With an expansive catalog of courses to choose from, UConn students’ favorite classes span academic disciplines. Their recommendations share common themes like unique topics and engaging discussions.
Many students, like Chris Thomas, seventh-semester economics and soil sciences major, favor classes that have a relaxed environment and aren’t too hard to pass. He recommends PHIL 1104, Philosophy and Social Ethics, a class that examines morality, individual rights and the nature of life.
“I liked it because it was laid back and pretty easy. Professor Gordon was extremely knowledgeable and super chill, to the point where he would teach without shoes on,” he said. “PHIL 1104 is a good gen-ed class for anyone looking for an easier class/lighter workload.”
Josh Maccione, third-semester student, found enjoyment in the class URBN 1300, Exploring your Community, which focuses on diversity, well-being and social justice in urban life.
“It was not that much work; I took it online, but the professor … just made it super fun, and it was all group work, so there weren’t any exams,” Maccione said.
Owen Spangler, a fifth-semester civil engineering major, recalled GERM 1171, The German Film, as an interesting course he took his freshman year.
“[Classes] generally began with a short pre-lecture to give historical, cultural and artistic context to the film,” Spangler said. “We’d then watch the film, and then have an instructor-led discussion about the movie for participation credit. After the class, a short half-page reflection was assigned.”
He described the assignments as “not only easy, but enjoyable to do” for students who paid attention in class.
Gen Gar, a third-semester student, chose his favorite class based on different criteria. He appreciated the difficulty of ACCT 2001, Principles of Financial Accounting.
“It was challenging,” Gar said. “It gives you stress, and I like stress.”
Many students’ choices for favorite class are dictated by the material discussed. Collin Talbert-Slagle, a first-semester psychology major, loves MUSI 1003, Popular Music and Diversity in American Society, because of its interesting content.
“We listen to music, read papers about music and talk about music,” Talbert-Slagle said. “There’s so many new songs I’ve learned.”
Stephen Burke, a sixth-semester student, also appreciated the content of his favorite class, MCB 3845, Microbial Diversity, Ecology and Evolution.
“It’s basically just looking at different research papers and being able to understand higher-level thinking. It’s kind of … teaching you how to think about science,” Burke said.
Lilly Pastrana, seventh-semester student, attributed the pleasantness of her preferred class — SOCI 2651, Sociology of the Family — to the atmosphere her professor, Dr. Christin Munch, creates.
“She is a great professor, and honestly … all her classes are super fun and engaging,” Pastrana said.
Noah Book, a first-semester history major, echoed the importance of an engaging classroom environment. He identified HIST 2100, The Historian’s Craft, as one of the best he’s taken because of its opportunities for discussion.
“I feel more open to discussion in class, and I’m more interested in the topics,” Book said.
