Astronomy class: Look up at the starry sky, and let your imagination run wild

When I was a freshman, I casually chose an introduction to astronomy course purely because I thought “stargazing” sounded romantic. As a result, I was dumbfounded in the first class. The professor didn’t have us count stars; instead, he threw out a bunch of formulas, talking about spectra, redshift, and the gravitational lensing of black holes. Don’t understand? No problem! He quickly switched to “Big Bang” mode, using animations to demonstrate that “cosmic party” from 13.8 billion years ago. It was the first time I realized that stars are not just little light bulbs that blink; they hide the secrets of the entire universe.

The most interesting part of this class was using virtual observatory software to “observe” the night sky. I remember one assignment was to find the Orion Nebula, and that colorful cloud on the screen made me feel like an explorer. Later, the professor organized an outdoor observation event, climbing to the top of a mountain at midnight, setting up a telescope, and actually seeing Saturn's rings! At that moment, I felt like I wasn’t just earning credits, but having a conversation with the universe. The charm of an obscure course lies here: it doesn’t force you to memorize things, but sparks your curiosity about the unknown. The astronomy class made me start paying attention to NASA news, and when scrolling through X, I would click on posts about exoplanets, even starting to fantasize about whether I could study extraterrestrial life in the future.

An unexpected gain from this course was that it taught me to “look up.” Usually busy with assignments and scrolling on my phone, the life of a head-down person made me forget that there is a vast starry sky above. The astronomy class reminded me that the world is much bigger than I imagined, and occasionally looking up can really broaden my horizons.

Psychology: Unlocking the “cheat codes” of human behavior

Another elective course that got me “hooked” was the basics of psychology. When I chose this course, I purely wanted to figure out why my roommate always ate instant noodles at midnight and still thought he was losing weight. As a result, the course content completely exceeded my expectations. Psychology doesn’t teach you how to “read minds,” but rather gives you a manual on human behavior. From cognitive biases to social psychology, every class refreshed my worldview.

For example, when discussing “confirmation bias,” the professor had us do a little experiment: each person wrote down something they firmly believed, then tried to find evidence to refute it. What was the result? I found that my obsession with certain things was entirely because I only wanted to see information that supported me. This made me start to reflect: when I scroll through X, do I also always click on posts that align with my views? The psychology class made me realize that the human brain is sometimes a master of “self-deception.”

Another time, the professor talked about the “bystander effect,” which states that in emergencies, the more people there are, the less likely anyone is to help. I thought this was ridiculous until one day I saw someone fall in the cafeteria, and a crowd of people just stood around without helping. It turns out that psychology is not just theory; it can really explain strange phenomena in life! This course made me start observing the people and things around me, trying to “decode” their behavior with the knowledge I learned. For example, why do some people in my friend circle love to show off their relationships? It might be due to “social comparison”; why do I always procrastinate on assignments? It might be related to low “self-efficacy.”

The biggest gain from the psychology class was that it gave me a better understanding of human nature and a bit more tolerance for myself. I used to think my procrastination was hopeless, but after studying psychology, I realized that it’s not “laziness,” but a way for the brain to cope with stress. The beauty of obscure courses lies in the fact that they not only teach you new things but also allow you to rediscover yourself.

Anthropology: From ancient tribes to modern memes

If astronomy class made me look up at the starry sky, and psychology made me look down at my inner self, then the introduction to anthropology course took me through time and space to see the world anew. I chose this course purely because the name sounded cool, thinking that I could become an adventurer like in “Indiana Jones.” As a result, the course content was even more exciting than the movie.

In anthropology class, we discussed everything from the rituals of ancient tribes to the meme culture of modern society. The professor is a fantastic storyteller; when he talked about how tribes in Papua New Guinea use rituals to alleviate social conflicts, images of “keyboard warriors battling” on X immediately came to my mind. It turns out that human behavior patterns have not changed much over thousands of years; they have just switched platforms. From studying the “gift economy” of primitive societies, I began to think about why some people in my friend circle always send and grab red envelopes; from learning cultural relativism, I learned not to easily judge others' lifestyles.

The most interesting assignment was to analyze a modern “ritual.” I chose to analyze the “cancel culture” on X. Through the lens of anthropology, I found that “cancellation” is somewhat like the ancient tribal banishment ritual, both aimed at maintaining group norms. This gave me a new understanding of internet culture and made me start to view those “trending controversies” more rationally. The anthropology class made me realize that the world is not black and white; behind every culture and every behavior, there is its logic and story.

Classical Music Appreciation: From “not understanding” to “being fascinated”

Finally, I want to talk about a completely unexpected class: Classical Music Appreciation. When I chose this course, I thought I was crazy because I usually listen to pop songs, and Bach and Mozart were just “lullabies” to me. But this class completely changed my perspective. The professor is a super passionate old man; every class feels like he’s conducting a symphony. He doesn’t make you memorize composers' biographies but lets you “hear” the story of the music.

In the first class, the professor played Beethoven's “Fifth Symphony,” and that “da-da-da-dum” melody, combined with his story about how Beethoven composed while deaf, gave me goosebumps. Later, we also learned how to “deconstruct” a piece of music, analyzing its structure, emotions, and historical background. Gradually, I began to hear the grandeur of Baroque music, the passion of Romantic music, and even distinguish the “personalities” of different instruments.

An unexpected gain from this class was that it taught me to “slow down.” The pace of modern life is too fast; scrolling through X, binge-watching shows, rushing assignments, my brain feels like a constantly spinning motor. Classical music taught me to listen quietly and feel the emotions behind those notes. When listening to Tchaikovsky, I could imagine his inner struggles; when listening to Debussy, I felt like I was walking on clouds. The charm of elective courses lies in the fact that they don’t force you to “learn,” but allow you to “feel.” Now, I have a bunch of classical music playlists on my phone, and whenever I feel stressed, I just play a Chopin nocturne, and I feel completely calm.

The magic of obscure courses: Igniting the spark of learning

The charm of elective courses lies in the fact that they don’t carry the pressure of “having to learn” like required courses do, but rather feel like an adventure, taking you into unknown territories. The astronomy class made me fascinated with the universe, psychology taught me to understand myself and others, anthropology showed me the diversity of cultures, and classical music appreciation helped me discover another way to express beauty. These obscure courses add a layer of filter to college life, making everything more interesting and vibrant.

More importantly, these classes helped me rediscover my passion for learning. In high school, learning was for exams, and the core courses in college were for credits, but electives are different; they make you forget the purpose of “learning” as you go along. You get excited about a new piece of knowledge, stay up late for an interesting experiment, and have your mind blown during a classroom discussion. This feeling is like discovering the colors of a rainbow for the first time as a child—pure and beautiful.

So, if you’re still struggling with what courses to choose, why not try those that sound “obscure”? They may not directly help you find a job or add a line to your resume, but they will give you unexpected surprises. Maybe it’s a shock under the starry sky, an insight into human nature, or a melody that makes your heart flutter. These unexpected gains will leave sparkling traces in your college memories.