The next year of classes at Iowa State is coming up, and for some that means nailing down a schedule. Everyone has their favorite — and least favorite — classes, for a variety of reasons.

The classes in the following list are ranked according to how interesting they are. Though some of these classes involve a fair amount of effort, the payoff — in the form of knowledge and experience — justifies it.

Five classes to take:

Introduction to Wine, Beer and Spirits (HRI 383): You learn about and then drink alcohol. You do have some actual work to do, but a college course where you drink is undeniably a good thing. On the down side, you have to be 21, so for some, this course will just have to be something to look forward to.

Science, Technology and Public Policy (POL S 335): Even if you aren’t in political science or engineering, this course is a good time. You watch a fair number of movies — “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Troy,” “Apollo 13” and “The Right Stuff,” to name a few — and evaluate them with the assistance of the reading materials. The reading materials are many, but not one is a boring textbook. You will have to do a lot of writing, but this is college, so that’s no surprise.

Greek and Roman Art (ART H 383): Everybody thinks Rome was cool, and the art is a big part of that. Unless you don’t appreciate art, or simply cannot pay attention for more than an hour at a time, this is a nice course to balance with your dull general education classes.

Introduction to World Religions (RELIG 205): The course is, as the title suggests, an introduction. The workload isn’t difficult, so don’t worry there. The topics are interesting and worth knowing in this global village we find ourselves living in today.

Studies in Film ENGL 335: You watch romantic comedies and write short papers about the meaning behind the story with your analysis. Watching movies is something most people like, and romantic comedies tend to appeal to everybody to one degree or another.

Five classes to avoid

Information Literacy (LIB 160): This course is easy, but takes time and is not interesting at all. On top of that, the information gained is really only worthwhile for students who have never attempted to use a library before. On the bright side, you can fail this class as many times as you like because it has no effect on your GPA; you still have to complete it before graduation though, so avoiding it is difficult.

Introduction to Queer Studies (W S 205): This course really isn’t bad, but it isn’t really interesting, despite the subject matter. If you have a passion for the topic, OK, otherwise there are easier ways to meet your diversity requirement.

Computer Applications (COM S 103): Unfortunately, some majors require this course. It is boring, full of busywork and easy to fall behind in because it is entirely online. The reading material is as dry as dry can be.

Listening (SP CM 110): This is an easy class. It is on the bad list because if you don’t understand these concepts already, I don’t know how you made it through high school. OK, fine — it really isn’t bad, but only take this if it is a required course.

Elementary Latin I (LAT 101): Latin is a beautiful language. It gives you a basic way of understanding many other languages and gives you a cool way to speak or sound smart. The downside, and it is a big downside, is how difficult it is to become competent. Studying requires way more time than most other classes, and then its actual use in most folks’ careers is negligible. Latin is, unfortunately, best studied on your own time and at your own pace.