Every student at Mississippi State University must take electives, but the trouble lies in picking the right class. Most people sign up for an “easy A” class, hoping there will not be too much work involved, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Teachers take these classes seriously and want students to as well.
One of the most popular electives on campus is floral design. Carly Beth Williamson, sophomore communication major, is enrolled in this class, and said she has enjoyed it, but also has learned a lot.  Her advice for people who sign up for the class hoping that it will by easy is most students do not understand what all goes into making a good arrangement.
“Some people thought it would be just throwing flowers together, but you have to learn how to cut the flower, care for them and know which sizes to use,” Williamson said.
Skipping class has always been discouraged. Williamson said going to lecture is important in making a good grade because that is when instructions are given.
“The class meets twice a week, and this is where we learn the steps for how to do the arrangements.Then we have to follow those instructions in the lab. So if you miss, your arrangement will probably be catastrophic,” she said.
Williamson said she has worked with a variety of plants and has learned different aspects of planning an event from a florist’s perspective. She said the flowers arranged to wear, including boutonnières, corsages and headbands, were the hardest for her. The lab instructors grade their arrangements, and the students get to take them home when they are finished.
“It makes me want to have fresh flowers around my home all the time,” Williamson said.
Sarah Douglas McCall, sophomore kinesiology major, took dance appreciation last spring.
“In addition to lectures and videos in class, a few times during the semester, we went to the Sanderson and actually danced. We had hands-on experience with Native American and Medieval styles of movements,” she said.
McCall said learning about the history of dance in class was interesting because she is a dancer.
“The tests covered a lot of information, but it wasn’t too bad,” McCall said.
Intro to theatre is a commonly taken elective among MSU students. Kaleigh Davis, sophomore elementary education major, said she enjoyed taking the class from Melanie Harris.
“The class required a good bit of note taking, but Lab Rats comedy group came and performed for the class one day. I would recommend this class to a friend,” Davis said.
There is no such thing as an “easy elective,” but electives can perk up a student’s fully loaded schedule of intense curriculum classes.