It’s important to consider taking a two-unit class


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As registration season rolls around, the monotony and stressful cycle of lectures, homework and midterms may leave students unsure if they want to voluntarily add another class to an already-packed 16-unit schedule. 

However, a full-time undergraduate student’s tuition covers 18 units, meaning there are two units left over for students to use however they want after making an average full 16-unit schedule. Students should use this space to take a wide variety of two- or one-unit classes available to them. Specifically, students should take a class that pushes them outside of their comfort zone and introduces them to something new. 

In terms of tuition costs, two-unit classes cost approximately $2,300, which is a lot of money that goes to waste if a student does not use those units, especially considering the fact that there are fun elective classes that can essentially be taken pass/no pass that do not affect a student’s GPA. 

Although a student’s hesitation may stem from the concern that an extra course will add to their stress and leave them with less time to do work for their core classes, many of the elective classes offered have actually been proven to reduce stress.

For example, “Yoga” is offered as a one-unit class, and “Beginning Pop/Rock Guitar” is offered as a two-unit class. Studies have shown that both yoga and playing instruments reduce levels of stress, lower blood pressure and decrease heart rate. 

Stressed about a midterm tomorrow? It may seem counterproductive to take time away from studying to practice yoga, but research has shown that practicing yoga significantly increases productivity levels. 

Even if it initially seems like these classes take up time in your day-to-day schedule and lead to more stress, they actually provide valuable tools to combat stress and increase concentration. Therefore, taking time away from regular classes and participating in a one- or two-unit class like yoga will be beneficial in the long run. 

To be sure, the main priority of a student when picking a two- or one-unit course does not have to be stress relief. 

For example, students in the “Surfing” two-unit class head to Santa Monica beach and learn the necessary forecast interpretation and wave recognition skills to surf. A student can also take Theatre in Los Angeles and learn about theater through “a study of acting, playwriting, criticism, stage design, lighting, and dramatic styles.” The class goes on trips to see plays around L.A. and even saw the critically acclaimed musical “Hamilton” in Fall 2017. 

These two-unit classes, among many others, allow students to explore the city and provide a much-needed escape from campus. It may be easy for students to stay within USC’s bubble, which makes it all the more important to take classes that push students to visit the rest of the city and learn while having fun. Field trips do not have to end once students come to college.

Additionally, different schools and majors within USC offer two-unit classes that provide a low-stakes way for students to learn new disciplines outside their intended field of study. Who knows? A two-unit class in the Marshall School of Business about the basics of entrepreneurship or a two-unit class in the Viterbi School of Engineering about web publishing might inspire someone to add a major or minor in that school without that student needing to take a four-unit class. 

The versatile purposes of one- and two-unit classes — whether it’s to destress, explore L.A., learn a new skill or explore a new potential major — make them an extremely valuable resource. Although it may feel like that extra time could be better spent for a nap, in reality, the 18 units covered by tuition presents a unique opportunity to make new friends, learn something new and add novelty to four-year plans that often are more or less cemented.