Every week colleges send us descriptions of their unique courses, and every week we write back to say, “Sorry, we’ve already taken all our electives.”
But we’re fans of courses with a hook, so here are five we’d enroll in if we had the time, tuition money, and proper prerequisites. As unusual and diverse as these courses are, they all have one thing in common: a waiting list.
Cornell U.
“Tree Climbing”
Instructor: Mark B. Holton, director of outdoor programs and risk management for outdoor education
What you’ll need: a love for high places
The course: It’s a childhood hobby with a collegiate touch. In five weeks, students learn to scale trees using security ropes, reaching branches 80 feet above ground, or, if taking the course abroad, in Costa Rica, as high as 160 feet—monkeys included. The final class includes a sleepover, during which students dine, play games, and catch some Z’s among the leaves. The instructor is eminently qualified; Mr. Holton lived in a tree for three years.
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
“Ghost Stories”
Instructor: Tim A. Gilmore, professor of English
What you’ll need: A night light
The course: A staple of campfires, ghost stories have terrified us for generations. Students in Mr. Gilmore’s class take a serious look at both the role the stories play in literature and the cultural influences that haunt society today. But the professor skirts the big question: Are ghosts real? “I personally don’t believe in them,” he says with a laugh. “I hope that’s not a letdown.”
Alfred U.
“Maple Syrup: The Real Thing”
Instructor: Laurie L. McFadden, librarian and university archivist
What you’ll need: Dental insurance
The course: “There’s so much you can do with maple syrup besides put it on pancakes,” says Ms. McFadden. In this honors course, students take an interdisciplinary approach to the sappy New England trademark. Among the assignments: tapping trees, writing maple haiku, taking field trips, studying the syrup’s molecular makeup, and, of course, baking some mapleicious treats.
Oregon State U.
“Far Side Entomology”
Instructor: Michael Burgett, emeritus professor of entomology
What you’ll need: A sense of humor about bugs
The course: More than 20 years ago, Mr. Burgett, who studies honeybees, wanted to put together an entomological course that would make people smile. And with Far Side cartoons hanging on half his colleagues’ office doors, he found his textbook. Using bugs featured in comic strips, he challenges students to explore the relationship between humans and earth’s six-legged creatures. “I hope they leave the class appreciating that a bug is more than a bug,” he says.
Centre College
“Art of Walking”
Instructor: Ken Keffer, professor of French and German
What you’ll need: A sturdy pair of boots
The course: A normal day in the three-week course consists of two hours of philosophy in the morning and three hours of walking in the Kentucky woods during the afternoon. Distances can reach 14 miles through rain, shine, or snow—Mr. Keffer wants his students to appreciate all types of weather. And directional skills are a must. The syllabus clearly states that “getting lost is discouraged.”
