The Most Fun Classes to Take at University of Illinois

The best change from high school to college is the amount of opportunities you have. No longer are you stuck taking a math class you don’t like or an English class that you were forced into; here at the U of I, there is literally an unimaginable amount of different courses you can take. I still find out about new ones every semester! In this post, I’ll be highlighting some of my favorites that I’ve found over the last two years.

ATMS 100 & 120 (Weather Classes)

Illinois requires you to take two science courses over your 4 years as a student, but I took both of these my freshman year and enjoyed them so much! I am not a science-y person at all, but I loved every second of both of these classes. They both have fantastic professors (I had Frame and Hence) and aren’t too difficult for freshmen to complete.

Both classes go over the basics of weather. I found it super fun and interesting to see what goes into the air, weather, and temperatures around us. ATMS 100 is centered on the basics, while ATMS 120 has more of a focus on severe and hazardous weather. You learn more about events like tornados or hurricanes and how they come to be. I have found that this class has been super useful in my everyday life, as well when it comes to predicting the weather for myself in Champaign, or anywhere else I may be!

ADV 150 (Introduction to Advertising)

I may be a little biased because I am an Advertising major, but I thought this class was a great experience. This is actually the class that got me to switch into Advertising. I had so much fun and loved the material so much that I decided to change my entire focus in college! I had professor Steve Hall for this class, who has won a plethora of different teaching awards for his expertise in the field.

Introduction to Advertising is a fun class where you can learn about the basics of the industry, important historical advertising campaigns, and get to flex your creative muscle by creating some of your own content. It is a very fun and simple class and talks about things that you probably already have a little knowledge about. Everyone interacts with advertising every day, and I found it really fun to gain a base-level knowledge of such an important industry.

ANTH 246 (Forensic Science)

If you told me when I was in high school that I would have two science classes on my ‘Most Fun’ list, I wouldn’t have believed you. However, here we are, and these classes have been some of the best of my college experience. I am currently in this class, but so far it has been awesome. I am taking it with professor Cris Hughes, who is a professional forensic anthropologist.

In this class, you learn about crime, investigations, and the science behind it. I’ve learned about fingerprint and blood splatter analysis, DNA, and historical crimes. For someone who really enjoys crime-related content like TV shows and podcasts, this class was perfect for me. If you have any interest in crime at all, you should give this class a go when you get to Illinois.

Kinesiology Courses

Anyone who knows me personally knows that these classes are my absolute favorites on campus. Kinesiology courses are comparable to a high school gym class, but way more fun. There are an incredible amount of options of different classes you can take, but the ones that I have taken are Basketball and Ice Skating. These classes are awesome and help students get exercise, meet people, and have fun while doing it.

You also don’t have to worry about skill for these classes. They can give you a base-level knowledge or help further enhance what you know; everything is very individualized. Unfortunately, during Covid-19, there are a few less options, but there are still plenty of good options for you to take, such as Movement Wellness and Weightlifting. Hopefully in later semesters, we can get back to the crazier classes, such as Bowling and Badminton!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Hopefully, you will end up in some of these classes. When I think about the most fun classes I’ve taken that have enhanced my college experience, these are the first ones that come to mind. Good luck registering for courses next semester, and hopefully you guys keep these courses on your list!