Courses You Should Have Taken

By FlyByBlog

Another Fifth Monday has come and gone, and everyone’s schedules have been finalized. While some of us are already regretting not dropping Math 21a, others are more than thrilled with their schedules. A select group of students had the ingenuity to choose courses that are truly out-of-the-box. Here they are, the most unorthodox courses being offered this semester:

1. Freshman Seminar 38z – Romancing the Kitchen: Food Culture Across the Romance Languages

Freshman, it looks like most of you missed out on the tastiest seminar Harvard has to offer. Once a week, students meet and discuss the great culinary masterpieces of Italy and France. Study spaghetti one week, and analyze croissants the next. Not only does this class give you the opportunity to brush up on your cooking skills, but you also get to avoid Annenberg’s “gourmet” menu.

2. Visual and Environmental Studies 80 – Loitering: Studio Course

Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. According to the CS50 course website, "Loitering" requires you to “hang out in the vicinity of culture and make things in response to it.” That’s right! You get class credit for spending hours at Starbucks. So if you’re worried that you procrastinate too much, maybe you should’ve taken this course. At least then you’d have a good excuse for practically living at Lamont Café.

3. Folklore & Mythology 172 – Quilts and Quiltmaking

No, this is not a joke. Quilts and Quiltmaking is indeed a class, and it’s perfect for those of you looking for a more challenging craft. “I’m just like a grandma who likes to knit and drink tea, so quilting’s the next level,” says Sally McGrath ’17.  She loves learning about the history of quilts, and even gets to learn different quilt stitches during her weekly quilt lab. Not only can you make one for your final project, but after you graduate you can say that you spent your time at the nation’s finest institution learning about quilts. What more could you ask for?

Honorable Mention – Norwegian 90r.c.

Norwegian is very high on the list of obscure and impractical languages. You can only speak the language in Norway, and who would voluntarily go to a country that cold? Most of us can barely make it through the New England winter (these 15 cold freshmen can attest to that). But then again, practicing your loitering skills won’t be too difficult in Oslo with your brand new quilt.