As a wise, experienced, knowledgeable, all-knowing “Super Senior” (what us Yalies originally in the class of 2021 who took a gap semester or gap year have been calling us ourselves), I have taken many classes at Yale. Some have been life-changing, some have been pretty good, and a few have been good but not memorable. Here are my favorite Yale classes, in no particular order:
Life Worth Living: I took this virtually in spring 2021. The class combined philosophy and religion and self-reflection in this sort of all-encompassing seminar. My section was small, around twelve people. We did two virtual “retreats” over zoom, where we had the chance to be vulnerable, exploring our own philosophies on life and what makes it worth living. I have met several of these classmates in real life this semester, and it goes to show that the connections formed go much deeper than zoom conversations. Highly, highly recommend – I view both myself and those around me in a new light.
Classical Hollywood Narratives: Two words: Camille Thomasson. She is one of the most thoughtful, passionate, and intelligent Professors I’ve had the pleasure of working with during my time here. She had me over for “office hours”, held in her Fellow’s apartment in Berkeley College, where she served me delicious tea and cake from Claire’s Corner Copia (my fave). Very special “Yale memory”. Not to mention - you get to watch a ton of famous movies from the 1920s to the 1960s and talk about them. What’s not to like?
Classical Storytelling and Modern Screenwriting: Another Classical class. Ha Ha. I have truly enjoyed all of the screenwriting courses I’ve taken (including Marc Lapadula’s Intro and Intermediate Screenwriting courses) but Brian Price’s Residential College Seminar. Each Residential College offers a “College Seminar” every semester. They are about unique topics and priority is given to students in that residential college! It is extra special because it attracts people outside of the Film Major. I was actually super lucky to have gotten into the course because he encourages students with different academic backgrounds to apply. Very fun class.
Anthropology of Outer Space: I have always had a fascination with Outer Space and in the spring of 2020, I got to explore extraterrestrial life. It was a very creative, hands-on class. I had never taken an Anthropology class, so looking at Outer Space through a cultural lens was utterly captivating. Professor Messeri was incredible and passionate and kind – everything a Professor should be.
Honorable Mentions: Advanced Film Writing and Directing (which is my year-long Thesis Workshop), Intro to Media
Friend’s Faves:
“Every class has been my favorite class– but one that stands out when asked to choose a favorite is The Business of Venture Capital (VC), taught by Jorge Torres, Dean of Pierson College, in Fall 2019. Dean Torres cares deeply about his students and graciously offered me one of the richest, most stimulating learning experiences at Yale. My classmates were startup founders, artists, star athletes, computer science experts, Excel wizards– and I feel grateful to have heard their wonderfully articulated, passionate thoughts and opinions. I felt a sense of conviction after each seminar, inspired to pursue VC as a career after unpacking the industry’s countless exciting aspects. The class also introduced me to one of my favorite books, “Reboot,” which I would highly recommend for anyone seeking to deepen their sense of self-awareness and strengthen their leadership skills. I will carry this experience with me forever!” - Riley Eversole
Leadership, Change, and Improvement in Education quite literally changed my life. This once-a-week seminar fundamentally altered the way I think about education, and its challenges, in the US and internationally. Richard Lemons is an engaging, thoughtful, and hilarious professor who will challenge you and mentor you simultaneously. He is also a superstar in the field of education change and uses concrete case studies (including from his own work) to equally root the class in theory, policy, and real classrooms. I cannot recommend this class enough, it is one of the highlights of my Yale experience! -Becca Rose
Plants and People includes a basic introduction to plant biology/anatomy, but mostly it’s all about how plants and people influence one another. It had many field trips and hands-on opportunities. For example, we had a unit on tea and chocolate so we went and looked at tea and cocoa plants at the Yale greenhouses and got to sample different flavors and refinements!! The final project was also extremely open-ended so it gave us all an opportunity to dive into something fun and interesting to us. I identified various plants in my hometown and made a collection of pressed leaves and flowers, some of my classmates brewed beer, others wrote a song. Just an all-around fantastic class and very nice to frequent the warm greenhouses in the middle of winter!” -Ely Sibarium
Bioethics and Law - Professor Latham was incredible. He taught law in a way that was tangible and exciting while also staying relevant to the political issues happening around us. We touched on the cornerstones of bioethics like Roe v Wade, Whole Woman’s Health vs Hellerstedt, Baby K, and more. But the way that he brought some light-hearted humor to the class really made the difference for those approaching heavy law-related content for the first time. Best class at Yale in my opinion. -Anissa Abboud
