Since kindergarten, I've never been a star student. I've come a long way since age five but even now in 15th grade I struggle from time to time. Because of this, I take one kinesiology class per semester at Bama. There's a million reasons to take a kinesiology class, here's just a few:
1. Most of these classes are only one credit hour so they're not hard to keep up with.
I'm currently taking "KIN-101," aka yoga. The grading policy for kinesiology classes are usually based 75% on attendance and 25% on homework. The yoga assignments are short journal entries. The first prompt was "why are you taking this class?" The second was "what did you learn today?" The third was "free write." You basically just have to show up to class once a week and dedicate an additional 10 minutes per week for homework. One time there was an extra credit opportunity worth 10 points added to your final grade. Even though it's only one credit, getting that easy A it's still a GPA booster. One way to think about it is if you got a C+ in a three-hour core class but an A in a one-hour kinesiology class, it's like getting a B in the three-hour class.
2. The class itself is a great work out—my ass is on fire at the end of every class.
I'm in much better shape than I was at the beginning of the semester. Winter break always hits me hard when I go home to NJ because I've missed our food so much. Tuscaloosa's food is great, don't get me wrong but it's nothing like NJ's.
3. A lot of the classes are held at the student recreational center.
The class's location might make you want to throw in an additional workout before or after it since you're already there. I'm really lazy when it comes to working out so this is a huge W for me. Even if you don't feel more compelled to work out, there's still Smoothie King to fill you up with nutrients before or after class.
4. Some of the classes teach great life skills that you might not have heard of before.
Last semester I took "KIN-155," aka women's self defense. My professor and TA made it very clear that most of the techniques that we learned will only work in best case scenarios but the skills are still valuable. I learned how to disarm someone holding me at gunpoint, how to to deflect "unwanted flirtation," how to escape an unwanted aggressive embrace and many other things. I hope I never find myself in a situation where I'd need to use these skills but I definitely do feel more confident after taking the class!
5. On a much lighter note, some of the classes teach you skills that you can use in the business world.
Next semester I am going to take either golf or tennis. I have no intentions of becoming a pro or joining a stay-at-home-mom league when I'm older. However, a lot of business trip conferences away from home end in an optional golf or tennis tournament to strengthen dynamics between coworkers. I'm not super athletic so I doubt I'll ever be able to kick some ass if I partake in these tournaments but I definitely won't be the weakest player and I'll be able to bond with coworkers (assuming I can get a job, that is).
6. They're really fun.
The professors have a lot of energy and guarantee a good time. One time in women's self defense I was upset about a guy I'd been seeing and it was visible. We were practicing shin kicks that day, tapping each other lightly because we weren't in danger. She said to me in a serious voice: "I'll be right back, I'm grabbing my shinguards, kick the ever-living shit outta me, don't hold back." It was awesome. The class is spent pretending to beat each other up, there was never a dull moment in women's self defense.
Some of the several other class options you can take include running, rock climbing and even horseback riding. Who knew Bama's course catalog was so diverse?
If this article didn't convince you to take at least one kinesiology class in your future at Bama, I don't know what will. Do yourself a favor; get an easy A, work out more, gain some life skills, gain some business skills and have some fun. It'll definitely be worth the sweat.