I’m at the point in the semester where I’m just ready to be done with school and that feeling has doubled since I’m a senior who’s graduating in less than two weeks. As I begin to plan my next steps, I thought I’d look back on my time at EMU, specifically the classes I took, and review a handful of them.
After looking at my advising sheet, I’ve earned 128 career hours in my four years here, so I’ve taken a good amount of classes at EMU. I’ve taken a wide variety of classes and want to tell you my five favorites in hopes of influencing your decisions when advising comes back around.
The following list is in no particular order:
- (CMUS 202) Folk-Rock to Hip-Hop
I took Folk-Rock to Hip-Hop with David Berry spring semester of my freshman year. The class fulfilled the creative arts requirement of EMU’s core curriculum. I chose this class in particular because I absolutely love music and thought it’d be interesting to learn more about different music genres and aspects of music history. Throughout the class we listened to great music, some of which was live music from local artists, and we also got the chance to create our own music. As a former choir kid (yeah I know), I had a ton of fun creating music and listening to the music my classmates created. If you’re a music lover and still need to fulfill your creative art credit, I suggest taking Folk-Rock to Hip-Hop.
- (VACA 262) Video Production & (VACA 263) Audio Production
Ok, yes these are technically two classes, but in my heart they combine into one. I took Video Production the fall semester of junior year and Audio Production the spring semester of junior year, both of which were taught by Jerry Holsopple, EMU VACA legend who’s retiring at the end of the semester. Now, a big reason why I enjoyed this class was because Jerry taught it, but also because of all I learned. I’ve always loved music, movies, and tv, but didn’t know much about making them. These classes provided me with a better understanding of everything that’s done behind the scenes to make the media we love so much. Throughout both classes, we completed projects that gave us the opportunity to work with various video and audio equipment along with editing softwares that really made you feel somewhat professional. One of the biggest projects I’ve done in my time at EMU was working on a documentary with my Video Production class. When I tell you I have even more respect for cinematography and editing now than I ever had before, I truly mean it.
- (SOC 101) Introduction to Sociology
I took Introduction to Sociology with Jenni Holsinger the fall of my freshman year, and it was the class that made me want to add my sociology major. I’m a big believer that everyone, whether it’s required or not, should take some type of sociology class and that feeling has grown bigger with the rise of AI and this push of “STEM or nothing.” In the least dramatic words possible, sociology teaches us the way of life. Sociology dives into human behavior, social structures, culture, stratification, and much more, and Introduction to Sociology is the perfect place to get a taste of what the study of Sociology has to offer. If you’re even slightly interested in knowing more about why things are the way they are, I highly recommend taking this class.
- (PPX 421) Genocide, Mass Atrocity Prevention
I took Genocide, Mass Atrocity Prevention with Ji Eun Kim the fall of my junior year. Despite it being a three hour night class from 6:30-9:30pm (only one day a week!), I really enjoyed the class. We discussed various genocides and atrocities that have taken place throughout history while also asking and attempting to answer the question of what can be done to prevent terrible things like this from happening in the future. Taking this class in the fall of 2024, before, during, and after Oct. 7, provided great context as to what was happening in Palestine and why it is/should be considered a genocide. Yes, the class is long and late at night, but the subject matter was enough to recommend this to others.
- Washington Community Scholars Center
Okay, I’m kind of cheating with this one, but I can’t talk about my top educational experiences at EMU without mentioning WCSC. As a political science major, I was required to attend WCSC, and to be honest, I wasn’t too happy about it. The thought of sharing a living space with a handful of people I don’t know all that well and taking classes in the same house was not at all enticing, I thought it was going to be terrible. Now, I can admit when I am wrong (for the most part) and I was definitely wrong about WCSC. I greatly enjoyed my time there meeting new people, working an internship, and taking classes in the house. If you still need to fulfill your intercultural requirement, I suggest taking a look into WCSC.
That’s a wrap! While I’ve enjoyed most of the classes I’ve taken at EMU, these five came quickly to mind when thinking about my top five. If you have the chance, take some of these classes!
