Registering for classes isn’t fun. It’s stressful: your internet doesn’t work, MusicHum and ArtHum are always full, you’ll never finish your major, you’ll never get into med school, you knew you shouldn’t have left your ex (wait, what?).
That’s why, each semester, Columbia offers some truly funny classes that no one can actually take (except maybe the Butler Marxist) for you to giggle at. While you’re furiously refreshing your browser to start clicking away the millisecond your registration slot begins, took a peek at some of Fall 2009’s gems:
Anthropology V3974
LOST WORLD/SECRET SPACES: MODERNITY AND THE CHILD
DNCE BC 2501X:
BIOMECHANICS FOR THE DANCER: THEORY AND PRACTICE
DNCE BC 2561Y:
APPLIED ANATOMY FOR HUMAN MOVEMENT
Spanish W3455
WITCHES,SORCERERS/PROPHETS-SP
German BC3012
IN LOVE WITH TELENOVELAS
Comparative Literature and Society G6115
ANARCHY: HIST,THEORY,PROSPECTS
Music S3395
SONIC GEOGRAPHY OF HIP-HOP
A few more after the jump.
Photo via barnard.columbia.edu/dance
Art History W3845
THE GRAND TOUR
Anthropology V3917
URBAN GUERRILLAS
Comparative Literature and Society V3190
AESTHETICS OF THE GROTESQUE
Architecture V3114
MAKING THE METROPOLIS
Architecture A4718
FAKING IT
Philosophy V2702
CONTEMPORARY MORAL PROBLEMS
Philosophy G4565
RATIONAL CHOICE
30 Comments
@Oh yeah? If you thought you had ridiculous classes, go across town to Marymount Manhattan where they have a class called Culture and Politics of Nazi Germany.
@Poster #5 I can’t tell if people were being sarcastic calling me funny. I’m just a grad student so I don’t get the snarky culture here.
I’m being serious =(
@... aww you’re the cutest!
i think they were actually paying you a compliment – savor it because it will never happen again (on bwog, i mean)
@yah it was funny. :p (no sarcasm!)
@ubu ‘faking it’ is pretty funny, but all of these sound like classes I’d love to take. like ‘URBAN GUERRILLAS’. wow. where were all these classes during my last 8 semesters?
@Rational thought Fitting that it’s taught by the Philosophy department. Since when was majoring in Philosophy a rational thought?
@boohbah88 whatever. im totally signed up for contemporary moral problems, but that’s probably because i’m a rising senior and can afford to take a class that essentially consists of the topics of drunken debates.
@come on what’s wrong with making the metropolis? its david smiley’s class on the history of architecture and urban planning… i.e. the things that make the metropolis. metropolis was how they referred to cities back in the 1890s-1920s when cities were nice big shiny things…
@German Dept Here’s the course announcement:
FALL 2009
In love with Telenovelas
Understanding popular culture and language through a German TV series.
T/Th 4:10-5:25
This advanced German language course offers the opportunity to explore the successful German telenovela
Verliebt in Berlin
You will work on typical features, the marketing and intercultural aspects of this genre, and compare the culturally specific facets of Verliebt in Berlin to other international versions � specifically the American version Ugly Betty. While familiarizing yourself with German popular culture, you will improve your listening (viewing), speaking, reading and writing skills.
For more information please contact Prof. Irene Motyl-Mudretzkyj at [redacted]
@This used to be funny…but that was the bwog of the past. -sigh-
@that was the bwog of 4/19
@flanman eliza shapiro is the most motherly and caring person i have ever known in my 48 years of life
@LAME BWOG. DO BETTER.
@anonymous I LOVE YOU ELIZA SHAPIRO
this was hilarious
@hmm applied anatomy for human movement is actually a great class. you do stretching and then learn about the muscles involved.
@biomechanics Biomechanics is also a really good class. You learn about all the muscles, tendons, bone structure, etc. Plus you do some intense exercises. It’s really meant for dancers though…
@anthro what about technobodies?
@Bwog: Your post is fine, people are just angry that they didn’t get the classes they wanted. Commenter number five: you are funny. You should be given priority registration next semester.
@nope Actually, I’m a graduating senior and am not angry. I’ve enjoyed this post in the past; this one was not very good.
@Goddammit Bwog! Stop advertising the classes with limited seating that I want to take you big bags o’ douche!
@mce my only question is why there is a german class focusing on a spanish form of media
@there is ABSOLUTELY nothing funny about a class called “contemporary moral problems.” this post used to be good, now it’s just lame.
@bwawg: still stoopid oh, while i’m at it, nice job missing the most epic food event on campus in some while. i guess it was pretty hard to find seeing as it was in the middle of low plaza…
http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/04/taste_morningside_heights_mond.html
even nymag scooped you on it
@UHHHhh http://bwog.net/articles/bacchanal_revised_schedule#comments
@Now I Know Why my girlfriend keeps referring to “Architecture 4718″…
@i like you you’re funny
@Huh? The only one that I really think is funny is IN LOVE WITH TELENOVELAS. And Faking It. But some of these–come on! Making the Metropolis? What’s funny about that? Contemporary Moral Problems? Even applied anatomy for dancers or whatever isn’t that ridiculous. Think about it.
@Anonymous FAKING IT would be in the department for women’s studies…
@bwawg is stoopid none of these sound ridiculous…
ok, maybe “lost world/secret spaces,” but come on, “rational choice” ? “biomechanics for the dancer” ? “urban guerillas” ? what departments are you in and what classes do you (not) take for these topics to sound so outlandish?
@what “Aesthetics of the Grotesque”? Are you kidding?? That kicks ass. Why is that funny to you guys? It sounds totally legit to me.