Tufts Blogs

So you do not know what to study and you are applying to college? Never fear, many Tufts students come in undecided and end up taking super interesting courses to fill requirements, finding love for subjects they would have never expected to find joy in! As a Psychology and Political Science double major, here are some classes I have loved at Tufts.

American Conservatism. This class, taught by Eitan Hersh, was truly an eye opening experience. I am from right outside Washington, DC and have grown up surrounded by liberal and left leaning voices. This class was really interesting to get a historical perspective on conservatism in the United States and the evolution of the Republican party to what it is today. We learned about values, voting behavior, religion, and gender dynamics. This class was super cool and I truly loved hearing a diverse range of voices and opinions. It was this class that made me want to take more Political Science classes and look into the major.

Food Systems. I was automatically enrolled in this class because my pre-major advisor, Cathy Stanton, was teaching it. I ended up loving it. We learned about the meat industry, farms, overproduction, and human interactions with ecosystems. We discussed problems with the systems we rely on every day and possible solutions to them. A highlight of this class was writing a 5-page paper on the taste of a green apple and learning to be conscious of the food I buy and consume. I remember this class so well and still think about what I learned almost every day.

Gender and Sexuality in Sports. This class, taught by a visiting professor at the Experimental College was unique and really fascinating. We had guest speakers, got to go to the New Balance Track, and explore the intersections of athletics and gender dynamics. We discussed many controversies around transgender women’s eligibility and sexism looking at body, athleticism, and politics as mechanisms for control. 

The Cognition of Games People Play. This class, unlike the others, has pre-requisites. However, this upper level Psychology course, with Professor Holly Taylor, was an amazing class. We looked at how playing games can affect cognitive and social processing, as well as the processes with playing games. Every class, we got to play at least one board or computer game.

I came into Tufts having no clue what to study. I took Introduction to Psychology my freshman fall (not listed here), and it opened both my eyes and heart to the Psychology department and Psychology as a subject. I am interested in people and their interactions: with themselves and with others. However, with a liberal arts school like Tufts, there are so many classes to choose from, and so many options to get excited about. Every class is unique, every professor is so interesting, and I wish I could take all the classes here! Even if you are just looking to fulfill a distribution requirement, I would recommend trying something new and taking advantage of the plethora of opportunities to connect with impressive professors and study something “random.”