UVA — Interesting Classes For Everyone (2018)

Note: I’m surprised by how popular this article still is! I’m in the process of updating it for 2019 — but if you’ve got questions about classes, your major, or how it all connects to a job, I’d love to talk to you one on one! Shoot me an email at yashtek96@gmail.com, or schedule a time to talk to me at calendly.com/yashtekriwal

I came to college wanting to explore a bunch of interesting classes, because, to me, that’s what college was all about. Pursuing passions. Exploring uncharted territory. A whole bunch of platitudes.

But I discovered that it was hard to figure out which classes were worth my time. A good friend of mine said, “For every 100 classes that look amazing on paper, maybe 10 will live up to your expectations.”

If you’re as risk averse as I am, 10% is a pretty terrible success rate, and outside resources don’t help much either. Every list of “10 best classes to take at UVA” failed me, and as a first year, my friends knew as much as I did about worthwhile classes.

However, as a fourth year, I’ve learned a lot about what to look for classes, and how to explore my interests purposefully. So have my friends. We’re not going to get a whole lot of mileage out of our wisdom because we graduate next semester. But there’s power in passing that knowledge down. So I emailed/texted/slacked over 100 of my friends, and asked them the following question:

“Random: what classes did you love/would you recommend to anyone for UVA? What are some quick reasons why?

Which of the following buckets would you say they fall into 1) Amazing professor 2) Relevant material to personal growth 3) Relevant material to career 4) Easy Grade Class 5) Difficult Grade Class but worth it 6) Random class but good for X reason”

The result was a lot of interesting classes. In this post, I’m going to focus on the ones that anyone can take, and sort them into three categories:

1. Skill-based
2. Personal growth
3. Easy and Fun.

Classes that fall into skill-based are more technical, and teach the skills that you need to be a skillful employee in any industry. Classes that fall into personal growth teach you about yourself, challenge your beliefs, and make you a more educated citizen. Classes that fall into easy and fun are generally less work and easier grades.

If there’s enough interest from people, I’ll write more about the more advanced classes that people recommended or general advice for class selection. Just let me know!

Before we dive into the actual classes, I inadvertently ended up getting a lot of advice from people on how to get the right classes. I’ve summarized the main points below:

• Chase professors, not classes. The world’s best information is still garbage in the hands of a bad professor. Figure out for yourself if your professor makes you want to go to class. Don’t always take a friends word for it either, everyone has different opinions. Ask yourself, “Do I want to come back and listen to this Professor again and again?” If the answer is no, drop that class.
• Don’t let early enrollment numbers faze you. Few people have ever missed out on a class simply because they couldn’t get in. You can almost always get in. Just take full advantage of add/drop deadlines.
• Mix easy classes with hard ones. Don’t trust other people’s opinions on difficulty (difficulty is ultimately subjective). Figure out the amount of work each of your classes requires, and map out your expected workload.
• Don’t be afraid to badger a professor. If they don’t respond to an email, find them. Go to their office, course-action form in hand, and tell them “I came to the first 4 classes, I love this topic, I’m all in.” Professors want students who want to be there.

Without further ado, here are the lists:

Skill-based Classes

• CS 1110 (Intro to Computer Science with Tychonievich): Almost everyone I asked told me to add this class. You go over very basic fundamentals of coding, which is almost required knowledge for everyone in the modern workforce. Even if you hate computer science, this class will pay dividends down the road. The instructor doesn’t often change, but Tychonievich is the current go to.
• STAT 1559 (Intro to Data Science in R/Python): Data science is a hot topic these days, and it’s good to know the basics/fundamentals. You will learn applied principles of statistics through coding. There are two sections, one in R and one in Python. No prior coding required, but it will make your life much easier. If you’ve taken CS 1110 going into the python class, it will be slightly easier to grasp. If not, you’ll have to work a little.

Professor: Both Holt and Martinet are great professors. If it comes down to the wire, go with Holt because he’s taught a version of the class already and is well known for being a good professor. However, Martinet tends to assign more consistent work and is a bit more clear upfrontl.

