In high school, everyone is required to take general requirements such as English, math, science, and history. Although these classes change slightly each year, it's still as though you are learning the same things every year. In college, there are still general requirements that include those four basic subjects, but there are more interesting requirements as well.
At my college, George Mason University, we have requirements such as a philosophy/religion class, a global understanding class, and an information technology requirement. My freshman year, I took classes like Greek art history, a Mayan religion class, and public speaking. These are just a few of the classes I took that really opened my mind.
When I first signed up for these classes, I was super nervous. I had never been exposed to any of the subjects I was taking and I thought I was going to hate it. I wanted to stick to the usual high school subjects. But these classes took me out of my comfort zone. They were challenging, but intriguing. I was the most shy person before I took a public speaking class, but now I feel so comfortable with having to speak in front of a group of people. They say that life begins at the end of your comfort zone, and that quote is so true.
Most of the classes I have taken in college weren't even offered at my high school. For example, I have always thought psychology would be interesting, but my high school didn't have it. So for my social/behavioral requirement I took psychology and I loved it. I had a great professor who taught me very interesting things. I loved being able to take a class that I would have never taken if I hadn't gone to college. It was a great change of pace to be able to learn new things. Having to take these requirements has expanded my mind and made me a more well rounded person.
I have taken the things that I learned in these classes and applied them to my everyday life. It feels good to be able to watch a T.V. show or go to a museum and know exactly what is being talked about. I remember when my family visited me for family weekend; we went into DC to the American History Museum. There was a statue there of George Washington holding a sword by the blade, as if he was going to stab himself. The people around me were like, "Is he stabbing himself?" But because I took an art history class, I knew exactly what the statue symbolized and was able to explain the meaning. Trust me, before this class, I would be the last person to know anything about art. Honestly, I didn't even really like art before this class, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Although I came into college nervous about coming from a small town and having to expand my mind, I have enjoyed every second of my classes. All of them were intellectually stimulating, and my mind has expanded so much after just one semester. I've loved learning new things and have even considered minoring in some of the classes I have taken because I loved them that much. I'm so glad that my college requires me to expand my mind and make me a better person.
