Courses worth one to two credit hours are ideal for the students who need only a few credits to graduate or to fill their schedule, but they might not be as easy as students think, Tony Mahon, associate chair of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Science, said.
SAILINGLee Yarger, instructor of physical education and coordinator of the aquatics program, said although Ball State University had the only recognized aquatics majors in the country, it might not be the program that attracted some students.
A newly popular aquatics course among students is "Introduction to Sailing," which is worth one credit hour, he said.
Some students who take aquatics are fulfilling a certification requirement as well as a university requirement.
The one-credit course has been offered for a few years as an elective, he said.
"I would suspect that because it's a one hour course, it probably sounds like a very attractive option," he said. "It's not a typical university course."
It's no "floater class," however, he said.
The content is aimed at the aquatic student specifically and will be helpful to them in their future careers, he said.
"When you think of sailing you think of a recreational activity," he said. "The course follows that line, but it's still a serious, useful class."
LIFE SKILLS
Instructor Nancy Harper said she taught the Life Skills for Athletes course, which is worth two credit hours.
"The NCAA pays my salary, not the university," she said. "They believe athletes in division one schools should have as a part of their athletic training experience in how to take what they have learned in athletics and apply it to life."
The class helps students cope with some of the things as athletes that other students don't have to deal with, she said.
Most other universities offer a course like the Life Skills course, but only in seminar form and not for college credit, she said.
"Offering it for credit gives it a little more emphasis and a sense of importance," she said.
The class is open to all majors, but with only one section, she said, and it is always full of students.
"Word circulates that it's a good class and students like it," Harper said. "It's an easy grade, but I think it's valuable information for all students."
Senior accounting major Keely Crenshaw said she enrolled in the class because she had heard good things about it.
"All of my roommates have taken it and liked it," she said. "I think it will be an easy way to fill up my schedule, since I'll be graduating in May."
Harper said the course gave students who want to be a professional athlete some life skills to fall back on, such as how to fit in and what to expect in the work world. The course is also helpful for physical education majors, she said.
Senior sport administration major Tom Reading said the credit weight and difficulty level of the Life Skills course didn't concern him when he was enrolling.
"I took this course because I thought it sounded interesting," he said. "I felt I could use it in my future."
POPULAR COURSES
Mahon said some of the more popular one- and two-hour credit courses are within the physical education department.
Students might take courses, such as yoga and weight training, because they sound like fun, he said.
These classes, however, can be very useful, especially for the majors they were designed for, he said.
What most students don't understand when they schedule these courses is that they are taught in a more methodological fashion, teaching students how to teach others, not teaching them, for example, how to work out or practice yoga, Mahon said.
"I try to nip that problem in the bud by explaining the nature of the course to students that want to take an easy elective," he said.
SCHEDULING
Mahon said he found it challenging to meet the high demand for one- to two-credit hour courses and to fit in all the students trying to fulfill major and elective requirements.
There are so few one- and two-hour courses that students tend to "jump" on the opportunity to join them, he said.
Permission for some of the courses is restricted initially to those in that particular major, and then it is opened to all majors later if there is space, he said.
The spots fill up quickly, he said. Most sections of the one- to two-credit courses in the physical education department are full this semester, he said.
One and Two Credit Options
Looking for something to fill your schedule out? Here are some interesting one- and two-hour classes.
PEP 213 - Introduction to SailingCourse description: Provides entry-level knowledge and skills about sailing small sailboats. Students learn how to assemble (rig), care for and sail a small sailboat.Credit Hours: 1Corequisites: None
PEP 164 - Life Skills for Student AthletesCourse description: Introduces personal values and health concepts affecting both academic and athletic performance.Credit Hours: 2Corequisites: None
PEP 220 - Open Water ScubaCourse description: Beginning scuba composed of lecture sessions, confined water (pool) and open water sessions.Prerequisite: successful completion of entry-level skill test.Credit Hours: 2Corequisites: None
THEAT 229 - Principles of Stage MakeupCourse description: An investigation of the principles, techniques and materials of stagemakeup and practical experience in their application.Credit Hours: 2Corequisites: THEAT 229L
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