• ECON 2010 (Intro to Macroeconomics with Lee Coppock): Basic economic theory is something else that builds a solid foundation for business acumen. Coppock lives and breathes economics in a way that is intriguing, so definitely keep an eye out for him.
• COMM 4240 (Electronic Commerce with Ahmed Abbasi): This is a spring only class, but there’s no class more applied than this one. You take on a local company (I worked with Mudhouse Coffee) and command their online presence, from Facebook to Email to Website. You’ll learn about Google Analytics, AdWords, A/B Testing, UX, and overall SEO tactics by working with your client and competing in the national Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC).
• 1 Credit Grad School Data Science Classes (Any Professor): There are a lot of these, and they are typically DS 5559/DS 6501. They are one-credit classes that last 5–6 weeks on average. These class sizes are much smaller, and it’s an easy A as long as you keep up with the assignments.
• DS 4001 (Introduction to Data Science with Abigail Flower): This class is taught in R, but you are given the option to complete assignments in Python (if that’s what you’re familiar with from CS or STAT). It goes deeper into machine learning methodologies, but is all applied, meaning that you’re learning by doing. On top of that, Professor Flower care immensely about students, and will always stay after class if you need it.
• SARC 5400 (Introduction to Visualization with Eric Field): This was the most recommended class after CS 1110. You learn the spectrum of visualization software available today (d3.js, Tableau, ggplot, and more), and understand the fundamentals of making good graphs in a way that isn’t taught in another course at UVA.

Personal Growth Classes

• COMM 3410 (Commercial law with Sherri Moore): This class is probably one of the most talked about classes at UVA. Don’t let the title betray you, it’s really just an introduction to what the U.S legal system is, the types of law that exist, and basic knowledge that anyone who goes to school in this country should have. To top it all off, Sherri is an amazing professor with an amazing life story and will make sure her students succeed 100%. You’ll love going to every class, and if you pay attention to the nuances of the law, you’ll get an A.
• ANTH 2280 (Medical Anthropology with China Scherz): This class consistently topped many people’s lists as one of the most standout courses they’ve taken at UVA. The class opens your eyes to the realities of access to care, and how our American perception of healthcare differs drastically from the rest of the world.
• PSYC 2300 (Psychology of Perception with Professor Proffitt): This class has made people switch their majors halfway through college. You learn how reliant humans are on our 5 senses, and how we often take shortcuts that are unreliable without even noticing it. You’ll also examine depth perception and motion parallax, with interesting connections to user experience design.
• PSYC 3559 (Science of Well-Being with Edward Diener): Edward Deiner teaches skills that are critical for your personal development in this class, and is one of the most respected professors in the field of well-being. Plus it’s fun and easy.
• GDS 3113 (A Buddhist Approach to Development with Clifford Maxwell): Though it’s in the Global Development Studies department, it’s more of a self-development class. While you learn about economics, consumerism, sustainability, etc. through a Buddhist lens, required journaling and meditation helps cultivate your own mindset towards your place in the world.
• HIUS 3654 (Black Fire with Claudrena Harold): Claudrena Harold is consistently praised as one of the best professors at UVA. The class covers a lot of material on African-American history, specifically at UVA, and ideally helps you understand how different the black experience truly is.

Easy and Fun

• ARCH 3500 (Behavioral Design with Leidy Klotz): This class has a couple of different names, just always search for Leidy. Leidy is an amazing professor who really understands his students because he’s pretty young himself. You’ll learn all about cognitive biases and choice architecture, which are extremely important concepts, but your grade for the class is also entirely based on a project of your choice.
• COMM 4281 (Managing Sustainable Development with Brad Brown): This class is always taught by Brad Brown, who is amazing. You’ll survey all sorts of problems with our environment, from water shortages to overpopulation. Professor Brown is also extremely flexible with your projects and the readings for the class are truly enjoyable.
• PLAN 1010 (Intro to Urban planning with Tim Beatley): This class is extremely interesting because you learn about the elements of design that go into city and building designs, and it’ll make you appreciate all the spaces that you use on an everyday basis.
• SLAV 2360 (Dracula with Stanley Stepanic): This one is on a lot of your typical “10 best classes at UVA”, but it’s there for a reason. The class itself is just different from your traditional history class, and half of the class is watching movies, which is always a good bonus.
• ARTS 2610 (Drawing with any Professor): Even if you feel like you’re not the most artistically inclined, it’s always good to push your boundaries and learn! The class itself is also therapeutic, and can be a welcome break from a rigorous schedule.
• EDLF 2050 (What the Innovators Do with Ben Castleman): This class is a series of talks from founders and legislators who are constantly changing education. Ted Mitchell has been known to visit the class (he’s a big deal) and also the founder of General Assembly (online coding classes). Learning about learning is always somewhat fun.

If you like this list of classes and love broadening your perspective in varied fields, you should check out the one-of-a-kind online program I’ve been working on with friends!

*Disclaimer: I have not personally taken all of these classes, many are on strong recommendations from a couple of friends. This list exists in most part due to them, so thank you guys. If anyone has questions about specific classes on this list, send me an email and I can put you in touch with the right people.