1. College Writing – This is a requirement for WashU freshmen (though if you are in the engineering school there is an option to test out of it). WashU offers freshman seminars that are more specific in place of college writing such as “What is Justice?” but the majority take college writing. You will refine your writing skills and prepare for the papers you will write in the rest of your college career. 

2. Jazz Theory – Whether you have experience in music or not, this course is widely loved by many students, and is full every semester. The professor begins the course from scratch, so even if you have never studied music before, you will receive a crash course in general theory before getting into theory for jazz. The topics are very interesting for any music lovers, and the information learned from this course can be applied to a variety of genres. 

3. Computer Science 131 – This is another course that is full every semester. It is the introductory computer science course at WashU and covers a lot of the basics and more of Java. These skills can be applied in many fields, as technological advancements affect the development of workplaces over time. 131 is hands-on and interactive and teaches you valuable and useful knowledge.

4. Any WGSS course – Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is a great department, with courses spanning a variety of topics. These courses touch on more sensitive issues that are overlooked in society and help facilitate a better and more respectful understanding of the world. In my opinion, everyone should open-mindedly take a WGSS course, and see how it affects their perspective of society. 

5. Any language course – For at least the Arts & Sciences school at WashU, language courses are one of the school credit requirements. They can be replaced with Social Sciences courses, but many students tend to pursue a language. There are a variety of language study options, from French to Hindi. You can utilize these requirement options to either learn a totally new language or sharpen your skills in a language you already know. 

6. The Presidency – The Trump Administration / any Political Science Course – Especially for students uninvolved in American politics, WashU’s political science courses offer insights to fill these knowledge gaps. The Presidency is a senior seminar, but if you want to take something before then, Introduction to American Politics sets up the field nicely. 

7. Personal Finance – An extremely useful course, Personal Finance teaches you how to handle your finances in real life. The knowledge you will gain from this course will be directly applicable to your life, and incredibly beneficial. 

8. Public Speaking – If the field you want to pursue will eventually require you to speak in public frequently, this course will help you refine the skills you need to do so smoothly. Even if you don’t plan to follow a career that involves a lot of public speaking, the information you gain from this course can help you in all aspects, including in interviews. 

9. Introduction to Cultural Anthropology – Anthropology teaches us about humans, giving us possibly the most valuable information we could have- information on ourselves. This course is a broad introduction to anthropology from talking about other cultures to understanding our own better. It covers anthropologists’ methods and the importance of their work. 

10. Abnormal Psychology – This course offers the science behind mental health issues. While this knowledge may not be pertinent to your studies if you’re not pursuing Psychology, it still is beneficial in understanding what a large portion of the population has to deal with. It also debunks myths behind different mental illnesses by explaining how they actually work.