One of the perks of going to college is getting a chance to try new and exciting general education courses. Especially in Davis, there’s a ton of fun and unique classes you can take ranging from tractor driving (ABT 49) to even learning about vampires (FMS 45). The options are endless! But with the many courses, comes the hardest part, picking which ones to actually register for. And since GEs are pretty much considered our “grade boosters”, we know that the first thing on everyone’s minds is usually focused on finding those easy GEs when choosing classes. Now the main question is how are we supposed to know which classes are easy? And to answer that, we have compiled a list of GE classes as recommended by your fellow PSSD members!
In addition, to make your lives easier, we will be providing information on the course name, GE category fulfillment, number of units, quarters offered, the course description, and some personal advice and tips from members.
Here are some of the courses that are considered popular and have been recommended by many of your fellow members:
CLA 30 - Word Roots
AH, 3 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Elements of Greek and Latin vocabulary for increased understanding of English word formation and improved ability to understand and retain unfamiliar words.
Advice: I took this class with Professor Rundin and Professor Albu, and they were both very thorough and easy to understand. For this class, we had weekly homework assigned and weekly quizzes that were easy, as long as you studied the lecture slides and memorize the vocabulary. I believe there were no midterms, but there is a final. This class can definitely be helpful for those of you who plan to take the GRE or MCAT in the future!
CMN 03 - Interpersonal Communication Competence
SS, 4 units. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Communication in interpersonal contexts. Sender, receiver, and message variables, and their interaction with communication competence. Participation in simulations and experiential exercises.
Advice: So far this has been my favorite GE class. I took it with Professor Hamilton and she was an amazing lecturer. She’s super funny and engaging so you’re definitely not going to have to worry about ever falling asleep in class. The content that we learned in class was very simple since interpersonal communication is generally a common sense kind of topic. There are two multiple-choice midterms, a final, a group presentation, and extra credit is offered. You won’t regret taking this class!
FST 10 - Food Science, Folklore and Health
SE, SL , SS, VL, WC, 3 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Ancient and modern food folklore in relation to health and well-being. Food safety, organic food, herbalism, food preservation, and nutritional enhancement.
Advice: Look over the lecture slides before quizzes and/or midterms and MEMORIZE them, that’s the key. This class is very straightforward and interesting, I mean who wouldn’t want to learn about food. You get four midterms and the lowest one is dropped. Highly recommend for those of you foodies out there!
HDE 12 - Human Sexuality
ACGH, DD, SS, 3 units, Offered Fall, Spring.
Description: Vocabulary, structure/function of reproductive system;sexual response; pre-natal development; pregnancy and childbirth; development of sexuality; rape and sexual assault; birth control; sexually transmitted diseases; homosexuality; establishing/maintaining intimacy; sexual dysfunctions; communication; enhancing sexual interaction, cultural differences in attitudes towards sexuality.
Advice: Some advice for this class is to make sure you do the reading and take notes or make flashcards. The exam questions for the class focuses on the details covered in the readings. As long as you do the readings you are guaranteed an A in the class. Don’t underestimate the class though. Overall, it’s a super interesting class.
And for those of you feeling adventurous, listed below are some general education classes that may not be as well-known, but are definitely still interesting and considered easier GEs:
NAS 12 - Native American/Indigenous Film
ACGH, AH or SS, DD, VL, WC, WE. Offered Spring.
Description: Survey and analysis of the visual colonization of Native American peoples and the contemporary responses by Native American/Indigenous filmmakers claiming visual sovereignty. Examines a range of filmic genres including documentary, features, shorts, festivals, tv and internet screening.
Advice: This class was actually really fun and laidback. We watched a movie every week, went to discussion, and wrote a few journal entries about the movie, not much to it. Our grades were mainly based on short videos that we had to create ourselves. There were no midterms and the final was just a final project video we compiled about our own identity and culture. I highly recommend this class if you want an easy A or if you’re interested in learning about Native American culture.
