Being a graduating senior, I have had the opportunity this semester to sample some of the diverse course offerings at Iowa State. With classes like racquetball, folk and social dancing, acting and fiction writing, my schedule might seem like a blow-off to some people.

But I don’t think of these classes as blow-offs, I think of them as enrichment. When I registered for my first semester at ISU, my then-advisor told me to not take more than 12 credits. Luckily I disobeyed and enrolled in 15 credits. The next few semesters I took 17 plus credits, using at least three credits a semester for “fun classes.”

I’ve taken the standard favorites at ISU: Human Sexuality (HDFS 276) and Introduction to Creativity (DSN 129), and let me reinforce what you’ve heard — these are great courses. When else will you get to yell “one-eyed yogurt thrower” in MacKay, or walk barefoot and blindfolded around Brookside holding a rope with a hundred of your classmates?

But I also have taken a lot of lesser-known classes at ISU that have contributed to what I consider a very rounded education. These classes not only have allowed me to stockpile a few credits, but have helped me learn so much more than I could have if I had stayed within my major. Whether you’ve already registered for classes, or are still waiting for the starting gun, now is the time to broaden your education by taking a non-required course.

Learn a new skill

For people who have trouble fitting exercise into their days, taking a physical education course is the perfect way to get credit for working out. I can testify that a semester or half a semester’s worth of practice can make almost anyone better at the sport of his choice. While I am no Tiger Woods, I can hit a golf ball pretty well after taking golf (PE 135) my junior year.

The dance department at ISU also offers a variety of courses from tap dancing to ballroom dancing. Not only do these classes let you shake your money maker for credit, but they remind you that the skills that made Shirley Temple and Fred Astaire famous are still around.

Open your mind

Beyond required multicultural classes, some courses at ISU can give students a whole new outlook on life through lively discussions, captivating speakers and challenging essays. By taking Women and Religion (RELIG 336), I learned about Wicca, or witchcraft, from an actual witch who came to speak to our class. In Contemporary Moral Issues (PHIL 230), our heated verbal battles helped me learn how to debate an issue while keeping an open mind to others’ ideas.

Try a different major

As an undecided freshman, I took a lot of experimental courses. Thinking I might like to try Community and Regional Planning, I took CRP 270, and learned more than I ever wanted to know about streets, buildings and urban sprawl. While this class showed me I was not meant to be a city planner, I feel like I have a better understanding of the way cities develop.

Another great course, Field Botany (BOT 202) lets you stroll around campus six hours a week identifying trees and flowers. Not bad for two credits.

To spice up your fall 1997 semester, try taking a course in a different major. If you look carefully, and ask around, you can usually find a course in any department that is meant for nonmajors and will give you an all-around view of that discipline.

Sometimes when we hear the annoying “goodbye” of the electronic registration man and hang up the phone, we are satisfied that we were able to get into the classes we needed. It is easy to think that with 12 or 13 credits of required classes our plate is full. But wouldn’t it be nice to take one class that wasn’t required? To take a class that challenges you in a different way than the others in your course load is the perfect way to break up a boring semester.

It costs thousands of dollars every semester to attend school at ISU whether we take 12 credits or 21. ISU offers such a huge variety of courses in a multitude of disciplines. Unless we become career students, these four or five years we are at ISU will be the only chance we will ever have to learn about some of these subjects. Why don’t we take advantage of this opportunity and take some of these great courses?

If you haven’t yet registered for fall classes, thumb through the course offerings to see if anything trips your trigger. Or ask someone older if they have any suggestions of exceptional courses in your area of interest. If you have already registered, it’s not too late to add a fun elective to your fall schedule — touch tone registration lasts until Friday, April 25. Oh, and by the way, Daily Editor Chris Miller, winner of the golden cock, recommends taking Badminton.

Erin Walter is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.