Even though flu season is ramping up, the real silent killer here at University of Wisconsin is academic fatigue. It may not give you a stuffy nose or a fever, but it’ll ruin your life just the same. Symptoms include — fantasizing about dropping out, questioning if you should change your major and spending one too many nights locked in the Memorial Library cages — a fate truly worse than death.
This fall, thousands of students have been diagnosed with this horrid ailment, but luckily, it’s not terminal. In fact, there’s a simple cure for academic fatigue — give yourself a break next semester. Don’t torture yourself by packing your schedule full of four-hour labs and dry research seminars — you deserve better. It’s simply inhumane, and anyways, what’s the rush for? Try to enjoy your time here at UW and enroll in a few fun classes to keep yourself sane this spring.
Not sure where to start? Fear not. Here are 10 delightfully niche classes, from wine tasting to belly dancing, to fluff up your schedule and keep you immune to academic fatigue next semester.
Communication Arts 300: Film Comedy (3 credits, humanities breadth)
Nothing is funny when you’ve got four exams in one week. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a break from the horrors of being a student by kicking back and watching a nice comedy every now and then — for college credit? I’m being serious, but this class is certainly not! Communication Arts 300: Film Comedy is a side-splitting exploration of the comedy genre sure to lighten up your spring semester — popcorn not provided.
Dance 135: Pilates Mat I (1 credit)
Had enough of YouTube pilates routines leaving you sore? Become a pilates pro yourself by enrolling in Pilates Mat I, a one-credit introductory course that’ll definitely get you toned up for summer. Beginners and pros welcome!
Horticulture 330: Wines and Vines of the World (2 credits)
If you’ve ever been sitting in class and felt the overwhelming urge to drink, this course is for you. Horticulture 330: Wines and Vines of the World might be the only class at UW where you can booze with your professor and learn something while doing it. It’s an introduction to wine culture that covers topics such as the biochemistry of wine production, the cultural history of grape-producing regions around the world, and sensory evaluation of wines. And yes, enrolled students get to participate in wine tastings, so get ready to do your best sommelier impression.
There’s just one catch: You need to be 21 to enroll. Sorry freshmen — you’ll have to stick to the Pink Whitney and Natty Lights for now.
Folklore 327: Vampires (3 credits, literature breadth)
Vampires aren’t real — although everyone has had at least one TA who seemed a little bit bloodthirsty— but, that’s no reason not to enroll in this course. From literature to cinema to popular culture, you’ll learn about the portrayal of vampires in contexts of colonization, race, gender, sexuality and class. You probably won’t encounter Dracula in Sterling Hall, but perhaps tuck some garlic into your pockets before class just to be safe.
Dance 110: Bollywood & Bellydance Basics (1-2 credits)
Sitting up straight in stuffy classrooms all week long is enough to make anyone’s muscles tight. Loosen up your hips a bit and try something new by enrolling in Dance 110: Bollywood & Bellydance Basics! The course concentrates on creative self-expression through dance and emphasizes the importance of flexibility, improvisation and endurance. Plus, there’s no need to be a pro to participate — dance classes are for everyone!
Literature in Translation 303: French Love (3-4 credits, literature breadth)
No one knows love like the French — they even have their own kiss! Examine the portrayal of love in French literature and media with Literature in Translation 303: French Love. If you’re a hopeless romantic, or if you just need a little more “joie de vivre” in your spring semester schedule, you’re sure to fall head over heels for this class. Bisous!
Classics 361: Sex and Power in Greece and Rome (3 credits, humanities breadth)
You know what they all say — there’s nothing sexier than ancient history. Or something like that. Learn all about how the Ancient Greeks and Romans were doin’ it in Classics 361, which tackles topics of sexual orientation, gender identity, violence and self-realization in its examination of sex as a source of domination and liberation in Greece and Rome. Going to class has truly never been hotter.
Dance 110: Hip-Hop (1-2 credits)
Okay, this is the last dance course, I promise. Dance 110 is a hip-hop class that’ll get your body moving once a week and build your confidence along the way. The best part? No exams — you just have to perform for the class. Not to mention it’s beginner friendly, so you can bust a move, not your GPA.
Religious Studies 236: Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters (3 credits, humanities breadth, Comm B)
Don’t blame me if you have to sleep with the lights on every night while enrolled in this course! Asia Enchanted: Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters is exactly what it sounds like, concentrating on how Asian cultures, both historic and contemporary, conceive of and portray the ghostly and the monstrous. So if you are frightened easily, best sit this one out. But remember — there’s nothing scary about satisfying your Comm B requirement.
Theatre 100: Experiencing Theatre (2-3 credits, humanities breadth)
Calling all drama queens! This course will give you a front-row seat to the world of theatre — seriously! Students get to attend live performances to develop a deeper appreciation for theatre performance. I mean, who wouldn’t seize the opportunity to ditch lectures and watch musicals instead?
Hopefully, one of these classes can help you cure your academic fatigue. Just make sure to run your DARS audit so you don’t accidentally fall behind while spending your semester tasting wines. Although, I bet a few UW students would just call that a normal semester.