SOC 25 - Sociology of Popular Culture
SS, VL, 4 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Social mechanisms that shape modern popular culture. High, folk, and mass culture : historical emergence of popular culture. Mass media, commercialization, ideology and cultural styles. Theories and methods for analyzing cultural expressions in pop music, street art, film, television, and advertising.
Advice: This class is really interesting in that we get a chance to discuss about the Beatles era and look into other eras that contributed to our popular culture! For this class at least skim the readings and go to class. Professor Augusto usually gives the answers to her exams in class.
PLS 1 - Agriculture, Nature and Society
SE, 3 units, Offered Fall.
Description: Multiple perspectives and connections between natural sciences, social sciences, and agriculture. Emphasizes agriculture’s central positions between nature and society and its key role in our search for a productive, lasting and hospitable environment. Several full-period field trips provide hands-on learning.
Advice: It’s a super easy class and is really interesting! The professor takes you to gardens where you can grab vegetables for free! What college student doesn’t want free food?
EDU 81 - Learning in Science and Mathematics
SS, VL, WE, 2 units. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring
Description: Exploration of how students learn and develop understanding in science and mathematics classrooms. Introduction to case studies and interview techniques and their use in K-6 classrooms to illuminate factors that affect student learning. P/NP grading only.
Advice: This class is perfect for those of who like to work with children and enjoy teaching. You get a chance to volunteer at an elementary school and teach math and science twice a week.
In addition, to make your lives easier, we will be providing information on the course name, GE category fulfillment, number of units, quarters offered, the course description, and some personal advice and tips from members.
Here are some of the courses that are considered popular and have been recommended by many of your fellow members:
CLA 30 - Word Roots
AH, 3 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Elements of Greek and Latin vocabulary for increased understanding of English word formation and improved ability to understand and retain unfamiliar words.
Advice: I took this class with Professor Rundin and Professor Albu, and they were both very thorough and easy to understand. For this class, we had weekly homework assigned and weekly quizzes that were easy, as long as you studied the lecture slides and memorize the vocabulary. I believe there were no midterms, but there is a final. This class can definitely be helpful for those of you who plan to take the GRE or MCAT in the future!
CMN 03 - Interpersonal Communication Competence
SS, 4 units. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Communication in interpersonal contexts. Sender, receiver, and message variables, and their interaction with communication competence. Participation in simulations and experiential exercises.
Advice: So far this has been my favorite GE class. I took it with Professor Hamilton and she was an amazing lecturer. She’s super funny and engaging so you’re definitely not going to have to worry about ever falling asleep in class. The content that we learned in class was very simple since interpersonal communication is generally a common sense kind of topic. There are two multiple-choice midterms, a final, a group presentation, and extra credit is offered. You won’t regret taking this class!
FST 10 - Food Science, Folklore and Health
SE, SL , SS, VL, WC, 3 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Ancient and modern food folklore in relation to health and well-being. Food safety, organic food, herbalism, food preservation, and nutritional enhancement.
Advice: Look over the lecture slides before quizzes and/or midterms and MEMORIZE them, that’s the key. This class is very straightforward and interesting, I mean who wouldn’t want to learn about food. You get four midterms and the lowest one is dropped. Highly recommend for those of you foodies out there!
HDE 12 - Human Sexuality
ACGH, DD, SS, 3 units, Offered Fall, Spring.
Description: Vocabulary, structure/function of reproductive system;sexual response; pre-natal development; pregnancy and childbirth; development of sexuality; rape and sexual assault; birth control; sexually transmitted diseases; homosexuality; establishing/maintaining intimacy; sexual dysfunctions; communication; enhancing sexual interaction, cultural differences in attitudes towards sexuality.
Advice: Some advice for this class is to make sure you do the reading and take notes or make flashcards. The exam questions for the class focuses on the details covered in the readings. As long as you do the readings you are guaranteed an A in the class. Don’t underestimate the class though. Overall, it’s a super interesting class.
And for those of you feeling adventurous, listed below are some general education classes that may not be as well-known, but are definitely still interesting and considered easier GEs:
NAS 12 - Native American/Indigenous Film
ACGH, AH or SS, DD, VL, WC, WE. Offered Spring.
