Throughout college, the average student will take around 40 courses to complete their Bachelor’s degree. But through taking these courses, most can hope to find at least one course that contributes to not just degree plans, but curiosity as well.

Maggie Felder, a freshman marketing major is currently taking algebra with calculus for business.

“It’s not just a graduation requirement. It’s also so much fun because it’s applied math and you learn how to use calculus in real life situations,” Felder said.

She also takes note of something else most students do not mind having in a course.

“Our professor has great student interaction. Professor Digiovanni always answers any questions we have,” Felder said. Felder notes that the class has been a challenging one, but that it is a class she always looks forward to attending.

Rashad Culver, a senior kinesiology major said that his favorite course is exercise physiology.

“You learn different exercises and ways to workout on what you’re trying to achieve,” Culver said. In this course, you learn about strength, endurance and hypertrophy. Culver notes that these are all important, especially to someone like himself, who aims to be an assistant coach for college basketball.

“We learn how the body works and breaks down nutrients,” Culver said.

Interesting science courses aren’t limited to kinesiology and exercise though. UTSA offers other classes that delve into a topic most college students probably want to know about.

Senior biology major Felix Thomas is currently taking survey of human sexuality. “Nothing is boring (in that class)-not even things that I thought I wasn’t interested in,” Thomas said. “The class gives you a perspective you wouldn’t have otherwise. There is a lot you’re not aware of.”

Survey of human sexuality covers topics from the sex of infants to the lives of transgender people. “You learn a lot about things you were oblivious to before,” Thomas said. His experience in the class has been an enjoyable one. “It’s one (class) that I actually like paying attention in,” Thomas said.

As far as the arts are concerned, there is a multitude of classes available. Art professor Kent Rush said there are several interesting courses open to students who are not art or art history majors, like drawing, painting, ceramics and photography. Though many of these courses are only offered in the evening, they are well worth fitting into your schedule.

Master of fine arts graduate students can enjoy taking a contemporary studio seminar, taught by visiting faculty.

“Visiting faculty comes from all over the United States and the world,” Rush said. Currently, a professor from France, Anne Ferrer, is teaching the course. “It is conceptual art work and it takes students out of their comfort range,” Rush said.

One more course is introduction to astronomy, currently being taken by junior biology major, Daniel Lopez.

“It makes you think outside the box,” Lopez said. “It is the basic building blocks to how the universe started.” The course is one of his elective choices, which he says he is very happy with. “It’s just really interesting, and it’s applied physics and chemistry,” Lopez said.

For those students who enjoy writing for fun, there are several classes to choose from. Creative writing classes range from work-shopping poetry to fiction and non-fiction. Students submit their poems, short stories or non-fictional pieces to all of their classmates and their professor and a week later, the student’s peers will critique the work.

“Creative writing workshops have been some of the most fun and rewarding classes I’ve taken,” senior English major Kyle Olson said. “They’ve been a great way to branch out and really play around with creativity, (and) see the diverse views of others. You get feedback on your work from a variety of people, which is always enlightening.”

Now that registration is almost in full swing, it’s important to know what classes you choose for your Spring 2009 schedule. Every degree requires a handful of electives, and with so many enticing classes offered at UTSA, you’ll find that your elective slots will fill up faster than you can imagine.