This semester, 3/5 of my classes focus on the topic of racism, and how it has been created in our world. Originally, when I was registering for these courses, I glimpsed the course descriptions so briefly that I was unaware they would be constructed in such a manner.

However, I have to say that even just a week into them, they are some of the best, most interesting lectures/discussions I have ever participated in, and here’s why.

Race is almost impossible to define. When I was asked on one of the first days of class, “How would you define racism?” I froze. I didn’t know how to answer the question. In fact, I ended up asking myself a series of internal questions: Is race a social construction? Is raced based on beliefs or someone’s outer image? Does race mean different things based on how we use it?

The point of these classes, of course, is two-fold: to ensure that students are able to answer these questions without feeling so lost, and to educate students on an issue that has been facing the world for far too long, and still has not been resolved.

With one class about race in Shakespeare’s time, another about the history of slavery and abolition, and a third that focuses on race as represented through southern literature, I have found myself in awe at how much I did not know about the topic.

Often times, we learn about race in the context of slavery, but even then, what do we really know? When I walked into these classes on the first day and professors asked me to write down the prior knowledge I had about slavery, I felt ashamed. Embarrassment swept over me when I could think of only a few things I had learned in school. Still, I was not alone.

Almost every other student in those classes felt the same way: they had never had an in-depth education about race, and it was surprising to most that race was almost always associated with slavery.

We may not view race as a concept that is difficult to define or important to dissect, but when we think about how prominent it is in our lives, that all changes.

Take for example those of us who are applying for internships this summer (ugh, I know). When asked about your race, there are generally 5 boxes that you get to choose from: White, African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American, and Other.

OK, sure, for most of us this is a very simple question, but for some it’s much more challenging. These 5 boxes are forcing you to choose your race, and many people who are mixed, adopted, or identify with a race that is not on this list (aka: other) struggle to select just one answer.

Although the two are often associated, it’s important to know that learning about race doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to learn about racism. Regardless, even if you do, would that really be such a bad thing? As members of this country during a time that is experiencing an enormous amount of racial conflict, it is important we are educated.

Disclaimer: While a race class may cause you discomfort at times, it’s important to push yourself to do it anyway. Take advantage of your school’s curriculum and enroll in a class that might make you uncomfortable or confused, because those are the classes we learn from the most. You will have moments of discomfort, and times when you feel uneducated for not knowing this information, but that’s OK. Learn to know it, study it, and most importantly, use it in your everyday life to better educate those around you.

Take a class about race. I promise you won’t regret it.