Try Something New: Take a Random Class
(Jenell Theobald/The Santa Clara)
I didn’t realize until my last quarter at Santa Clara University the value of taking a class just for fun. To learn something about myself, the world, my peers. Something that wouldn’t propel me towards an internship, my career, or double-dip with another requirement. Something that wouldn’t align with my skills or talents. But this quarter, I enrolled in something completely new—and I wish I had done it sooner.
Santa Clara University offers many opportunities to explore diverse interests through the core; we are a Jesuit university, after all. But a lot of times, students choose classes to kill several birds—or core requirementss—with one stone. Or, people only take classes that relate to their specific career aspirations and will look good on a resume.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this. It can be helpful, and even necessary, to find ways to lighten your load, especially considering the extensive nature of the core. Developing skills and exploring interests for your future is important. I wouldn’t have known I wanted to go to law school if not for experimenting and taking an ethics class curated towards the law.
But I spent a lot of time trying to curate my schedule to get through my requirements in a quick, straightforward manner. In doing this, I missed out on exploring other aspects of myself.
When it came time to take my Arts requirement, I pondered doing something that I thought would make sense for me as an English major: a creative writing class. I write all the time, and a lot of my career is going to center on writing.
But I started thinking about branching out. In my last quarter of classes, it’s my last chance to take a fun class, after all. My friend had taken Improv in the Department of Theatre and Dance and had a great time, so I looked for something similar. I landed on Acting for All.
Let me tell you, I had no “real” reason to take this class. I am never going to act in any professional setting, and I likely won’t be on any stage anytime soon. But, there is more to college than curating a schedule to propel you towards your future. College is about exploring as many aspects of yourself as you can while you have the chance.
As much as I tried to get friends to take the class with me, I found no one who would be able to join. But I wanted to be brave. I knew this would be the only time I would be able to pursue an interest like this: only 10 weeks and a few—if any—strings attached.
It was certainly nerve-wracking to begin this class. I didn’t know anyone, nor did I know anything about acting. But, I decided to go all in and truly commit to learning and experiencing as much as I could within these 10 weeks.
An important aspect of doing an experiment like this is committing to doing your best. Don’t do it for the “easy A.” Courses at Santa Clara University are not only expensive, but taught by experts in the field. This makes for a valuable and unique experience, no matter the subject.
As students here, we only have a few years here to learn, experiment and experience all we can. Make the most of it! I may not be the best actor—I’m far from it—but I’ve learned so much about the art of acting, and also a lot about myself in the process.
Not only this, but many of the things that I learned are totally transferable to my future, although not directly connected. In my class I’ve learned about bodily awareness, posture, enunciation and courage—all things that I will take with me into my career.
So, take advantage of the core to take a class that makes you nervous, excited, and perhaps vulnerable. Learning happens in many different ways, and with our Jesuit core, nothing is off the table. Now is the time. Just try it!