The “College of Me” would give students the opportunity to learn about and engage in fields that they may have never come across otherwise. One of the aspects I appreciate most about my college education is that it opens my eyes up to new ideas, subjects, and people. Opinions that I had held onto strongly for most of my life have been challenged and I have been forced (and I mean that in the most positive sense of the word) to reevaluate my beliefs. Whether it be about a group of people, a particular subject or an ideology, college has allowed me to see things in a whole new light. This has been a valuable experience for me and I think that many students could benefit from an all-encompassing education. Although most people see core classes as an inconvenience/joke/waste of time, I think that they have much to offer. Classes that teach the fundamentals biology, philosophy, and art should be incorporated into every curriculum. In my opinion, it is important that students leave college well-rounded, with a basic understanding of core fields of knowledge. Courses should be offered under three categories: humanities, arts, and natural sciences (plus math-type classes). In the ideal curriculum, students would have eight semesters of college with a month-long break in the winter and a two-month break in the summer. Each semester, students would take a class in each of the core areas, plus three additional classes. The additional classes may be counted towards a major or as an elective, however the students must graduate with at least eighteen courses in their major. If a student wished to take more electives, they could opt to take a seventh class during one semester. Six to seven classes would not be too burdensome because the core classes would not be intended as rigorous, work-intensive classes. Rather, they would be enjoyable and exploratory. The goal of the cores would be to provide students with the essentials of the subject, not in-depth technicalities. The humanities category would include but not be limited to the social sciences (e.g. psychology, sociology), history, writing, literature and philosophy. The arts would include subjects such as music, theater, film, art and perhaps even dance and cooking. The sciences would include biology, chemistry, mathematics, health and nutrition, physics and geology.

Here is my ideal schedule. Some of the classes I included are not necessarily ones that I would voluntarily take, however I recognize their value.

Fall Semester, Freshman Year

1. Humanities: Psychology 2. Arts: Film 3. Sciences: Health & Nutrition 4. Biology I 5. Chemistry I 6. Judaic Studies

I chose Biology I and Chemistry I because I planned to major in Biology, so these introductory-level classes serve as the first of my major requirement classes. They are different from the core classes, which provide an overview in the subject. These courses, however, are indented to serve as a foundation for further and more in-depth study of the subject .The Judaic Studies course is simply an elective class that I am interested in.

Spring Semester, Freshman Year

1. Humanities: Writing 2. Arts: Music 3. Sciences: Math 4. Biology II 5. Journalism I 6. Psychology I

Here, I substitute Chemistry II for Journalism because I’m having doubts. Chemistry I was brutal. Do I really want to go into a science major? I’ve always liked writing; maybe Journalism is a better major for me. Or, maybe Psychology would be better- I really enjoyed the Psychology core last semester.

Fall Semester, Sophomore Year

1. Humanities: Sociology 2. Arts: Dance 3. Sciences: Computer Science 4. Chemistry II 5. Zoology I 6. Human Physiology

Journalism and Psychology were good, but I don’t want to major in either of them. I’m willing to give Chemistry another shot.

Spring Semester, Sophomore Year

1. Humanities: Social History of the U.S. 2. Arts: Theater 3. Sciences: Physics 4. Microbiology I 5. Zoology II 6. Organic Chemistry I

I’ve declared my Biology major so I’m going full-steam, taking more advanced courses. Still, I have my lighter cores to balance out my schedule. Though Physics can get tough .

Fall Semester, Junior Year

1. Humanities: Philosophy 2. Arts: Art History 3. Sciences: Geology 4. Microbiology II 5. Genetics 6. Organic Chemistry II

Although I’m enjoying the major classes, I look most forward to the cores. Who knew Philosophy could be so stimulating? I’m thinking about minoring in it now . . .

Spring Semester, Junior Year

1. Humanities: Ancient Civilizations 2. Arts: Computer Graphics & Design 3. Sciences: Statistics 4. Evolution 5. Botany I 6. Yoga

Last semester was brutal. I should have known not to take Organic Chemistry II with Microbiology II. Now I’m taking Yoga as an elective to make sure I have that time to unwind (and get some exercise) so that my semester is not as stressful as the previous one.

Fall Semester, Senior Year

1. Humanities: Latin 2. Arts: World Cooking 3. Sciences: The Study of Disease 4. Botany II 5. Neuroscience 6. Bioinformatics

I’ve always been interested in etymology and root words- now, here’s my chance to take Latin and learn where so many of our words come from! World Cooking is also great; it shows how culinary techniques- from flavors to aesthetics- have served much more than a functional purpose for centuries. A whole new way to look at food.

Spring Semester, Senior Year

1. Humanities: American Literature 2. Arts: Poetry 3. Sciences: Astronomy 4. Ecology 5. Immunology 6. Biology Lab Research

In my last semester, I decide to get a bit more experimental in taking Poetry and Astronomy, two subjects that I knew nothing about and before college, and no desire to learn about. Yet after the positive outcomes with all of my other core classes, I decide to give these two a try. Success! I never knew I could write poetry so well! And now I’ll always be able to point out the North Star! On a more practical level, I’ve completed all of the required courses for my Biology major. I even got to end by taking a Research course, where I worked in a lab and got hands-on experience in what it might be like to pursue a career in science research.

By the end of these four years, I have what I see as the perfect balance: I am well-rounded, having taken a variety of classes that span a large range of subjects. At the same time, I majored in Biology and now emerge from college with specialized skills.