Alright kids, everyone is looking for easy classes to boost your GPA, and well look at that - you have room for another 2 credits of class! Google "easiest classes at IU" and all the top results say "Take X112. It's soooo EZ!"
Well, I took it and...
IT'S NOT EASY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I don't know if these good reviews were written by Hoosiers from like 10 years ago or something, but they were either geniuses with a lot of free time on their hands or the course material has changed greatly since they took the class. It is not a cup of tea.
Yes it's online and it's titled "Traditions and Cultures of IU," but beware! First of all, it's A LOT of reading. I mean, you really can't decide to do the readings the night before your exam because
1) It'll take you around four hours if you want to do well on the exam.
2) You have to stop every few slides and take a reading quiz (there's like 100 slides per unit).
Additionally, the format of the course is also really outdated and frustrating and makes you want to rip your eyelashes off one by one.
Here's how the class goes: 3 exams make up most of your grade while your reading quizzes and a visit to the IU Art Museum make up the rest of it. Only 3 exams, sounds great right? WRONG. Do badly on one of them and you'll be studying frantically for what should have been an easy A (not that I know from experience or anything). Also, not all of the exam material is covered in the text (or I just didn't read close enough, but I'm telling you I totally did) so sometimes the exam just didn't make any sense and you end up guessing. The reading quizzes are also not just "reading" quizzes, but sometimes you have to do extra research if you don't know the history of everything that ever happened because they just assume you know what random events are and then you'll be like:
You can probably sense my frustration with this class, but I actually got my A, I just had to try a lot harder than I wanted to. I was taking 16 credits already and I thought this would help boost my crappy first semester GPA without a headache. The exam that I may or may not have failed happened to fall on the same day as my Macy's presentation for Business Presentations and that obviously took precedent. But honestly, the stuff you learn can be cool! I'm a tour guide so it's always good to have more fun facts to throw out. Course material covers the history (and ventures in to the future) of IU (Herman B. Wells, IU during WWII, the origins of Little 5, the Kinsey Institute).
Bottom line? If you're interested in learning more about IU, developing a greater understanding and appreciation for our school's history, and you don't mind reading - take X112. But be prepared for your eyeballs to start hurting from staring at your online text.
Other easy A class suggestions? Take an SPH 1-credit class like Basketball or Self-Defense! It won't weigh as much in your GPA as X112 would, but it's a great way to stay active and get credit for it! Additionally, you can always check the IU Grade Distribution website to see how others did in any course that IU offers. But don't worry too much about boosting your GPA because you'll do fantastically anyways!