Which college courses teach you skills you can take to any job? Check out these classes everyone should take in college!
With everything you have going on in college, it’s easy to get tunnel vision and focus only on the classes you’re required to take for your major. But are you also putting thought into your electives? Choosing electives that compliment your major are essential for a well-rounded college experience and can make you more marketable in the workforce after you graduate.
So, which courses should you be taking? Here are just a few ideas you can take to your adviser, and together, you can identify which electives best supplement your required classes.
For some of us, it’s flying. For others, it’s snakes and spiders. But for a whopping 75 percent of us, it’s speaking in front of a group of people.
Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is one of the most common types of fears: some 40 million U.S. adults suffer from it. Taking a public speaking course is a huge step in helping you to overcome your fear and build confidence. Because no matter what your career goal is—be it teacher, brain surgeon, or scuba instructor—clear, succinct communication is essential for professional development.
Plus, public speaking courses can help you in other classes, too. People who hone their public speaking skills are shown to be more organized in their research and ideas, according to the public speaking organization ToastMasters International.
HTML, PHP, JavaScript, Python, CSS—if you don’t know anything about web design, all of the terminology can sound like gobbledygook. But, if you’re one of the millions of people who look at websites or use their mobile device every day, it wouldn’t hurt to have a little behind-the-scenes knowledge about all the work that goes into building that technology
Even if you have no intention of becoming a coder, there are many positions that interact with web designers, and they’ll appreciate the fact that you at least know their language
If you plan on starting your own business, web design skills are essential for growing your online presence. You can save literally thousands of dollars by building and maintaining your own website
P.S. If you haven’t chosen a major yet, the demand for coders is skyrocketing as mobile technology continues to grow. Experts say the need will increase by 30 percent between now and 2020—that’s twice as much as other fields!
Knowing how to track your spending habits is important at any age, but it can really come in handy in college when every dollar counts—OK, more like every penny!
More and more high schools are offering personal finance courses, and studies have found that the earlier you improve your financial literacy, the better. As one study revealed:
High school seniors who had taken a personal finance class were more likely to save money (93%, compared to 84% of students who hadn’t taken a class), have a budget (60%, compared to 46%), and invest (32%, compared to 17%)
In other words, you’re never too young to learn responsible spending habits!
Taking a psychology course can help you better understand your own feelings and thought processes, as well as those of other people. This comes in handy in the workplace (and life in general), where empathy pays off in the form of improved listening and communication skills
Research has found that empathy is an integral characteristic to have for effective leadership. One of the most significant ways empathy helps communication skills is by creating a heightened awareness of nonverbal cues. Sensitive leaders don’t just listen to words; they take into account facial expressions and body language. This kind of sensitivity builds trust and respect among friends, family, and colleagues
As Christine M. Riordan, professor of management at the University of Kentucky, says,
“Slowing down, engaging with others rather than endlessly debating, taking the time to hear and learn from others, and asking brilliant questions are ultimately the keys to success.”
In addition to impressing your friends, studies show that students who take a foreign language class perform better on standardized testing than those who don’t. The cognitive advantages of learning a foreign language don’t stop there
Learning a new language can also:
Learning a new language can even help you improve your understanding of your native language, because you’re forced to look at the mechanics, like grammar and sentence structure
Even if your dream job doesn’t involve pitching press releases, you’ll still benefit from a public relations writing course. Writing in a clear and actionable way is a skill that will lend itself to any profession
So why PR writing over something like creative writing? Well, while creative writing can bring out the artist in you, PR writing classes typically teach the nuances of writing in the professional world: cover letters, email etiquette, presentations. Remember, PR writing is meant to quickly grab the reader’s attention and engage them—whether it’s in the form of a press release or a work email
Knowing how a company operates is pretty important, considering you’ll either A) work for one, or 2) start your own. From managing data to making management decisions, a business class can give you analytical tools that will benefit you both in your personal life and an office setting
Some of the most valuable transferrable skills you’ll take from a business class include:
Now that you have a solid list of classes, start thinking about which of them will benefit you the most. We guarantee you’ll be surprised at some of the lifelong lessons you’ll take away from classes that weren’t even on your radar!
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