Everyone always seems to hate having to take General Education classes, but looking back on all those that I took, I actually learned a lot in those courses and apply many of those concepts to my current courses within my communication major. I can agree that maybe one or two were basically pointless and I'll never use or think about what I learned, but others made an incredible impact in how I think, do, and see things every day. I am never going to use that math class from freshmen year ever again, but my knowledge from Human Biology comes in handy every once in a while.
In the fall of my Junior year, I took a course called Human Disease and Society at my college, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The course was taught in a way where everyone from many backgrounds could comprehend the curriculum because it was a Gen Ed course. The class taught me what diseases I can protect myself by just washing my hands and what diseases I have to be more careful about. It was an eye opener about all the diseases that cause major problems in other countries that the United Sates.
Another crucial General Education course I took was History of Consumers in the United States. The course taught me how consumerism had been moving and changing over time and how it all has shaped consumerism now. One major topic I found interesting was the emergence of shopping malls in the United States during the movement to suburbia. The way malls have changed over time is such an interesting transition to becoming the staple in the society that it is today.
One other course I took that really shaped my perspective was History of African Americans. A lot of the topics we covered were people or events I had never heard of before. Learning about all of that really shaped my thoughts and views on the movement that is happening today, Black Lives Matter. the course was more than just wider knowledge to influence current events, it also entailed a focused project that led me to research a topic that I now am interested in and spreading awareness.
In all, these classes mentioned above and many others that went unmentioned shaped the way I think and see the world. I can apply it to my major and the field I will enter after graduation. Not only will it help me in my career, but it will help me personally understand more concepts and past events that lead me to become a more contributing member of society.
