Life at Oklahoma Baptist University is fun, but the classes can also be hard when they all stack up. I remember semesters with heavy classes that made my life a whirlwind of 2 a.m. bedtimes and multiple cups of coffee. Exams were hard, reading was vast and homework was long. But now and again there are classes that proved a silver lining in the midst of a heavy load.
So, in honor of these classes and to encourage other students, I present to you a compilation of 10 classes at Oklahoma Baptist University that put the fun back into the college experience.
Intro to Creative Writing
To begin, there’s nothing quite like taking a creative writing class to make college an enjoyable experience. Getting to stir creative juices when other classes require the cold, hard facts, can save a little of your sanity. And creative writing classes are unlike any other classes. Pouring imagination into either poetry or fiction can definitely brighten up a harder load.
“One of my favorite classes that I took this past year was Intro to Creative Writing because it was a really good introduction to all the rules and stuff behind writing but also there were a lot of people in the class who weren’t writing majors and they were just taking it as an elective,” OBU sophomore Elena Streett said.
So taking Intro to Creative Writing at OBU is truly a unique and fun class. A must-have for creative writing majors, but also a treat for those who need an elective to check that box. It can exercise different brain muscles than those used to compute math or write essays and for some students it can introduce them to a passion they hadn’t anticipated. Plus, getting to hear the stories and poems others write can be quite eye opening to how diverse the writing experience can be. It captures how college classes can be quite fun after all.
Intro to Rock Climbing
At OBU, there are a lot of classes that present a chance to get moving and exercise while gaining credit. One of these options is Intro to Rock Climbing. In the RAWC building stands the rock wall that students inside and outside of the class can utilize. This class teaches styles and techniques of rock climbing, while requiring students to put these skills into practice. Intro to Rock Climbing can allow students of any major to learn a new skill or simply have a fun form of exercise. So onward and upward to the top!
Ballroom Dancing
Another class that boasts a satisfying time is the class Ballroom Dancing. Potentially attracting a whole different set of people, Ballroom Dancing can be quite the ticket for a fun, interactive class at OBU. It is taught by Dr. Green, who teaches primarily business classes, but who is full of a catchy enthusiasm that enlivens his class. Pairing up in class, students learn several dances that they normally might not have the opportunity to learn. It is a grand time for students to let go and enjoy themselves.
“It’s really fun now to say that I know how to swing dance and how to waltz… Waltz was definitely one of my favorites ‘cause I grew up watching all of the Disney movies and wanting to be a princess,” OBU senior Katie Burks said
Burks noted that they learned about six dances while in the class. This included the waltz, tango, swing dance and more. Students are not required to sign up with a partner, but if the numbers of girls and guys is uneven, partners are traded in turn. Decidedly a fun opportunity to get moving, Ballroom Dancing is a great way to snag credit at OBU. If you have ever wanted to learn to ballroom dance, then don’t miss out.
Jazz/Tap
OBU does not offer just one dance class. If a class in dancing sounds fun to you, but not ballroom dancing, OBU also offers a class in Jazz/Tap. Giving you a chance to exercise and have fun at the same time, this is an excellent opportunity. No skill level is required because the professor caters to the students who enroll. That means if you have no experience in either jazz or tap, no problem. Join anyway. If La La Land or Singing in the Rain made you envious of their tapping skills, then don’t miss out on this great opportunity to have fun and tap away!
Literature for Young Adults
A great class for those who love to read, Literature for Young Adults is surely a fun class. If you want to read books like The Hunger Games, The Outsiders or Wrinkle in Time for credit, then this class is for you. Filled with fun activities and discussions about the birth of the YA genre, this class stands as both informative and enjoyable. Who doesn’t love an excuse to read a book from the Narnia series? It is structured as a literature class with options for teaching majors, but it would make a fun elective for any student.
