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Top 10 crazy college courses
Ah, another day of the old college grind, calculus, psychology, american history and then mountain climbing. That's right, mountain climbing! The days of one-size-fits-all academics are long gone from college and university campuses. Today's higher education offers a healthy dose of specialized studies and experience-based programs to fit just about everyone's interest. An eclectic mix of industry-specific, inter-discipline and just plain fun courses let students learn from life rather than merely peek at it through the dusty lens of academia.
Here is just a sampling of what awaits you when you hit campus:
1) Although some believe the science of genetic engineering is opening a Pandora's box to monstrous biological possibilities. The Frankenstein Factor: Science & Ethics Issues in Genetic Engineering reveals the realities of this cutting-edge technology. This Oklahoma State University Honors course examines the pros and cons of genetic engineering, and dispels the many myths sensationalized in the tabloid press. Sorry, there's no lab project that lets you assemble a new best friend.
2) If you enjoy playing with clay and solving puzzles, the University of Montana brings them both together in a forensic application through its Facial Reconstruction course. As part of the school's Anthropology program, Facial Reconstruction teaches budding forensic anthropologists how to reconstruct facial features on the human skull. These life-like clay representations help police identify decomposed bodies and let historians see the faces of long dead civilizations.
3) Xtreme Lit is a six credit academic adventure offered through the English department at Northern Illinois University. One of several adventure-oriented courses operated by Outpost Wilderness Adventures (OWA), Xtreme Lit is a summer adventure that lets you immerse yourself in the works of nature-loving authors such as Emerson, Thoreau, Muir and others, while backpacking, mountain climbing and fly fishing in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. This is one course you will want to repeat.
4) History set to music is the best way to describe this University of Alabama offering. The Beatles Era uses the music and images of the Beatles as a social prism through which American culture from the Kennedy assassination in 1963 to the 1970 Kent State University shootings is viewed and remembered. You'll love it, yeah, yeah, yeah!
5) Basic Horse Behavior and Training at the University of Alaska, is a horse course, of course. This equine educational experience helps students understand horse behavior and the physical development of a riding horse. Students learn to communicate with horses and train them to accept halters. Mounted training is an added plus to this hands-on program.
6) Whitewater Skills is a West Virginia University course that teaches the basics of whitewater kayaking and rafting. Get your feet wet in techniques such as leaning, bracing, spinning, rolling and reading rapids. Rescue techniques, navigation and proper gear care are also covered.
7) Students interested in working with very large scale train layouts - country-size layouts - are on the right track with Railroad Operations. This industrial technologies course offered by Johnson County Community College, includes information about the railroad industry, its major assets, structure and daily operations. Presented in cooperation with the National Academy of Railroad Sciences, Railroad Operations stokes the boiler of students who are teaming toward a railroading career.
8) Learn all about how they keep all that country club grass so green. Golf Course Management is a unique program offered by Tarleton State University's College of Agriculture and Technology. The program drives home the essentials of turf development and management, irrigation, weed control, plant pathology, course design and other key areas of course operations. You may even get in a few holes before exam time.
9) Grab some cotton candy and pull up a front seat for Circus Stunts, a comprehensive circus arts course presented at Triton College. The in-depth course stresses skills such as juggling, unicycle riding, wire walking, trampoline, acrobatics and clowning. No word yet whether graduates receive their own rubber nose.
10) Here's a course that'll have you on the edge of your seat. Horror and Fantasy Films, part of the Cinema program at Onondaga Community College digs into classic myths of horror. With an emphasis on the literary origins of horror tales, significant works like Dracula and Frankenstein are dissected to reveal the terrifying concepts that have long fed Hollywood's monster movie mania.
Whatever your major or interest, today's college course catalogs contain loads of unique classes that breathe life into your studies. Whether it's listening to Beatles music to learn history, shooting a round of golf to learn greens-keeping, or learning to walk in floppy shoes in a clown class, these diverse programs are a fun way to do school. Article provided by 
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