What has been your most influential/useful course?

[videogamesrock]

If you had to narrow it down to one course that you use daily in life or have been the most influential and beneficial which one would it be?

For me, it would be Nutrition and Nutrition Lab. I've made many nutritionary changes, and I plan my meals now based my nutritional needs, which curbs my desire to snack.

[dfrecore]

Art History at my local CC, with an EXCELLENT teacher. It changed the way I look at everything in relation to teaching history (WHY didn't they teach it this way in high school??) and just teaching in general. It's what ultimately led me to homeschool my children 10 years later!

[SweetSecret]

Photography for sure. I took it around 2003 and literally had never used a 35mm camera, even though I'd worked for multiple photography studios shooting and cutting film with medium formats. Shooting 35mm allowed me a place of tranquility in the darkroom, I developed some amazing friendships, and started doing photography professionally (including photographing weddings) outside of the traditional studio settings. Now I am working a design job, and if I worked in the same state as the company I could actually have a lot more work because they constantly need photography. It also allowed me to expand into doing 360 degree "spin" photography, which is great for creating virtual tours of locations similar to what you'd see from Google Maps. Also, as I've gotten older I have a really hard time being on the computer constantly because I'm prone to migraines but I also am very shaky, so putting a camera on a tripod allows me another creative outlet that is less bothersome.

[davewill]

Consistently over the years? Has to be English Composition. Every time I write an email, write a document, or even whomp up some Powerpoint slides, I'm reusing the tools that my English teacher taught me about writing. Most of my technical skills came on the job or from self-study. I don't think I would have ever self-studied English.

[wombat777]

Sometimes life takes turns you don't expect. While I was a college student, I expected I would pursue my career and delay having children, if I had them at all. As it turned out, it took me longer to earn my degree (4 years) than I actually spent working using that degree (3 1/2 years). I got married right out of college and our first son was born 3 1/2 years later. I chose to stay home instead of pursuing my career. Why the story? So when I tell you the most beneficial class for me it will make sense.

Life and Death of the Dinosaurs

Children (little boys in particular) love dinosaurs. When my children were little, they were well-informed about dinosaurs.

Here's an example:
Son "I want the one with the long thing off his head"
Me "That's a parasaurolophus. The name means "beside the ridged lizard" because parasaurolophus was similar to the saurolophus, which is, of course, "the ridged lizard."
Son "ok"

My children got little gems like that all the time. No, my college degree was not wasted.

[burbuja0512]

The multicultural/international portion of my MBA is what has changed my life. Learning about emerging markets and appreciating other countries and cultures affects me every single day- from the food I make for my family, to the time I spend with my kids memorizing countries on the globe, and my efforts to speak in other languages. I have now traveled to almost 50 countries and have met the most wonderful people in every single place.

[SweetSecret]

Wombat777, I love your answer!

I have now traveled to almost 50 countries and have met the most wonderful people in every single place.

Sorry, but I have to ask, what have been your favourite 3 countries so far? Its rare that a person is lucky enough to travel to that many, and I'm all ears (or eyes as the case may be) to know which were the best experiences!

[burbuja0512]

Sorry, but I have to ask, what have been your favourite 3 countries so far? Its rare that a person is lucky enough to travel to that many, and I'm all ears (or eyes as the case may be) to know which were the best experiences!

Thanks for asking Hmmmm... it depends. Keep in mind that I travel mostly for business, but do manage to have a vacation or two yearly due to miles and adding on a day or two when I go to a cool destination.

#1 France, but only in the winter. I was fortunate enough to have quite a bit of business there and got to see Paris when it wasn't full of tourists. It's magical.
#2 Japan - There are so many amazing sites to see and it's not a packed-full tourist destination. Japanese hospitality is unreal and Tokyo is so safe that the hoards of bicycles you see everywhere aren't even chained. No need to - people don't steal.
#3 Czech Republic - Mostly because Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but there are tons of small surprises throughout the country. It's got an Eastern European flavor, but you won't have any trouble getting by with English in most places.

Honorable mention would probably be:
*Switzerland - most beautiful country I've seen yet, but you can easily spend $70 on a simple lunch. (Yes I've done this with 2 people, sandwiches and beer)
*Chile - I just went there and loved it, including the 5.5 earthquake I was in, but I have only been once and therefore can't really say.
*Moldova - It's the cheapest country in Europe and there are hidden gems that can be uncovered for pennies. Downside - literally no one speaks English and my Romanian is terrible.
*Brazil - not so safe right now and I love it, but only from a business perspective. Not sure that I'd go there for tourism.


Bottom of the list:
*Anywhere in the Middle East. Yes, even Dubai. It sucks and I can go into lengthy detail, but in a nutshell, I don't believe in stoning, amputation, or slavery.
*China: Soooo many things to see.. too bad you can't see them due to pollution that looks like fog. No joke. It's BAD.
*India: I actually really like India, but recognize that it's terrible and a 'love or hate' sort of place. It's dirty, more crowded than you can imagine, and the caste system is alive and well. The Taj Mahal was so crowded and filthy that I felt like I was in trapped in a rice cooker. The food is amazing, but bring serious pepto bismol.
*Algeria: Ok, this really counts as part of the Middle East, but it was such a traumatic experience, I wanted to list separately. Working all day in 105 degree heat, no air conditioner, getting stuck in a sandstorm afterwards... oh yeah, and the airport security guard that wouldn't let me leave the country without a marriage proposal. Flattering, but a bit terrifying due to the AK-47 he was carrying!

LOL - just a few places that my MBA has helped me go I wouldn't change a thing, even for the places I don't love.

[cookderosa]

I think mine was a combination of sociology and anthropology, both self-directed learning CLEP/DSST but really useful in understanding the influence of culture on human behavior.

[sanantone]

Statistics and research methods. I think everyone should be required to take statistics in high school. People make errors everyday thinking that anecdotal evidence is more valid than statistics with generalizability and not having an understanding of selection bias. Having a basic understanding of statistics and research methods will also help people identify the junk studies that are published in the news all the time.