As I approach my third year as a student at Penn State, I have experienced a wide variety of classes at this university, ranging from nearly unbearable to a breeze. I am majoring in pre-medicine and have certainly endured several science courses at Penn State.
One way to lighten my workload is enrolling in an easier general education (gen-ed) course. Each student is required to take a certain number of general education courses covering six different categories: arts, humanities, health and wellness, natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and integrative studies. Here’s my recommendation for some of the easiest courses to take that cover these graduation requirements:
MUSIC 4
This class, which examines music in the film industry, is designed as a web course that you can complete at your own pace. There are weekly quizzes with nearly all of the questions coming directly from the textbook. Additionally, there are only two exams, which consist of the previously answered quiz questions. The professors are helpful, concise, and understanding. Plus, the ability to work at your own speed is an added bonus.
CAMS 45
This course dives into classic mythology and gives a broad overview of the history of mythology. Although the course heavily utilizes reading, the quizzes are straightforward and easily answered by the weekly readings. The content is also quite interesting, since you do not typically learn about it.
HPA 57
This class provides an overview of healthcare in the United States with short lectures three days per week. The professor is strict on phone usage in the class, but in return, he always ends class early so that you have enough time to relax. Additionally, the quizzes at the end of this week are short, straightforward, and often open-note, unless the phone policy is breached.
ASTRO 7N
This web course is designed to be a video game that introduces you to astronomy. Students can wander around the virtual world on their own time to learn the material. This unique way of teaching is actually quite memorable! However, there are two large exams in this course that are challenging due to the layout. In return, there are several art projects that are worth a significant portion of your grade that can help boost your overall score.
PSYCH 100
Although psychology may sound boring, this class explores the brain in further detail in a manner that is quite easy to understand. Additionally, this psychology course delves into the history and discovery of the field itself, allowing history junkies to get their share in the course. Therefore, even if science is not your go-to subject, you can still find aspects that better match your learning style. The exams are online, allowing you to use the notes you have taken to answer the questions. Overall, this class is simple, straightforward, and interesting!
