3 courses you should take in college no matter your major
It’s important to always pay attention to the direction the world is going in so that you are prepared for life, not just for a career. College is the place to live, laugh and learn. However, learning will be the most important part of your journey. You want to ensure that you bulletproof yourself for your post college years.
Here are my recommended courses:
Cyber security course
Understanding Cyber security is crucial for both your personal and professional life. Cyber security focuses on protecting networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access. Getting familiar with Cyber security will help you understand more about trojan horse viruses and denial of service attacks (also known as DDoS). It will also help you understand more about what virus protection actually does and why it is necessary.
Finance Course
Finance classes will teach you about how money moves in the economy. This is a great way to understand how businesses generate revenue. No matter what your role will be within a company, understanding how money moves is key to your success. This will also come in handy post college if you have school loans or if you plan on living on your own. You’ll learn ways to budget your spending. This course should be separate from any other math class you take such as statistics or the like. Standard math classes will teach you how to calculate things, but not necessarily how to move money.
Programming Course
It is crucial to know at least one programming language. Do your research and pick one of your choice. However, i’d recommend HTML, Java, Javascript, or Objective C. HTML might be pretty easy to learn on your own, so you could possibly focus on Java, Javascript, or Objective C. Knowing the basics of programming is something important for any job you may have. You also don’t want to be one of those people who constantly utilizes technology, but has no clue on how apps and websites are built.
Back when I was in college, cyber security wasn;t even a thing LOL. That sounds like a good idea these days 🙂
So true Robin. Same here. Nowadays it can definitely help people in their professional and personal life. So it’s definitely worth the investment.
These are some great tips. I wish I knew this in college especially the finance class, because we need those skills once we get in the workforce.
Thanks for checking it out Jay. I definitely think that college students should start thinking outside of the box in advance. I would have taken a finance class way back when, if I had thought of it. 15 years post college and only now am I truly learning how money moves in the economy.
A Finance Course is so important! No one tells you about how much you will need this in the real world!
So true Jessica! You end up learning by trial and error, which isn’t always good.
This is some great advice for students! I 100% agree! All of these courses I think should be required for everyone. You use them more than you can imagine.
Thanks for checking it out Daniella. I definitely want students to become more forward thinking.
I completely agree with all 3 courses. There is so much to learn in each one, and that knowledge will help you greatly no matter your major.
Thank you for checking it out. Very true.
Well, shoot – I did none of the above. LOL! I filled all my electives with anthropology classes! lol
I so agree with these. Especially the finance one. People are so clueless about money at times.
Very good points! I would definitely have benefitted from learning more about finance and computer programming when I was in college. Cyber security, too, I suppose, but that was definitely not a class at my college (though perhaps it is now!).
I agree! These are really helpful courses. I did finance but had to study on my own the rest since I used it and needed it on daily basis!
Thanks for checking out the article. On the job training is always the best. Great that you had that foundation.
I would love to take a course in programming especially java as that would be a really handy skill to have 🙂 . Great course ideas x
Thanks for checking out the article Ana. Yes, Java is great to learn and won’t be going away anytime soon.
Two of three. Not so bad. Currently working in IT and I agree with cyber security and programming.
Thanks for checking out the article. I’m currently getting my Finance on my checking out free online courses. These are some free classes I tell people about. https://www.edx.org/
I have a degree in math and computer science, so I might be a little biased. I think everyone should take a programming course sometime in their lives. Especially in the world we live in with so much technology. Just to understand the basics of how it works would be a good thing
Thanks for checking out the article Alison. I definitely agree. I have CS and IS degrees. I took the math classes that were part of my curriculum. However, Finance would have been helpful. I’m learning a lot now though. Getting really interested in different things.
They have some courses here that I’ve been checking out – https://www.edx.org/. They are free.
You are right of course but when I was studying we didn’t have the option. So I took all I could for my chemistry degree.
I was a CS and IS major. I took the required math courses but should have thrown a finance in there. But I’m learning a lot about it now though. I read up and check out courses online when I see them.
These are lovely suggestions. I just finished my course in college but we couldn’t choose a course we didn’t major in. I wish we had so I can add more skills. This was so helpful and maybe can be a tip for someone else.
Thanks for checking out the article Jackie. I’d say also check out things outside of school. Ed X has some free finance courses – https://www.edx.org/. Take a look.
My oldest son is always upping the ante with education he takes at home. I’m proud that he takes those steps to remain relevant, and he is very successful at what he does.
Great Job mom and son! It’s the only way to beat out the competition. edX has some really cool classes if he wants to check them out – https://www.edx.org/, in addition to what he is already doing.
if only i had known this when i was in college!
http://www.layersofchic.com
In this generation, cyber security lesson should really be given as well as the programming course. For Finance, I guess everyone and every business would have the need to have an employee who is related to Finance to manage a certain company.
I definitely agree with this! There is a lot of risky behavior going on online. I feel if they understood more about security it would eliminate a lot of things from happening. Or at least curve a lot of things before they start.
I think a finance course would be the most important. No matter what we do we will need to know how to handle our finances.
Definitely! You can not go wrong with knowing how to handle your money. It’ll make you want to protect it a lot more.
Such a great post! This is very informative and I’m sharing, thank you!
Pammy – joyfulsource.com
Thank you for checking it out and commenting Pammy!
I took a random programming course thinking it was just something “easy” to take. Who knew how useful it would be years later! Glad I took it!
Thinking outside the box early on is always great. Even if it was random! Great job.
I agree with your courses. I had suggested that to my daughter about finances. It is a good idea.
Thanks for taking the time to check out the article and comment Cynthia! Great job on getting your daughter started early. In her leisure, you can also have her check out edX.org courses. This can be something in addition to other things she is doing. The courses are free. I’m actually taking some of the Cyber Security courses for a refresher.
I agree with these! Especially the programming course. It’s something that I had to learn the basics of on the fly!
Thanks for checking out the article Megan! Sounds like you are moving in the right direction getting out there learning and growing. Sometimes on the fly prepares you for greatness later on. You can also check out edX.org, udemy, udacity and a few other sites. If you are looking to expand.
Wish I read this earlier! I just graduated college but my one regret is not taking a programming/coding class! It would be so useful!
xo
Sami
The Classic Brunette
I could not agree more. I wanted to learn more about finances. Programming can be learned with short courses and cyber security is too much for me. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for checking out the article Sarah! I’m currently brushing up on my Cyber Security with courses on edX.org. I’m starting off with the Computer Forensics course. It’s pretty easy to follow and you can go at your own pace. This might be an option if you’re interested. I forgot to mention it’s free.
Great suggestions, those are all needed in one form or another today.
XO, MJ
http://www.lush-fab-glam.com
Thank you for checking out the article MJ!