The 10 Best Classes at CSULB to Take With Your Best Friend | The Odyssey Online
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The 10 Best Classes at CSULB to Take With Your Best Friend

Classes you'll hate the least with the person you like the most

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The 10 Best Classes at CSULB to Take With Your Best Friend
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Your best friend – they are your partner in crime, your exit buddy, the sushi to your roll. For me, whether I need her to pretend to be my lesbian lover when a creep doesn't get the hint, or to binge-watch a season of "My Fair Wedding" without judgement, she's my go-to girl. The fact of the matter is: your best friend makes just about anything and everything the best, especially in college where requirements like GE courses can be a necessary evil.

Let's be real: we've all been in at least one, if not more, GE classes we chose not because we we're interested in the subject but simply because we needed to fulfil the requirement. Bad news: We all have to take them. Good news: We all have to take them, which means you can take them with friends! Even if you're an engineering major and your best friend is a film major, GE classes give you the chance to be in the same class for a change. But which class should you take? Some are better than others, so here's my list of the best GEs at CSULB for you and your best friend.

10. ENGL 206 Into to Poetry

If you still think poetry has to rhyme in Elizabethan English, thou should take this class alas. Meaning, you need to take this class because that is NOT what all poetry sounds like. You may write some bad poetry about a sloppy hookup you had, or maybe you'll write some good poetry about that sloppy hookup – it's fun and your BFF won't judge you for it (maybe a little). If you decide writing poetry isn't your thing, at least you'll get to hear some good, and definitely some bad, poetry via open mic night at Wine Crush on Broadway and laugh about it over a glass (or two or three) of Moscato with your best friend.

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9. A Foreign Language

You two can probably communicate with just a look, but if you want to take it to a whole notha' level, take a foreign language. Whether it be French, Spanish, or even Sign Language, you both will have fun laughing at each other's pronunciations when saying Come loshuevos or J'aime le sandwich. Then you can start planning your study abroad trip together and speak the native language like a couple of locals – or at least be able to find the bathroom.

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8. FEA 310 Film and Culture

Remember how you felt back in the day, when you would walk into class and your teacher had the T.V. out? You knew it was going to be a good day, because it was a movie day. That's basically what this class is like, except you'll get a new perspective when you watch the films for more than just the surface level story. You will cover how Hollywood portrays everyone: Native Americans, Women, Men, Latinas and others, and topics such as masculinity, class, and sexuality. There's something anyone and everyone in the class can relate to. Just remember to bring the popcorn.

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7. CWL 320 Comic Spirit

Don't freak out because it's a literature class – you don't just read. You get to watch stand up comedy and learn about the "rules" of comedy – which are funny in themselves. Yeah, you have to write an essay, but it's on your favorite comedy. You can watch "The Office" or "Anchorman" with your BFF and say you're studying – and you actually are for once. The best assignment is the group project where you create your own comedic presentation, whether it be a short film, skit, or comic book. This is so much fun to do with a friend, and you will definitely end up laughing, even if it's at how not funny you both are.

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6. COMM 10 Interpersonal Communication

This class is one-part lecture and one-part workshop, and a whole lot of interesting. Make sure you and your friend get in the same workshop section together, because that's where the fun is; you get to do a creative group project where you present a certain aspect of interpersonal communication. My group covered the Four Horseman of Apocalypse, which are common tactics we use when we fight with a friend/partner. So my group did a game show that the whole class participated in, and we had candy prizes and cheesy fighting-couple scenes – it was awesome and, of course, we got an A. This class covers how and why we begin, maintain, and end relationships, so your friendship will be solid, or at least you'll know some behavioral knowledge to throw at each other when you fight over whose turn it is to pitch in for the extra guac at Chipotle.


5. PSY 100 General Psychology

Here you'll cover topics such as personality, emotion, and therapy – and start analyzing each other to the point where if your friend scratches his chin, you'll take it as a sign that he's lying about what he really thinks about your new haircut. Just kidding, don't take it that far. You'll end up learning new things about yourself and your friend – like what personality type you are, or that crying over a sleeping puppy video on YouTube is a totally acceptable emotional response.

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4. BIOL 153 Marine Biology

When have you wished you could take the short drive down PCH to the beach instead of being stuck in a classroom? In Marine Bio, most of your lab time is at the beach! You get to traverse the rocky shoreline jetty, search for sea critters in the bay and tide pools, and even go offshore on the department's boat. One of my favorite experiences was finding a baby octopus in the bay. It was so cute! With your best friend, you'll already have a carpool and lab partner for all your sea life observation, research and adventures!

3. A KIN Class

The Kinesiology department offers every workout class under the Long Beach sun; they have everything from salsa dancing to sword fighting – FIGHTING WITH SWORDS. Okay, I don't know if they actually give you a real sword, but it's a real class! If you want to get fit together, try a cardio class, or if you're up for some friendly competition, try out flag football, ultimate frisbee, or rugby. If all this workout talk is making you sweat and you really just want a KIN class to hang out with your friend, go for weightlifting or jogging. Yes, you still have to workout, but you can do it at your own pace and talk to your friend about the hot guy/girl that actually took the class to work out.

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2. H SC 425 Human Sexuality and Sex Education

You get to learn about sex. I know you're already sold, but we can still pretend like you're taking this class for more than the lesson on sex positions. All joking aside, this course will cover important and serious topics such as HIV and AIDS, prostitution, and domestic violence. So you both will come out with more than just the knowledge of how to label every part of the male member.

1. THEA 113 Intro to Acting

This will probably be one of the best classes you ever take. A lot of the class is improvisation exercises – which aren't as scary as they sound. The exercises are like the games you used to play on the blacktop in elementary school. You'll play link tag, run around as your favorite animal, and perform your own raps and choreography #fire. Especially if you're shy, this is a great way to help you come out of your shell and not take yourself too seriously. Embarrassing story time: one day we had to act out whatever action the person who performed before us shouted out. Some people got driving a race car or dancing – I got having sex. Like, really? I'm still a little embarrassed to say my hilarious solo performance got me a standing ovation and even had the professor laughing. Basically, the best part of this class is getting to pretend; pretending brings out the kid in you again, and getting to experience that feeling with a friend in college is something you don't want to miss out on.


Taking a class with one of your best friends is a must do before you graduate, and an experience you'll remember long after graduation. These are just some suggestions from my own personal experience, but you can find more GE course options listed in the Schedule of Classes and the course descriptions in the CSULB Catalog.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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