with new mediums (image via pexels.com)

My best advice for teenagers and young adults pursuing an education is to take as many classes as they can that challenge, interest, and engage them.

These don’t have to be the classes that a Harvard professor swears by, and they don’t have to be the classes your counselor says will open doors for you. I’m here to share with you a list of classes that I took solely out of interest in them, only to later find out they’d be more beneficial for me than I’d ever expected.

Yearbook. As an aspiring writer from a young age, I felt taking this class in my junior year of high school would give me the opportunity to practice my writing and perfect my interview skills. Yet it turned out to be so much more than that. I caught myself exploring campus, capturing picture-perfect moments that my peers could look back on for decades on end. I grew more comfortable speaking to strangers, as I went from class to class, interviewing students and teachers alike. I was offered the opportunity to develop and work on my design skills when the teacher asked me to customize several yearbook pages. Years later, I still smile at the memory of that class, and I’m forever grateful for the professional and interpersonal skills it taught me.

Curious to learn more about astronomy, even though you’re a history major? Take the chance! (image via pixabay.com)

Introduction to International Relations. I went into my undergraduate career as a business economics major. I was dead set on the idea of completing my degree and working in small finance firms before finally making my way to Wall Street. That was the dream. However, a free spot in my schedule prompted me to take this one class that was so different from others in my undergraduate career. Little did I know it would spark an ongoing interest in political affairs, the intricacies of policymaking, and global anti-human trafficking efforts. I still remember calling my mom a few weeks into the course to share with her the fascinating things I was learning every day, all because I took a chance on something I found potentially interesting. Little did I know that this one class would prompt me to take more classes in the field, finally leading me to pursue a political science master’s degree abroad.

Soviet Comedy. Yep, you read that right. This class is probably the most unique of all the ones that I’ll be writing about. As a native Russian speaker, a class taught exclusively in Russian didn’t frighten me. I had been wanting to take a Russian class at my university for a couple years at that point, just to see what the experience would be like. The name of the class piqued my interest, so I promptly enrolled. As it turned out, this class was about comedy films which aired during the 1960s and 1970s in the then-Soviet Union. Not only did I learn interesting facts about some of my favorite Soviet-era films I had grown up watching, but I also got to meet fellow Russians with whom I got to bond with over our shared cultural heritage. Going to a “commuter school” where the majority of students came to study and then promptly leave for home, it was great making friends on campus with whom I already shared some common background.

Switch up your sedentary class schedule by getting out of your comfort zone and taking a dance class (image via pexels.com)

Dance. I’m talking salsa, waltz, and rumba — all those awesome partnered dances you see on programs like Dancing with the Stars. As an undergraduate student, I vaguely remembered taking some partnered dance class roughly 15 years ago, back when my friends and I were elementary school students forced into dancing by our moms. I wanted to relive those glory days and learn some real dances, even if doing so was completely out of my comfort zone at the time. The first day of class opened my eyes to the pleasant reality of the situation: for 90% of the students there, this was a completely “out of my comfort zone” type of experience. Though this was an evening class that lasted for hours several times a week, it turned into one of my most memorable experiences at UC Irvine.

The reality of the situation is there’s no such thing as an objectively “useful” class.

Contemporary society may foolishly condition us to believe that STEM classes are the only ones that are beneficial for students to take, but the reality of the situation is that what you do with the knowledge and experiences you acquire is what ultimately matters (and hey, if STEM subjects are what you’re into — don’t let anyone stop you from taking them!).

So put yourself out there. Get out of your comfort zone. Learn a new skill. Make some new friends. Try out something you’ve always wanted to do.

Because the best thing you can do in school is learn where your true passions and talents lie, and you can’t do that by adhering to an itinerary created for you by someone else.