Favorites for Spanish Classes
There are some true gems of classes here at UMass and we want to share them with you!
"Take any class with Guillem Molla! He is the best and his classes are so informative!"
"There are some awesome Literature classes in the Spanish Department! In Stephanie Fetta's Latino Lit, you read books in English about the experiences of US Latinos. In Emma Rivera-Rabagos Spanish American Lit classes (especially 323), you'll laugh a bunch and you won't feel overwhelmed"
"Spanish Phoenetics and Hispanic Linguistics will really give you a deeper understanding of the language and help you with pronunciation and comprehension"
"This is more advice on a class rather than what class to take, but power through 311, it will seem like that class will never end and that it is just incredibly difficult, but once you get through it I promise you everything goes a lot smoother!"
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"Take any class you can with Emma Rivera-Rabago. She hilarious and will leave you "extra crispy"!"
"417 with Luis Marentes starts off hard, but persevere and it's not that bad. Plus you will learn a lot about Latin American history that you have never learned before."
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"I would recommend ANTHRO499 Conquest by Law with Kathleen Brown-Perez. If you are interested in law school or law in general, this is a great honors thesis seminar. Choose a topic of your choice and explore how law, supposedly made to protect us, marginalizes vulnerable communities. Kathleen is strict with deadlines, but you will have a full draft of your thesis done by the end of fall semester!
Best Courses to Take at UMass
By Clair Hegarty
Over the course of my three and a half years at UMass, I have taken some very interesting classes that I highly recommend to others. As a Spanish major and Education minor, I have taken a wide variety of classes in these subjects. Some of my favorite Spanish classes thus far have been Spanish 312, Spanish 417, and Spanish 397PP. I took Spanish 312 with Danielle Thomas and I really enjoyed it. The nature of this class was relaxing, but also interesting. I was able to improve upon my writing skills and Danielle was also sure to help me whenever I asked. Although this class is required, it is something that you will really enjoy. I also took Spanish 417 this year with Luis Marentes. This class was one of the most interesting classes I have taken at UMass. I would say that I definitely learned more in this class than I have in most of my others. We learned a lot about indigenous countries, people, and cultures, which is a topic that many schools and classes do not touch upon. It was very interesting and inspiring to learn about these topics through different perspectives and narratives. I also took Spanish 397PP this semester with Elisabet Pallas. This Spanish Cinema class was very intriguing. It was fun to watch movies and interesting to learn about the history of Spain. Two of my favorite Education classes were Education 293A and Embracing Diversity. Education minor or not, I believe that everyone should take these classes. Education 293A teaches you how to budget, encourages you to reflect on your life, and allows you to have a better understanding of others. Embracing Diversity touches upon racial, gender, and ethnic inequalities, which I thought was very important and useful. I strongly recommend all of these classes if you have the chance to fit them into your schedule!
Gen Eds
In order to graduate from UMass, you must complete a total of 120 credits. If you are only a Spanish major, then that means you have a lot of classes to take that might not relate to your major, including Gen Eds. Microbiology 160 is a very interesting that can be used to satisfy the Biological Science Gen Ed. This course covers the topics of AIDs and Cancer, and it is very relevant to the world we live in today due to the fact that cancer now impacts the lives of nearly everyone. You will learn more in this course in comparison to others. I highly recommend this course!
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Afro Am 390E is another great Gen Ed that can be used to satisfy the Historical Studies Requirement, as well as the Diversity requirement. This class definitely has a lot of readings, but it covers a lot of important topics throughout U.S history. I think that this class is very useful because I feel as though many students are unfamiliar with the history of our country. The structure of this class is small and conversational, so make sure you that you are on top of the assignments and ready to participate!
Geography 110 is a course that can be used to complete the Physical Science Gen Ed requirement. This course discusses the topic of environmental and climate change, which is something that I believe everyone should learn about as Global Warming has become a harsh reality on our Earth. This class is big, so i Clickers are used for participation and attendance. The course is exam based, so it is imperative that you study and attend review sessions.
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