Description: Survey and analysis of the visual colonization of Native American peoples and the contemporary responses by Native American/Indigenous filmmakers claiming visual sovereignty. Examines a range of filmic genres including documentary, features, shorts, festivals, tv and internet screening.
Advice: This class was actually really fun and laidback. We watched a movie every week, went to discussion, and wrote a few journal entries about the movie, not much to it. Our grades were mainly based on short videos that we had to create ourselves. There were no midterms and the final was just a final project video we compiled about our own identity and culture. I highly recommend this class if you want an easy A or if you’re interested in learning about Native American culture.
SOC 25 - Sociology of Popular Culture
SS, VL, 4 units, Offered Fall, Winter, Spring.
Description: Social mechanisms that shape modern popular culture. High, folk, and mass culture : historical emergence of popular culture. Mass media, commercialization, ideology and cultural styles. Theories and methods for analyzing cultural expressions in pop music, street art, film, television, and advertising.
Advice: This class is really interesting in that we get a chance to discuss about the Beatles era and look into other eras that contributed to our popular culture! For this class at least skim the readings and go to class. Professor Augusto usually gives the answers to her exams in class.
PLS 1 - Agriculture, Nature and Society
SE, 3 units, Offered Fall.
Description: Multiple perspectives and connections between natural sciences, social sciences, and agriculture. Emphasizes agriculture’s central positions between nature and society and its key role in our search for a productive, lasting and hospitable environment. Several full-period field trips provide hands-on learning.
Advice: It’s a super easy class and is really interesting! The professor takes you to gardens where you can grab vegetables for free! What college student doesn’t want free food?
EDU 81 - Learning in Science and Mathematics
SS, VL, WE, 2 units. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring
Description: Exploration of how students learn and develop understanding in science and mathematics classrooms. Introduction to case studies and interview techniques and their use in K-6 classrooms to illuminate factors that affect student learning. P/NP grading only.
Advice: This class is perfect for those of who like to work with children and enjoy teaching. You get a chance to volunteer at an elementary school and teach math and science twice a week.
FReshman Seminars, Oasis and Navigating The GE sheet
For those of you who are interested in learning about more new and exciting topics, we recommend you to register for Freshman Seminars. And don’t let the name fool you. Although these classes are open to freshmen only during Pass 1, many of these seminars also allow students up to Senior standing to enroll in the class during Pass 2. Freshman seminars are taught by many different instructors and allow students to investigate a special topic chosen by the instructor. Students will get a chance to learn more about the topic through readings, discussions, written assignments, and activities (fieldwork, site visits, laboratory work, etc.). Though the seminars do not count towards GE or major requirements, they provide valuable once in a lifetime learning experience… and the extra 1-2 units offered are not too shabby. And when else would you ever get a chance to learn about awesome topics like zombies, The Simpsons (yes I’m talking about the show), the history of cheese, or even medical physics, for those of you overachievers out there. Overall, if you have some extra time in your schedule, you should definitely consider taking one of these seminars.
To keep track of the GEs you have already taken, log into your OASIS and under the degree worksheets tab you can fill out your GE topical breadth and core literacy worksheets. If you have any questions on how to fill out these worksheets you can always refer back to our previous blog post linked here or simply make an appointment with your major advisor.
To keep track of the GEs you have already taken, log into your OASIS and under the degree worksheets tab you can fill out your GE topical breadth and core literacy worksheets. If you have any questions on how to fill out these worksheets you can always refer back to our previous blog post linked here or simply make an appointment with your major advisor.
Thank you to all of the members who contributed in compiling this helpful list. We hope you find this list useful the next time you register for new classes. Although many of these classes are considered "easy" courses, never underestimate the class. At the end of the day, your grade and experience with the course depends on a multitude of factors including professors and TAs, but most importantly, it depends upon the effort you put into the class.
Study hard & good luck with your classes this upcoming year!
Kelli Chan
PSSD Historian 2016-2017
Study hard & good luck with your classes this upcoming year!
Kelli Chan
PSSD Historian 2016-2017