The University of Virginia is one of the top public universities in the nation. Along with this title comes notoriety for challenging courses accompanied by heavy workloads. Most UVA students accept this fate when they enroll in the university. Overshadowed by their demanding counterparts, some of UVA’s relatively painless classes prove to be exceptions to the rule. Follow along for a current UVA student’s recommendations on the top five manageable classes to add to your cart next semester.
1. KLPA 1410 – Yoga
This course is an excellent choice for anyone interested in yoga who needs to bump up their credits. It only involves the most basic poses, so it is all-inclusive and attainable for most body types and conditions. The university offers this one-credit course in-person, hybrid or synchronously online, which makes it accessible to any potential student. The online option was the best choice for me, and it was not only easy but also enjoyable.
The instructor verbally explains and sometimes physically demonstrates the postures, but the spoken description of the movements suffice most of the time. If a pose proves too challenging for a student, the instructor offers a modified alternative that avoids pain and injury. This course is a great way to meet your daily movement requirements without exerting excessive energy. Like all the other one-credit courses mentioned on this list, this class does not give out homework or assignments, aside from two to three discussion posts throughout the semester. This course can even be fun and relaxing if you put effort into the activity.
2. KLPA 1000 – Well-Being Through Mindfulness
This course is as peaceful as it is easy. Each class consists of a warm-up discussion question about your practice of mindfulness, followed by activities that aim to teach mindfulness through a variety of methods. Over the course of the semester, the instructor expects each student to bring a persistent personal problem to class and dissect it with fellow students. This requirement might sound intimidating, but it actually feels like a group therapy session that’s all about you. These explorations also elicit solid advice and thoughtful encouragement from your classmates. The course’s ultimate goal is to teach mindfulness to students so that they can implement it in their daily lives. To that end, this one-credit course assigns no mandatory homework. The optional homework typically involves meditation and breathing exercises, so even though it’s not required, this homework may actually relieve the stress that other classes cause.
3. PSYC 1020 – Hoos Connected
For those who don’t cringe at the sound of an icebreaker, this class can be quite fun. Hoos Connected is the last one-credit course mentioned on this list, and it’s a must-take class. There’s no homework, no assignments and no exams or essays. The whole class is essentially one of UVA’s efforts to help students make friends. Even students opposed to get-to-know-you activities should not feel deterred — this class’ unconventional support-building exercises often cultivate deep connections among students. From discussing your greatest fears to pizza toppings, the conversations in this group could guide you to a new friend or two. The weekly meetings also offer a break from the monotony of daily classes. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t take this course.
4. MDST 3111 – Food Media and Popular Culture
This class is any foodie’s dream. Unfortunately, you do not get to eat any food, but you can earn three whole credits and an A+ just by talking about it. The instructor only assigns about five to seven assignments throughout the entire semester, all of which are short and straightforward. Some of the assignments include food styling photos, a food memoir, a “blog post” and a short “podcast” episode. The class culminates in a final essay about a food-related topic of your choice, which you also give a short presentation on. Presentations may be unnerving, but they provide an opportunity to share your hard work and interests with your classmates. Aside from the assignments, the class consists of routine lectures, small classroom activities and regular reading and viewing expectations. The supplemental readings are typically covered in class and there’s no exam or quiz that would require you to remember their contents. This class is lax but also engaging and insightful. You learn a lot of complex ideas about a seemingly simple subject, and there’s no policy against bringing your own food to class.
5. ENCW 2300 – Poetry Writing
Poetry Writing offers another opportunity to express yourself in a community of encouragement. Both in class and out, you either write poems or read them. The creative writing faculty are constructive and friendly, and they go out of their way to help each student’s poem reach its fullest potential. This three-credit course has minimal homework outside of writing and reading poems. The class also requires you to participate in a few class discussions about either the poems you read for homework or the poems a fellow student wrote. Each student must put forth a poem or two to receive feedback on one to three times throughout the semester. These workshops may sound intimidating, but the ideas and adorations that your peers express just might surprise you. This class will improve your writing, analytical skills and creativity simultaneously if you simply put your best foot forward.
An acceptance and subsequent attendance to UVA does not have to be as fear-inducing as you may think. Aside from some major and degree requirements, you have some free will in deciding what electives you take. From the advice of a current student who has taken all of these classes, any option on this list could be your next favorite UVA course.
