If you’re like most college students, you want to study the subjects of your choice, usually related to your major. But earning a degree involves a lot of gen ed courses – some of which aren't your favorite.
Though these topics may seem unnecessary, they’re an important part of getting a complete, well-rounded education and building valuable skills to support both your academic and professional careers.
Instead of dreading your courses or procrastinating, discover some ways to conquer the course you dislike and make the most of your experience.
Why Are Gen Ed Courses Required?
Before colleges and universities offered majors and specific degree tracks, all students took the same courses as part of liberal arts education. While the academics are more focused now, all undergraduates are still required to get this well-rounded experience through general education (gen ed) courses.
Gen ed courses comprise most of the first two years of an undergraduate program and include basic liberal arts courses, such as English, history, and philosophy. They also include core subjects like science and math, even for an unrelated major.
But why? Gen ed lays the framework for upper-level major courses and future careers. The broad experience with math, science, writing, and other key disciplines can develop critical soft skills like analysis, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.
Tips to Make the Most of the Courses You Aren’t Interested In
Check Your Bias
If just hearing “history” or “math” shuts your brain down, you’ll be defeated from the start. Making a snap judgment and assuming you’ll dislike the course because of your past experiences, you will only confirm your own expectations and have a miserable time.
Try to go into your course with an open mind and committed to making the most of it. Maybe the subject hasn’t gone well for you in the past, but this new course or professor could make all the difference.
Figure Out Why You Don't Enjoy the Course
Sit down and think about why you don’t like a particular subject. Is it really that it bores you, or do you dislike it because it doesn’t come easily? Do you struggle with the concepts and get a mental block that keeps you from moving forward?
Conversely, is the problem not the work itself (maybe it is just boring to you) but the mode of instruction? Did you go into it thinking it was a subject that interested you, only to find out that it wasn’t what you thought it would be?
If it’s the former, understand that learning is foundational. You may need to revisit the earlier concepts or seek out extra help with tutoring. If it’s the latter, remind yourself that the course is temporary. You will have a new course and new professor and peers in the future.
Experiment with Learning Styles
Colleges and universities often have a structured approach to learning, though students have different learning styles. The predominant learning styles are visual, auditory, reading and writing, and kinesthetic.
Understanding your learning style can offer a huge advantage in grasping the information in your course. Do you learn through charts, pictures, and video clips? Is it helpful to listen to lectures, or do you prefer to read and write? Are you a hands-on learner (kinesthetic learning) who learns by doing?
Once you know how you learn best, you can seek out additional resources that align with it to support your coursework and deepen your understanding of the subject.
Change Your Attitude
Learning from textbooks and other class materials can make certain subjects feel boring. Subject areas are also broad, so even if you don’t like science or math, there may be something within these courses that interests you.
Let’s say you don’t like history. While the subject itself may be boring, it connects to many other subjects – that’s where your interest may lie. For example, if you like baseball, you may be able to focus your history research on the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Or if you’re in a STEM field, the history of medicine or computer science could put the value of history into perspective.
Set Time Aside to Study
If you don’t like a course, the worst thing you can do is put off your coursework until the last minute – especially if it’s a topic you don’t grasp easily. But you’ll spend your time dreading the work you know you have to complete while doing other coursework or projects, meaning you won’t be giving your best to them.
Schedule time to study and complete assignments at your own pace and with a fresh mind. You may not enjoy the course, but putting in the work will be reflected in your final grade. Getting the boring course out of the way first leaves you time to focus on the coursework you do enjoy as well.
Don’t Skip Classes
Much like procrastinating, skipping classes leaves you missing important material that’s only in the lectures and puts you at a disadvantage in completing assignments. More importantly, studies positively link academic performance with class attendance.
You have scheduled lectures for a reason. You gain important material, build foundational learning, and develop a better relationship with your professor and peers. Furthermore, lectures involve discussions to deepen your understanding of course concepts to prepare for assignments and tests – a crucial aspect of success that you could be missing out on.
Connect the Course to Your Career Goals
All of the courses you take for your degree serve a purpose, even if it doesn’t seem like it. They’re either directly connected to the skills you need for your future career, or they’re designed to improve your worldliness, study habits, and transferable skills.
Determine the underlying value the course has for your future academic and professional skills. For example, science courses teach you scientific literacy and how to think critically. Humanities courses teach you cultural sensitivity and empathy – critical professional skills for the changing landscape of global business. Connecting the course to your future can inspire your motivation to learn and succeed.
Ask for Help
Your professors are there to help and guide you. Too often, students are afraid to ask for help, but talking to your professor could change your perspective. Be honest and tell them you don’t find the course interesting. It’s likely that your professor has come across this before.
If it’s concepts you’re struggling with, your professor can go over them or offer resources like articles, YouTube videos, documentaries, or websites. If other students are struggling, the professor may group you together for more support.
At Sophia, we offer several options for academic support to ensure student success. Our Learning Coaches are available by phone, email, or online chat as part of the subscription plan.
Keep the Goal in Mind
The course you don't like is only temporary. Even if you have to take similar courses, it’s just part of getting your degree and not something you have to worry about after you graduate.
However, dealing with projects you may not like will likely happen in your career, and persevering through a subject you dislike – and excelling in it – gives you the tools to ensure you succeed in your professional life.
With years of undergrad, you’re likely to come across a few courses that don't capture your interest. Likewise, you may love your future career but dislike certain projects or aspects of your work. This is part of life.
You Can Do It!
Surviving that course you don't like isn’t just about your GPA and your degree. You’re learning to tackle challenges and succeed, even if something isn’t your passion or a subject that comes easily to you.
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