TAKE ELECTIVE CLASSES: Here are some I highly recommend!
By: Nancy Aguilar ‘22
As a college student we’re always busy and one of the hardest things is figuring out how to manage your time well. This is especially difficult when planning out your course schedule. But—regardless of your major or schedule—I guarantee that you will have space for an extracurricular class. TAKE IT!
I cannot stress enough that you should take these opportunities to explore stuff you’re interested in. For me it really paid off in the long run. If you’re interested in a minor or major, then you can begin to take classes towards that degree and the application process can be a lot easier because you already have credits that cover some of those degree requirements.
I had the opportunity to take five extracurricular courses that are related to film and East Asian culture because these are two areas that I am highly interested in. Three of them also overlapped with my general requirements so it was a way for me to explore something new and fun while also being productive and working towards my graduation requirements.
CTCS190: Introduction to Cinema/ 4 units/ Fulfills Category ‘A’ GE Requirement!
This course is a MUST TAKE if you like films, especially if you’re a fan of analyzing the filmmaking and imagery behind them. The class is held in a movie theater which is super fun. Although the lack of a desk is a little frustrating sometimes, the experience of having class in a theater is hard to pass up. It’s held at USC’s Norris Theater which is a popular place where USC’s film students and alumni screen films that they’ve worked on and new releases as well.
The classroom isn’t just for show, we actually watch a film after every lecture. So there is roughly half an hour to 45 minutes of lecturing and then the rest of class you watch a film. Homework generally consists of some readings about the films and weekly quizzes on the film and the readings. Each midterm is a paper, so if you want to escape the basic multiple choice exams this is the perfect class for you! It’s unlike any other course you’ll ever take and one of the most popular general education classes on campus.
EALC344: Korean Culture from Ancient to Modern Times/4 units /Fulfills both Category ‘B’ and ‘H’ GE Requirements!
This course is extremely interesting if you’re interested in learning about Korean culture or like learning about country formation and international literature in general. Even if you’re not interested in Korean culture specifically, it’s an interesting course to take because of how South Korea and North Korea were uniquely formed. They are also some of the youngest nations in the world so their history is pretty extensively recorded and this is really unique to see in a history class. The readings are more narrative which is a very nice break from reading traditional textbooks, articles and scholarly journals. It really feels like just grabbing a book from a library and reading a cool folk tale.
There are quizzes and exams on the readings but they aren’t tough if you read the material. When I took it we also watched films and videos and even had the opportunity to try a traditional Korean snack. It’s a really nice change of pace from a traditional history class and a nice break from Western history.
MUSC255: Songwriting I/2 units
This course is A BLESSING for anyone who is interested in making and writing music but does not play an instrument or have any knowledge of traditional music theory. It’s a great course for beginners to explore and be challenged as well. When I took it I was amongst many Thornton students but many of them were Music Industry majors so many of them didn’t play instruments or read music like me so it was a nice atmosphere for me to learn.
This course has no exams and each ‘midterm’ and our ‘final’ is just us creating songs. It’s a very open-minded and subjective class so the lengths that you can explore and go with it are really up to you. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to create songs that I am genuinely proud of and still listen to from time to time. It’s a great experience that you can fit very easily into your schedule as it is only a 2 unit class.
EALC125: Introduction to Contemporary East Asian Film and Culture/4 units/ Fulfills Category ‘B’ GE Requirement!
I know I’ve said this before but this course is a MUST if you’re interested in film. It’s a nice change of pace from Hollywood and Western films and it definitely was a life changing class for me. I was introduced to a myriad of new East Asian films that I didn’t know of beforehand and one of them became my favorite film, Perfect Blue (1997). This class quite literally molded my world and shifted my perspective on how I should view film and world content in general.
Not only did it shape my perspective of film but it also led me to form a connection with the professor and she wrote a letter of recommendation for me down the line for USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Not only was this class extremely fun and enjoyable for me but I also got this connection out of it that opened the door for new possibilities in my college career.
CTCS200: History of International Cinema I/4 units
This course is extremely interesting if you’re curious about how film came to be and the history behind the multiple voices that helped shape what film was not only technically but also conceptually. This being said, this can be a very dense course because you watch and talk about the earliest types of films and oftentimes the quality and sound of them isn’t the best, so you really have to be interested and listen to the films that are being presented so you can make something out of it.
Finally, this is just a small corner of the courses you can take to explore your interests. There is definitely something out there for everyone, one of my friends is even taking a backpacking course this semester. My best advice to you is to take chances and explore what you’re remotely passionate about. For me, it led to me finding a new major in film production here at USC! It even led to me finding Trojans360!
Just like you are what you eat, you are the courses that you take. Plan ahead and use OASIS to guide your process in finding what you are required to take and how you can fit what you want to take into that schedule.
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