Classes for the College Contrarian: Spring '25
Picking classes can often be an unforgiving experience at Stanford. Between mandatory yet dull classes for one’s major and seemingly fun and engaging classes that are blocked off by an application, getting your schedule just right takes a bit of planning and preparation.
To help, the Review has looked through the spring catalogue and compiled a list of recommendations—either ones we’ve taken or are looking forward to taking—that might pique your interest. We hope these courses spark unorthodox thinking and discussion and bring some joy to your quarter.
Here are our staff picks:
Humanities and Social Sciences
AMSTUD 124A: The American West (ARTHIST 152, ENGLISH 124, HISTORY 151, POLISCI 124A), Professor Bruce Cain, David Freyberg, Shelley Fishkin, David Kennedy | 5 Units | Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 to 2:50
As a fourth-generation Californian, I have learned more about my home state in this class than I had prior to taking it. The class mixes Western literature (though greats like Steinbeck, Pynchon, McCarthy, and West are conspicuously absent), history, politics, and geology. It is co-taught by four professors, representing each of the four disciplines, and each session features two mini-lectures. My favorite lectures were those on the region’s geology and history, but there is something for everyone.
- Julia Steinberg
ARTHIST 116: The American Civil War: A Ghost Story (AMSTUD 116A), Professor Alexander Nemerov | 4 Units | Monday and Wednesday, 1:30 to 2:50
I took a one-unit version of this class last spring and was mesmerized by Nemerov’s lectures on American history and the chilling beauty that came from the American Civil War. His lectures are famous among Stanford students for a reason.
- Julia Steinberg
CLASSICS 84: The Romans (HISTORY 102A), Professor Walter Scheidel | 5 Units | Monday and Wednesday, 12:30 to 1:20
This class is full of fascinating topics—from how the Romans managed their provinces, to the dynamics of the military-tributary complex, to how different belief systems are formed. Professor Scheidel also teaches some of his own fascinating theories, such as how competition between states after the fall of the Roman Empire fostered innovation.
- Hristo Todorov
POLISCI 130: Liberalism and its Critics, Professor Brian Coyne | 5 Units | Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 to 2:50
This class charts the philosophical underpinnings of the modern liberal democratic state. I found Professor Coyne to be an engaging teacher who is limitlessly helpful. The course is structured around two key phenomena that concern every contrarian: the triumphs and the contradictions of the liberal democratic order. Understanding these phenomena is essential to making sense of today’s political climate.
- Garret Molloy
PHIL 80: Mind, Matter, and Meaning, Professor Trevor Teitel | 5 Units | Monday and Wednesday, 3:00 to 4:20
This class is an intensive study of metaphysics. A comprehension of metaphysics forces us to ask whether justice, rights, or ethical principles are rooted in something real and universal, rather than being arbitrary constructs. For any contrarian, this class provides an essential bulwark against relativism and a foundation for objective truth.
- Garret Molloy
PHIL 81: Philosophy and Literature, Professor R. Anderson | 5 Units | Monday and Wednesday, 3:00 to 4:20
One of the most engaging and transformative classes I’ve taken at Stanford. You will explore the relationship between novels, movies, poetry, and philosophy, reading thinkers like Nehamas, Nietzsche, Plato, and Sartre. You will explore questions such as: Does literature make us better people?
- Elsa Johnson
PHIL 148: Taboo Topics: Adventures in Critical Thinking, Professor John Etchemendy | 4 Units | Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 to 2:50
Etchemendy, Stanford’s former provost, is an incredible instructor and defender of free speech. Although I have not taken the course, I look forward to engaging in difficult conversations with a professor who values intellectually free and honest discussions.
- Elsa Johnson
Math, Science & Engineering
MATH 53: Differential Equations, Professor Lernik Asserian | 5 Units | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:30 to 10:20
I truly believe this class should be taken by everyone at some point in their Stanford experience, even if they are pure humanities majors. Understanding change in complex systems—physical, sociopolitical, interpersonal—is a must, and differential equations provide new conceptual lenses through which to understand day-to-day change around you.
- Teddy Ganea
CS 109: Probability for Computer Scientists, Professor Jerry Cain | 5 Units | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 3:00 to 4:20
One of the most applicable and important courses I would recommend to any STEM student. It provides a rigorous foundation for probability and ties it into practical applications. You’ll go from basic counting to implementing neural networks in just a few weeks.
- Aadi Golchha
Economics & Business
ECON 1: Principles of Economics, Professor Isaac Sorkin | 5 Units | Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 to 11:20
If Stanford had real general education requirements, ECON 1 would be one of the first courses I would mandate. The class provides a formalized way of thinking about supply and demand, utility, and economic decision-making, which has been extremely useful inside and outside the classroom.
- Dylan Rem
ECON 136: Market Design, Professor Paul Milgrom | 5 Units | Monday and Wednesday, 1:30 to 3:20
This course is taught by Paul Milgrom, a recent Nobel Prize winner in Economics. His paradigm-shifting work on auction theory and market design makes this class an absolute must for anyone interested in economic systems.
- Aadi Golchha
Extracurriculars!
DANCE 46: Social Dance I, Professor Richard Powers | 1 Unit | Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:30 to 12:20
Richard Powers’ legendary course is a must-do for dancers both talented and inept (like myself). It’s a fun and rewarding experience regardless of your dancing ability.
- Abhi Desai
PHYSWELL 33: Golf, Professor Erick Schlimmer | 1 Unit | Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 to 10:20
I have attempted to take this class every quarter I’ve been enrolled, to no avail. Though I have not taken it, I presume it’s a great way to refine your swing while having fun. Hopefully, I’ll see you on the green!
- Abhi Desai
Directed Reading
One of the great crimes students make at Stanford is never getting to know their professors well. Directed readings and independent studies remedy this. If you’ve built a rapport with a professor or admire their work from afar, consider asking them to work with you on a directed reading—it can be one of the most enriching academic experiences Stanford has to offer.
- Abhi Desai