Scheduling: A traumatic experience we all have to go through together. A night that reminds us graduation actually does exist. A necessary speed bump that pokes fun at those of us who are still clueless about our life path. A fight with your peers for the best classes at the best times (hello four-day weekends!).

That’s where Onward State steps in. Last week in our Community section, we asked for your opinions on the classes offered here at Penn State. Based on your comments and other feedback, we’ve assembled a brief list to help you in your quest to achieve some prime time knowledge.

THEA 100 is not only the easiest class, but also the best. Senior HRIM major Alicia Smith describes it as “a completely different kind of class that’s a lot of fun,” and notes that the teachers and TAs are very passionate and involved in the classroom atmosphere.

We were told not to take BiSci 03, but BiSci 04 online is supposed to be a breeze (and is actually my back up GN if EGEE 101 ends up not working out for me…).

Many people swear by the EGEEs for easy GN credits (101, 102, 110). Going along with this category are ASTRO (online), HORT 100, and ENT 202 (The Insect Connection).

ECON 02 with Dirk Mateer is another popular choice and one that comes highly recommended. It’s a large lecture-style class focusing on microeconomics. Mateer makes every class interactive (he even gives away real money to people who answer his questions correctly!), and the coursework is very manageable with plenty of chances for extra credit.

AAA S 146 and 147 are about Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X respectively. Both classes meet once a week and spend a lot of time viewing video footage from that time. This is a great audiovisual experience from an important time period in American History.

Another popular class that any loyal Penn Stater would jump at the opportunity to take is COMM 497G, more affectionately known as The JoePa Class. This class is open to any student interested in learning about the relationship of legendary coach Joe Paterno and the media. Students see rare footage of interviews, practices, and television shows dating back to Paterno’s early days in the 1960s. Past guest speakers include Penn State football aficionados, such as Lou Prato, Fran Fisher, and Jay Paterno.

For those of you looking to get more flexible, we suggest KINES 077 (yoga). Grading is primarily based on attendance. KINES 083 (Exercises for Stress Management) helps students identify causes of stress and develop ways to manage stress levels.

Other standout Kines classes are KINES 017 (Ballroom Dancing), KINES 001 (Seakayaking), KINES 045 (Scuba Diving), and KINES 057 (Personal Defense). Any of these classes will count for your General Education requirements under the Health and Physical Activity (GHA) section.

While this is a good jumping off point, we know we’ve left out some key areas of academics. What have we missed? What should students definitely not take? Let’s see some shout-outs for the Business, Engineering, IST, and other departments not represented on our list!