For many students, the required classes are often seen as boring, irrelevant and sometimes just downright torture. There is hope, at STLCC-Meramec there are courses that meet the requirements for the many degrees offered, and will not lull the students to sleep. There are many ways to escape the dull drone of uninteresting courses, only a few of which are provided here.
Justin Vilmer
– Copy Editor –
Explorations for Women
This course targets women in order to allow them to explore their strengths and help them develop personally. The course operated in a group setting and shows them expectations of themselves and the world. In the course the student is asked to create personal goals and take steps toward achieving them.
Physical Education
Physical Education courses can turn into grueling excuses for credit, but that does not have to be the case. There are many courses available that are considered PE courses but they feel more like fun activities. An example is bowling, there is a course offered through Meramec. There is also a Scuba Diving course that teaches the student proper technique, safety regulations and equipment care. This course does cost an extra $60, but the fun of learning how to scuba dive makes it worth the extra money. This course also has several prerequisites, such as meeting P.A.D.I. Medical standards, the ability to swim 200 yards continuously, and the ability to tread water for 10 minutes. Golf is also taught at Meramec. The course covers proper swing, club selection, putting and etiquette. This course also requires the student to provide their own clubs in order to learn.
Foreign Language
Japanese may not seem like a unique course for those students who spent their high school years wearing nothing but black clothing, or reading nothing but manga. For other students Japanese seems like an odd course to offer. The beginning courses focus mainly on vocabulary, sentence structures, and social conventions for simple communication in Japanese.
Cornerstone and Capstone
If a student plans to complete a degree at Meramec, they must take a Cornerstone and Capstone course. Both of these courses come in many forms. Cornerstone: Computer Games and the Lessons they Teach is a course that allows the student to break down the different aspects of computer games, in order to understand the appeal of the game, how the different parts influence the player, and the lessons that are taken away from the game.
Another Cornerstone that allows the student to get away from traditional studies is the Cornerstone: Is the Boogeyman Real? Urban Legends and American Society. This course examines myths and urban legends in American Society and are asked to interpret the symbolic and social significance of the work. Is the Boogeyman Real? is a popular course and usually fills up quickly.
Relaxation Training
Relaxation Training is not part of many degrees, this class can help the average overwhelmed student identify common stresses in their lives. They are taught how to deal with the stress with several relaxation techniques. This course also teaches the student how to deal with interpersonal stress and the growing expectations that come with becoming a college student.
