Ohio State lecturer Aaron Gall poses with past students from his one-credit Judo class in December 2022. Credit: Courtesy of Aaron Gall
Among a sea of academic and social stressors, college students are easily swept away by their daily anxieties.
Enrolling in a one-credit course is one way Ohio State students can prioritize their emotional well-being, Aaron Gall, a lecturer of martial arts in the Sport Fitness and Health Program, said. Gall — who regularly teaches Boxing for Beginners, Judo, Eskrima and more — said one-credit classes allow students to flourish in a low-pressure atmosphere, letting them build up confidence throughout the semester.
“I might teach them a technique and have them do it over and over again just like everybody else, but then they bring their own kind of flavor to the mix,” Gall said. “It allows them to express themselves in a way that they didn’t think was maybe acceptable before.”
All of Gall’s one-credit classes follow a three-pillar system, he said. Gall said these pillars are sharing knowledge, respecting one another and growing as a community.
“By the end of the semester, they’re not only leaving with the skill set,” Gall said. “They’re leaving with better fitness, they’re leaving with new friends, people that they might even consider family.”
Though some consider one-credit classes a waste of time, Gall said his students typically find immense value in the mental break they provide.
“I usually have about half the class that’s just standing there asking questions because they don’t want to leave,” Gall said.
One-credit courses have the capacity to be playful and pragmatic, Mary Kay Pohlschneider, a senior lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Technology who teaches Caffeine Science, said.
“At the beginning of the semester, I have students track their caffeine consumption for a week,” Pohlschneider said. “And that’s a really pivotal point for some students. I’ve had students email me afterwards and say ‘I have had trouble sleeping for however long, and now I understand why.’”
Niche one-credit courses such as Caffeine Science or Chocolate Science — and even some two-credit classes like Wine and Beer in Western Culture — unite students and faculty members based on their common interests, Pohlschneider said.
This is significant because many students are daunted when it comes to establishing rapport with lecturers or professors, she said.
“I mean just here in our department, if you like chocolate, if you like beer and wine, all of those are opportunities for somebody to come geek out about those just like the instructors do,” Pohlschneider said. “And so that’s really the hope, that students can see those as a fun break.”
Ultimately, Pohlschneider said one-credit courses are designed to appeal to students’ curiosities, especially those that exist outside of their majors.
“I’m always encouraging students to take those electives that sound interesting to them, whether they check a box or not,” Pohlschneider said.
More information about one-credit courses can be found on Ohio State’s registrar, more specifically on the Schedule of Classes & Course Catalog web page.
