When I was in high school, I had very few choices about what courses to take. For the most part, I could pick the AP class or the class that was in the core curriculum. Because of my educational background, I was almost overwhelmed by the course offerings the first time I hopped on PATH Class Search. While many of the courses for your major are quite structured and laid out for you, there is some flexibility to take courses that catch your eye. Woodworking, Nuptial Mystery, and Sports Leadership with Muffet McGraw are all exciting classes that I’ve heard students talk about during my time here, but those are just some of the many unique offerings that Notre Dame gives its students. Although they might not be as exciting as the classes I just listed, here are five courses that I will remember most from my time here at Notre Dame.
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On The Road: Literature University Seminar - One of the fun aspects to the spring semester of your first year at Notre Dame is that you have the opportunity to register for the same courses as the friends that you made in your first semester. Having friends in a small class setting of about fifteen students made for some of the most enjoyable parts of the week. In addition to good company, the material was also fairly interesting. The course covered quest literature, and we did a fair amount of reading in between each class. During the lectures, our professor would get up and speak for nearly the entire hour-fifteen minute duration. This professor was one of the more interesting lecturers, as he would scream, flail his arms, and make grotesque sound effects every single time he got in front of us. Some of the books were boring and fairly difficult to get through, but that wouldn’t stop him from having the time of his life twice every week. I ended up living with two of my friends from that class in Chicago this summer, and we frequently referenced his mannerisms. 10/10 would recommend taking a random class with your friends.
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Appalachia Seminar - This course made me realize that Notre Dame was the right place for me. This seminar meets once per week for the first half of the fall semester, and it is focused around a week-long service immersion over fall break. Students in the course are assigned a team at the beginning of the semester and are sent to sites in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, or Tennessee. My group was sent to a rural town in northern Tennessee, and we did home restoration throughout the week. This class is an incredible way to get close to ten new people, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to lead the same project the following year. When I look back on my time at Notre Dame, both weeks were some of the best and most memorable times I’ve had here. This course encapsulates what it means to be a Notre Dame student, and I will never stop recommending it to anyone who asks about it.
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Real Estate Finance - My parents would tell me wild stories about classes from college, and I always hoped that I would have a story worth telling. When I say I struck gold with this class, I truly mean it. The material was very practical with plenty of real-world application, but the most memorable part of this class was the professor. He reminded me of Robin Williams, and he always had plenty of enjoyable stories that didn’t have anything to do with what was going on in the material. I unfortunately didn’t do too well on the first midterm exam, but this is where the magic of Notre Dame saved me. The first class after spring break, the professor seemed noticeably flustered as the class filed in. He got up in front of the class and explained that he had all of our test scores held on a flash drive in his backpack. Over spring break, he left his backpack with his wife to go to the bathroom at the Miami Airport. During his time away from his wife, a person came running in and stole the backpack, meaning all of our scores from the first test were lost. To the frustration of the department, he had no choice but to give everyone an A on the lost exam. The reason for his disappointment was music to my ears, and I don’t know if I will ever catch another break as lucky as that one.
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Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching - I personally love smaller classes, and this class was exactly what I was looking for. With only seven students, there were plenty of opportunities to participate in class and get to know the people around me. The course was heavily influential on the formation of my rational thinking, and I greatly enjoyed learning more about the Catholic Church. At the end of the semester, our professor invited the class to his house for dinner with his family. Although not tied to my major, this was one of the most important classes I’ve taken at Notre Dame.
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Business Law - Most people say they hate this class. I am not one of those people. Although it was an absurd amount of reading, this was one of the most useful classes I’ve ever taken, and I actually enjoyed going to the lectures. It is no longer a requirement in Mendoza, but I would recommend every student to try and take this class. Having a very basic understanding of torts, contracts, and criminal law can be very beneficial to any person, regardless of their line of work. Although I doubt I’ll ever go to law school, this course made law much more appealing.
With my last year under way and more flexibility in my schedule, I am excited to explore more of what classes Notre Dame has to offer. While some people argue that a class that doesn’t teach you something applicable to your career is a waste of time, I couldn’t disagree more. Random classes have the ability to introduce you to new people, apply different methods of thought, and bring memories that will last a lifetime.