Family and Fairytales
This class is quite unique. A special topics class taught by Brian Camp, a professor of Family Sciences at OBU, it intermingles the family sciences with the topic and history of fairytales. Taught during OBU’s J-term, the class is quite flexible as it offers students the options of adjusting the class level from 1-4 credits, depending on the amount of work they take and how many credits they need. Students read various versions of fairy tales and discuss them in class while Camp mingles in the topic of families. Camp leads students through exercises like creating impromptu fairytales as a class with one student starting a fairytale and other students adding on in an oral exercise.
To add more fun to the mix, a healthy amount of movies are tossed in, that might include everything from Cinderella to Starfall. To conclude, everyone in the class writes their own fairytale and records themselves narrating it to present to the class. It is quite endearing and humorous to hear the variety of fairytales students of all different majors come up with.
Intro to Speech
Intro to Speech is a class required by all OBU students, but it can be a class that is more fun than dread. Students participate in impromptu speeches along with light-hearted debates. Speech class has the potential to be a class that many students dread, but it can also be transformed into a class that lightens the pressure of an OBU student, along with equipping them with skills that will serve them well in the future. Fun assignments and comradery at OBU can make even speech class something fun and freeing. Burks described a fun assignment that she and her classmates undertook during speech class.
“We had to give a community impact speech at the very end, it was a group speech, which was very fun getting to work together as a team… It had to be about something on the OBU campus that you thought could be improved. And my group gave a speech about how there are very few trash cans outside on our campus… and we did some research and went to Seminole State University and Rose State College, and we walked around those campuses together and counted all of the trash cans. It was so much fun. Then we came back to OBU and counted the trash cans at OBU and then gave our presentation and had so much fun with it,” Burks said.
Even something like a speech class can be fun and lighten the load for an OBU student. Fun topics ease the tension of public speaking, and encouraging teamwork can give you friends for the rest of your four years. In addition, it also equips students with skills that can be applied in both group situations and one on one moments. Intro to Speech is a class that can add a dash of fun to a busy or dense schedule. Especially if you can make a topic about counting trash cans.
Anatomy
Another class that might not seem supremely appealing to some but that can be indeed quite fun is Anatomy. For those who prove fascinated by science, this class can be the highlight of a school week. Coming attached with a lab, students get opportunities to dive into the science of anatomy and learn in a very involved way. It comes with unique opportunities. Science-loving students will find themselves supremely pleased.
“I really enjoyed it ‘cause we had, like, cadaver lab, and so we actually got to see real human body parts and dissect them, and then I ended up being a teaching assistant the next year cause I loved it so much. It was just very hands on, and I’m a very hands-on learner,” OBU senior London Roberts said.
Anatomy is a fully interactive class for students who love to study the sciences. It can provide an opportunity to learn in unique ways. Even if science isn’t your department, it can be a fun class to explore something new. When would you have such an opportunity again? It just might make you switch majors or add on a minor.
Ceramics
For students who most enjoy themselves when they are engaged in the arts, ceramics is a fun class to take. Students get to begin or continue in their journey in engaging in ceramics and using clay. Fully getting your hands engaged and dirty, it is a class that is fully hands-on, quite literally. Given various instructions on how to use clay in many forms, it is a fun class for students seeking a degree in the art department or a student looking for a fun elective. So forget your other classes for a moment and roll your sleeves up.
Musical Theatre Opera Scenes
If theatre is more up your alley, then Musical Theatre Opera Scenes might be for you. A small, intimate class offered at OBU, this class offers a tailored approach to its students. But not only that, but fun is tacked along with this theatrical class. It is taught by Alex Webster, a supportive and encouraging teacher who encourages her students mightily. It is truly a wonderful experience to gain new skills in theatre.
“We all learned three or four songs. We each learned a solo, a duet and a trio group number. Since we did the solo first, we learned about acting through singing and how you are moving your body alone in a piece that’s just you, and then you got to apply that to the duet and trio assignments,” Streett said.
It is a class where you get to enjoy the community of fellow theatrical classmates and an engaging teacher. Connect with other theatrical students. Where you get to follow a theatrical passion. It is a class where the hard classes can drift away. It’s a class that puts the fun back into college.