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With course guides opening (or at least beginning to open) this past week, I know winter 2022 classes are on everyone’s mind. I tend to spend hours upon hours scrolling through the course guide, looking for fascinating classes to take. Perhaps you’re a current student looking for some interesting classes to take this upcoming semester, or perhaps you’re not yet a student and you’re wondering, “Why should I go to UMich?” Well, I asked some of my friends for the most interesting or exciting classes they have taken at UMich so far. They sure delivered some exciting options! I was fascinated by their answers and will definitely be taking a few of those classes in my future semesters.

Health, Biology, and Society: What is Cancer? (HONORS 233)

My friend Gracie, currently majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience, took this honors course in winter 2021 and loved it. When I asked what she liked about the course, she replied, “It was interdisciplinary and I’ve never really studied cancer from a non-natural science viewpoint, so that was interesting.” While this course is not offered this winter, honors courses tend to rotate often, so you’ll be sure to find something similar pop up in the course guide soon.

Primate Behavior (ANTHRBIO 368/PSYCH 338)

Another course that Gracie mentioned was her current class about primate behaviors. She stated that the course is “really different than anything I’ve taken and the material is awesome!” This course is typically taught in the fall, and it covers everything from primate biology and behavior to primate cognition. If you’re interested in taking this course, check out the course atlas for more stats and information about the course.

Campus Farm Ecological and Organic Farming Practicum (ENVIRON 465)

I asked another one of my friends, Emma, a double major in the Program in the Environment / Women’s and Gender Studies, for her favorite class so far. She, without hesitation, said that the Campus Farm class was her favorite class. Explaining further, she stated, “It’s so fun and refreshing to learn outside and have hands-on learning experiences.” The Campus Farm class is located on the University of Michigan Campus Farm. You can learn about farming while actually helping to maintain the UMich campus farm!

Volcanoes and Earthquakes (EARTH 107)

Another one of my friends, Krishna, majoring in Biomedical Engineering, raved about his one-credit class on volcanoes and earthquakes. He stressed that “one-credit classes are definitely worth taking as primers for further study or genuine curiosity.” In reference to this class specifically, Krishna said that he “loved the intimate dynamic between [the] professor and a few students. Many of the people in the class were not geologists, but were excited to use their newfound knowledge in unique endeavors.” Krishna continued on to talk about how the class inspired him to develop a “medical device that aids with shock absorption between knee and cartilage membranes!”

Primitive Navigation and Wayfinding in the Natural World (EARTH 240)

This final course is one that I, currently majoring in Film and Anthropology, took my first year. I was looking for a course to cover my Quantitative Reasoning 2 requirement, and I stumbled upon this class on wayfinding and navigation. This class was one of my most interesting classes so far. We learned about how people of our past have navigated without modern maps and technology. Then, we took this newly learned information and used it outside of the classroom by navigating the campus using these navigation techniques. I learned to navigate by the stars, by the sun, and even by moss.

If you’re unsure what classes to take in the upcoming semesters, I’ve just shared some awesome options. If you’re thinking about applying to the University of Michigan, then I hope some of these classes get you excited to apply! This article barely scratches the surface of what UMich classes have to offer. All of my classes have been interesting, exciting, and fulfilling. If you just spend a little bit of time on the course guides, I’m sure you’ll find a class that suits you perfectly.