What Classes Should I Take?

When choosing my program (Professional Communication), I reflected on what the next four years would look like. Part of that included looking at the courses I had to take. Depending on your program, you will most likely have to take an open elective and/or liberal course. With the number of courses our university offers, sometimes it can be overwhelming deciding which ones you want to take. I’ve compiled a list of five classes I’ve taken that I recommend to any student (if available in your course calendar). These classes are unique, interesting and overall ones I believe everyone should take (again, if available to you).

This is your introduction to journalism and news studies. A very interesting course that gives you the rundown of all things journalism in all forms of medium (television, newspaper, radio, etc.). It was a very practical class where we discussed relevant news and topics going on in the world. You’ll learn about the fundamental tools that reporters, editors and producers use, and about the world of journalism using a very hands-on approach. I always recommend this course to friends as it's fun, interesting and I never complained about the assignments. I definitely learned about topics in this class that are valuable in life in terms of my views on media), news and journalism.

This was a communication course I took as a requisite for my degree in Professional Communication, and I loved it! I took it with professor Shana Almeida who made this one of my favourite classes as she was super knowledgeable, interesting and engaging. I still use the information I learned in that class today in my other courses and everyday life. The course reflected on the connection between powerful texts we consume like news stories, government policies and legal decisions with the way they shape our lives. We basically did a deep dive into the world around us and questioned what we consumed in text and media. This course had everything including politics, sociology and psychology. It was very engaging, included lots of class discussions and I left every class learning something new.

Let’s talk about popular culture! This class is basically analyzing everything you see on TikTok, the music you listen to and the newest celebrity gossip you talk about with your friends. It’s a fun and light-hearted course that takes a deep dive into the different ideas of popular culture and how we consume it around the world. What other course will let you write your final essay on Queen B herself?

A lot like NNS101, this course is a general introduction course to business. While I’m not in a business program, this course was perfect as it gave me insight into the basics and general knowledge of entrepreneurship. What’s cool about this course is that you follow a company through its business timeline (from idea to reality). My class focused on Netflix, so we were able to learn about how the idea came to be, the problems that arose and how Netflix came to be what it is today. Super interesting, relevant to our lives and you learn valuable business skills that you can take to any field or career. 

Last but not least, if you know me, you know I love my politics courses. It was tough to pick only one to share, but I decided on this one as it gives insight into world politics that we often don't get to learn about. The news and media we consume are usually Canadian-related or impact Canada in some way. This course talks about third-world countries around the world and the politics surrounding them. We focused on various countries and discussed colonization and neoliberalism. There was a lot of in-class discussions and creative freedom in the essays and assignments.

Reminder, this is not my top five classes of all time, but rather five classes I’ve taken that I think anyone would find interesting. I would like to make an honorary mention to NPF 551: Digital Media and Network Culture, which I took with Professor Owen Lyons. The number of new things I learned in that class was unbelievable, and Professor Lyons was amazing at making the class enjoyable. Anyway, I could make a million lists analyzing the courses I’ve taken in the past three years but for now, I hope you enjoyed these choices!

XOXO - Eva Oseen