05 Dec Academic Comfort Zones and Picking Cool Classes

We’re all familiar with the strategies we take in our approaches to choosing new classes for the semester. For some people, they involve taking classes that require the least amount of reading, or the fewest assignments. Others are more interested in how many contact hours they’ll have to show up for or who their professor might be. In arriving for your exchange semester in San Francisco, or anywhere in the world for that matter, I think it pays to reassess how you decide on your classes. While you might have a pretty set idea of what you’d like to get out of your course, if you have the opportunity to be flexible, consider that you’re in the midst of an amazing, overseas experience, and that a big part of that is actually having new and interesting experiences, along with meeting new and interesting people. Having the right combination of classes can definitely facilitate those things.

That’s how I choose to go about the application process. I took a couple of classes that I wouldn’t ordinarily do, and it really paid off. The first of these was my documentary making class. While I love documentaries and enjoy film and working with cameras, I normally wouldn’t have taken this course because it was based entirely on group work (I prefer working on my own), and while camera operation and editing are valuable skills to have in my field, I’m more inclined towards the news journalism side of things. I ended up having a great time working with my group and we made a pretty good film. It was definitely challenging, but the satisfaction I experienced at the end was much greater than I normally feel when I complete a class. Along with the technical skills that I picked up along the way, I learned a lot about working with other people, especially in a creative context.

Another wildcard for me this semester was taking a management class. Ordinarily, I’d have steered well away from anything business related, but, being on exchange and making an effort as far as openness to new experiences goes, I thought ‘why not?’ To my surprise, it’s turned out to be one of the most interesting classes I’ve ever taken, as far as actually being attentive in class and feeling natural enthusiasm towards learning about the concepts that were being taught goes, at least. I’ve learned something new about myself and my interests, which is a pretty valuable thing, I believe.

So yeah. When it comes to choosing classes, if you have the opportunity, consider picking stuff that you wouldn’t ordinarily go for. You’re studying abroad. It’s amazing! Take a calculated risk. It might pay off.