BE PREPARED: There’s a long list of mandatory classes at college. None of these fit the bill, however. Call them what you will—silly, strange, fascinating, fun—they’re nothing if not unique!
1. PET ACCESSORIES AND LIFESTYLE PRODUCT DESIGN
Fashion Institute of Technology (NY)
If the idea of people dressing up their pets for Halloween makes you roll your eyes, look away. Now referred to as the “pet care and comfort industry,” products for our furry friends rake in $41 billion a year just in the United States alone. Beyond leashes, collars and clothing, this class helps you expand your portfolio of pampered-pet products to include toys, beds, boots and gym equipment.
2. DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE
Kean University (NJ)
It may sound like a bummer, but Kean professor and registered nurse Norma Bowe has created the most popular course at the school. Field trips to cemeteries, the morgue and Hospice aim to help students create the life they want. They also get to create their own death, in a way, writing their own eulogy and living will. There’s a three-year waiting list, so we’re guessing some students have this on their bucket lists!
3. THE ART OF WALKING
Centre College (KY)
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the course’s name. Taught by Professor Ken Keffer, “The Art of Walking” has turned up on “JEOPARDY!” and “Coolest College Class” lists, including The New York Times’ list “10 Courses With a Twist.” Students focus on the experience of walking itself—not the destination—and philosophy, nature and literature are all woven into the class.
4. DEMYSTIFYING THE HIPSTER
Tufts University Experimental College (MA)
The only thing hipper than being a hipster is dissecting one! No, we’re not talking biology, but rather psychology. What is a hipster? What is the role of the hipster in film, fashion, music and fiction over the last two decades? Perhaps a line from the course description explains it best: “Students will become critics of today’s hipster culture as they explore how hipster identity reflects larger cultural anxieties.”
5. MOTHER GOOSE TO MASH-UPS: CHILDREN’S LITERATURE AND POPULAR TEXTS
Occidental College (CA)
Was Peter Pan or Babar more imperialist? From South Park and Harry Potter to understanding why the London Bridge fell down, this course examines children’s poetry, cartoons, music videos, novels, picture books and feature films with a critical eye toward their relation to culture, race, gender and nation.
6. UNDERWATER BASKET WEAVING
Reed College (OR)
What started as a lampoon of the classic term to describe a bizarre college course became a real class. Yes, students really get in the pool, and yes, they really weave baskets under the water. Exercise AND a birthday gift for Mom. What’s not to love?
