Donât fall for click-bait. It doesnât just exist on YouTube or here. Itâs everywhere, even on that cereal box.
As much as you want to know what the class is, it doesnât matter at this point because every class is what you make out of it. I get it, you learn different things and the professors have unique experiences, but besides that, it is up to you what you get out and apply in your life. Whenever I choose what video I watch, podcast I listen to, or Medium article I read, I make sure to take down notes and practice it otherwise it is a waste of time.
Because you go to Harvard and simply have that credential thanks to your parents donating a building for your acceptance doesnât mean you will learn anything more than a community student would who not only is making a smarter financial decision but also a priority to work harder because it seems like it isnât a great investment at a lower-ranked school, according to no research.
As you all know, I go to NYU. This is a school I picked for a variety of reasons. You donât care why so I wonât list them but the obvious reason is being located in NYC, where Iâve always lived. It wasnât only convenient to take a 30-minute walk downtown as opposed to staying in a gated campus in the middle of the woods but also the variety of ideas, people, experiences and of course food that cannot be beaten for its taste and unfortunately, price as well. More diversity in companies and life creates more happiness, creativity, and inspiration that will take you places so I made a bet here.
This past semester, I still havenât been able to get into the classes that I wanted because Iâm a sophomore. Seniors get priority in choosing classes and everyone goes after. Such a fair system when you are paying to learn what you want to. Am I right? (Itâs hard to detect sarcasm in writing so Iâll just point it out). Luckily, after setting a timer on my class appointment slot to hit the giant enroll button at the time of registration last semester, I was thankfully able to get into this class. No more waiting until the last semester of college. Few. For privacy and discrepancy reasons, I wonât disclose the class but if you are interested in learning about what the most popular class in college across the nation taught me, check out it here.
Confession
So why in the world would students consider a hard class the most special? With my experience being a student, usually the most in-demand classes are the easiest and this is unfortunately true. I donât make the assumptions, I just follow them.
To give you a hint, this is a business class. Ordinary business fundamentals class that teaches you what you need to know in a concise manner. Nothing is different than a typical course with 400 students in a lecture and no individual attention. But what is special and popular about this acclaimed one is that students want to learn and see the benefits of it which rarely happens. Application in life as I was referring to above.
If I hear a recommendation whether itâs about a brand or class, it is usually because it is cheap, easy, or great as an investment. Rarely that it will make me a better human which is also sad to hear.
So I was already hooked on knowing that I would learn something out of this class that could help me with anything.
Generalist > Specialist.
Style and Structure
After that, it came down to the other big factors, the 2 Sâs.
Teacherâs style and structure.
The teacher not only had corporate industry experience but it felt like a discussion, not a lecture, something we should be more acclimated to in school so we could be decently prepared for the real world. This isnât common in large business classes where the easiest and most cost-efficient way to teach thousands of students per semester is to pack them into a lecture like sardines. Although this class was no different, the teacher made all the difference and have more of an effect that you may want.
Never underestimate the person, especially when it comes down to grades and your future. If a nice and personable professor is teaching the most mundane curriculum in the world, you will still enjoy it. They will teach you things and make you laugh to get out of your shell that you wonât get elsewhere. Curiosity finally peaks instead of dies.
Now, letâs get past the reasons why I choose this class and to the real skills that I havenât gotten elsewhere:
Real-World Experience
The last thing you will do in the office will take a test. After becoming a doctor, lawyer, or graduate student in business to name a few specialties, tests are behind you. They mean nothing about a student besides how well they can memorize information for a given period of time and regurgitate it. Iâm not just saying this because Iâve always been a bad test taker but because Iâve worked in the corporate environment since age 16 for a full year before and after school and I understand what real work entails. School made me assume that grades and tests are all that we have and need to know how to do until you realize that you arenât working alone in this world. You need others to support you through projects and meetings. Dealing with tedious and difficult people are the things I learn in school, not the material. If you are a supportive teammate that is easy to work with and have good interpersonal skills, you will get farther in life than a geek who is close-minded and loves coding Python at lunch.
Me, Myself and I
At school, I never work on myself besides at the gym. Otherwise, we are taught unhealthy habits such as sitting for 2 hours each class, binge eat, all-nighters, and only have the option of junk food at the cafeteria. What a variety and life enhancer! I donât know if college is trying to prepare us for a miserable life and to expect worse, but to come out alive after a semester, seems like a miracle. For the first time and Iâm not even exaggerating, I felt more alive at the end of this class than at the start simply because I had preconceived notions that this class would be like the rest. My mood, posture, and opinion on life was exuberant and positive, something that I thought I could only get from a $400 per hour therapist. Thank you school for helping me prioritize myself for once. You will get the attention back soon, donât worry.
Team Work
As mentioned above, no one administers tests or pop quizzes at work. You work on a floor with dozens of people in an interactive space for a reason. As students, we are programmed to work alone and if there is any sharing of ideas and piecing together lines that we all hypothesized, it is banned. The world doesnât work that way and thatâs why this class was beautiful. We had projects instead of tests and break out sessions (via Zoom) instead kept in the 400 person lecture needing to raise our electronic hands. The earlier you can become more comfortable about public speaking, engaging with others, making mistakes, and embarrassing yourself, the easier you will be able to adapt and better yourself handling the windy road ahead.
Appreciation
School is something that we donât think twice about having a choice with because either our parents will not allow it or we assume we wonâtâ get a good job above minimum wage without a college degree. I find students focus too much on the future and their paycheck than in the moment. Still, in college, I didnât have a complete appreciation for what I was learning because there were a lot of assignments and busywork involved. I call them chores, teachers call them excitement.
Until this class where projects and human interaction were the focus, I didnât want to rush this educational journey, part 700. I always felt that I need to get it over with and just wait it out. The other day my friend told me how she was feeling, âsurviving, but barely breathingâ after her last class, not even before the classic exam. Why should we waste our precious life and time when we can create the most innovation and preparation to set us up in a positive direction for the rest of our lives?
There will always be nonsense and tedious stuff you have to do in your life. Nothing is perfect, including that TV show. Get through it, donât worry about it, but find a silver lining because there is always one. It is up to you and a shift in mindset to find it. Appreciate that you have the means and opportunity to go to school. People in Africa are begging to be in your position and sit in a cold dingy class looking at a screen for 2 hours. Itâs not as bad as you make it seem.
Iâm sure thereâs more but not to bore you, Iâll end this list here. You have the choice to appreciate the gift of education. It is the best investment you can give yourself because it doesnât pay right away, only later in massive dividends if you learn these skills earlier than later. For the rest, they will learn them awkwardly at work and shave years and money off of their life.
You arenât in school to learn but deal with things outside.
I can already feel the bombardment of emails proposing the name of this class but regardless of which one this may be, it is up to you to replicate this experience everywhere.
Professors are just doing their job, you need to make it an experience.
All Iâll say is good luck with your finals. You wonât need it after this.