No college class is truly useless. No matter how obscure or niche they may be, they all teach you something. But the fact of the matter is that many courses aren’t going to boost your bank account down the line.
There are many reasons for this: Your career is in a different field, it’s hard to land a job that utilizes the material, or perhaps the skills you learn aren’t practical in this economy.
That being said, let’s take a look at some college classes you can honestly skip taking.
Make Money: 8 things to do if you're barely scraping by financially 1. Dead languages
Sorry, Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit aficionados, but you really don’t need to take these courses in college.
Okay, if you want to be a professor, you do, but there are few other scenarios in which being proficient at a dead language will help you get a raise at work.
Consider taking languages that are still spoken around the world instead — such as Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese — which can be super helpful in a variety of professions.
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2. Statistics
Yes, that statistics class you have to take to fulfill the math requirement is a waste of time. If you’re in school to study Spanish or history, why do they make you learn about stats?
Chances are the class pulled your GPA down too, especially if you’re afraid of math — which can have a negative impact for years to come.
3. English literature
Reading any kind of literature can develop your mind and make you fall in love with books. However, studying English literature is so niche that few jobs — besides English professors — require the degree.
Mastering the finer points of Jane Austen and Shakespeare isn’t something you’ll need on your resume. So you can probably skip this one.
Make Money: Discover 17 legit ways to make extra cash 4. Musicology
Music is enriching and vitally important to almost everyone's happiness. But musicology courses are useless unless you’re going into this niche — and competitive — academic profession.
Instead, you’re better off taking band or choir classes in which you perform, which can boost your well-being.
5. Art history
One could argue that art is the highest form of human expression. However, you don't need to take art history unless you plan on becoming a gallerist or professor.
Since you can go to museums and appreciate art on your own, there’s no point in spending money studying it.
Art is such a subjective thing anyway, so you’re better off studying a more concrete subject.
6. Poetry
Just as art is a beautiful thing, so too is poetry, which can nourish the soul. Unfortunately, knowing how to recite in iambic pentameter isn’t exactly at the top of every employer’s wish list.
Aspiring rappers and singers may benefit from learning about poetry, but the chances that you’ll become as famous as Kendrick Lamar or Bob Dylan are slim to none. So save your money and skip this course.
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STEM is one of the hottest fields of study out there, and for good reason: These courses can help you land high-paying jobs in engineering and computer science.
However, forcing students who don’t plan to work in those fields to take these courses isn’t serving them well — instead, it’s useless.
In fact, studies have shown that making advanced math a requirement can cause students to drop out.
8. Physical education
Science has repeatedly shown that regular exercise is important. But why on earth do you need to take a college course in which you play sports and games you can just as easily play on your own?
We’re not talking about health education here, as that’s useful. But playing badminton and paying for it? Not worth your time.
9. Archeology
Plenty of us spent our childhoods fascinated by ancient Egypt and dreamed of becoming a famous archaeologist who unearths the treasures of the past.
But the reality of actually being an archeologist is not exactly what it looks like in an Indiana Jones movie.
This discipline is also competitive, so unless you’re set on becoming an archeologist, this course will be useless for you.
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Few things are more important to people than their spirituality, and fewer disciplines are more fascinating than world religion.
However, taking this course just because you’re religious doesn't necessarily make sense. It may actually hinder you if you can’t be objective.
Plus, like archeology, it’s hard to get a good job in this field after graduation. To that end, most students can skip this course.
11. Philosophy
Philosophy is arguably the cornerstone of civilization, and taking a course in it can help you develop your thinking skills.
But let’s be honest: When was the last time you saw a call for a robust background in the discipline on a job application?
Since critical thinking is something that’s developed in many classes, don’t spend your money waxing about the merits of existentialism in college. Save it for the cafe.
12. Theater
Who among us hasn’t wished that they could be a famous actor who stars in Hollywood movies? At the same time, most of us know we’ll probably never be Will Smith or Meryl Streep.
That’s why it’s likely useless to take that theater class, even if you love acting. Plenty of Hollywood actors never took theater classes, either, so this course is likely to be a waste of time for you.
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College is expensive, so it’s important to take classes that will help you eliminate money stress about your investment.
To that end, there are plenty of classes that you don’t need to take as they’re not practical for you for one reason or another.
But once in a while, it can be good for you to bite the bullet and sign up for that class you love. You might regret missing out on studying what you’re truly passionate about.
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