you're halfway through summer and the reality of having to go back to school is starting to set in. english composition, european history and—ugh—calculus! why on earth would you look forward to going back to classes?
　　sure, every college program includes some type of writing class, but more and more colleges are shaking up their offerings to keep things fresh. if you thought class was always a drag, here's your newsflash: college can be hip—just check out some of these offerings. 

　　夏天已经过半，不得不回到学校的现实已经摆在眼前。英语写作，欧洲史，还有——天哪——微积分！你到底为什么会希望回学校上课？
　　当然，每所大学的课程设置都会包括一门写作，但是，越来越多的大学在对他们所提供的课程进行调整，以保持新鲜感。如果你认为上课总是一件枯燥乏味的事情，这条快报肯定适合你：大学也可以很新潮——来看看他们提供的这些课程吧。

writing for stand-up comedy—drexel university
　　this is the perfect class for anyone who loves to be on stage. over the semester, students learn how to interact with audiences, improve and write jokes for stand-up acts. their final? create and perform their own stand-up routine, of course!

创作单人喜剧——德雷塞尔大学

　　对于所有喜爱站在舞台上的人来说，这是最完美不过的课程了。在整个学期里，学生会学习如何与观众交流，提高水平，为单人表演创作笑料。至于他们的期末考试？当然是表演他们自创的单人喜剧啦！

ghost hunting 101—lane community college
　　this summer class is a bargain by college standards—only around $100. in it, students learn about the tools and tricks of professional ghost hunters like how to record paranormal voices and how to obtain the proper permits. the class culminates with an investigation at a haunted site. this class won't get you credits, but it will get you certified as a ghost hunter!

猎鬼基础教程——雷恩社区大学

　　这个夏季班根据大学的标准调低了学费——收费仅在100美元左右。这个班的学生学习使用专业猎鬼人员的猎鬼工具和猎鬼诀窍，例如如何录下超自然的声音，如何取得正当的执照。学习结束时，学生会在一个狩猎区进行一次调查。你在这个班学习不会得到学分，但却能让你成为一名合格的猎鬼者！

examining american idol through musical critique—university of north carolina
　　have you ever yelled at the tv while watching american idol and shouted, "that's not fair!" or "simon, you don't know anything!" if so, this is the class for you. students in this course watch the show in class, and then work as a group to develop their own rating systems. to make the class a little more academic, history of the different styles contestants use each week is also examined.

以音乐批判手法评审《美国偶像》——北卡罗莱纳州大学
　　你是否曾在观看《美国偶像》时对着电视吼叫：“这不公平！”或者“西蒙，你什么都不懂！”如果是的话，这个课程简直就是为你而设的。在这门课的课堂上，学生会观看这个节目，然后以小组划分，研发出自己的评分系统。为了使这门课程更具有学术性，学生也会对选手每周使用的不同风格的历史进行评审。

simpsons: sitcoms as political and social satire—university of california at berkley
　　if you're a fan of the simpsons, you'll want to take this class. through group viewing and discussions, students tease out the hidden meaning and connections of the show, gaining an insight into how deep the scripts really are. it's rough on reading, but students get a reprieve from a standard final—they have to write their own episode.

《辛普森一家》：政治与社会讽刺剧——加利福尼亚大学伯克莱分校

　　如果你是《辛普森一家》的粉丝，你会想上这门课。学生通过小组观察和讨论，找出剧中的隐含意义和个中联系，深入透析剧本的真正深度。阅读强度虽大，但学生不必参加正式的期末考试，能稍微得到缓解——只是他们必须独自写作一段剧情。

wines and beverages—culinary institute of america
　　there are many colleges that offer wine tasting classes, but this one is unique because you don't have to be 21 to enroll. rather than getting drunk, though, these students are learning how to properly pair beverages with their culinary creations. working off the premise that all chefs should be familiar with beverage pairing, any student of the school can enroll.

葡萄酒和饮料——美国烹饪学院　
　　很多大学都提供品酒课程，但这门课程的与众不同之处在于你不必年满21岁就可以注册上课。但是这些学生并不是来喝醉酒的，而是来学习如何将酒水饮料和自己烹饪的美食佳肴合理搭配。考虑到所有的厨师都应该熟悉酒水饮料搭配这个前提，除了这些人，这所学校的任何学生都可以报名上这门课程。

disney, culture and power—wake forest university
　　studying disney is probably a dream-come-true for many fanatics, but wake forest uses the class for something special—easing students into college. it is offered as a freshmen seminar class—all incoming students select one being offered—and is reading and writing intensive. this one, though, also includes showings of snow white and the seven dwarfs and beauty and the beast. this could be the happiest class on earth.

迪士尼，文化和影响力——维克森林大学
　　研究迪士尼对许多粉丝而言可算是美梦成真了，但维克森林大学设置这门课却别有用意——让学生们能更轻松地入学。这门课程是提供给大一新生的专题讨论课——所有新生都要从课程表中选修一门——属于精读和写作课程。尽管如此，这门课上也会放映《白雪公主和七个小矮人》和《美女和野兽》。也许这是世界上最让人快乐的课程了吧。

crime scene investigation—southeast arkansas college
　　launched in 2004, this series of courses teaches everything from evidence collection to report writing. students are trained in classroom labs, and also get the opportunity to do fieldwork on mock crime scenes. for those that can't get enough, the school offers a csi ii class also.

犯罪现场调查——东南阿肯色大学
　　这个系列课程始于2004年，教授从证据搜集到报告撰写的整个过程。学生在实验教室里接受培训，并且也有机会在模拟犯罪现场进行实地调查。对于那些感觉不过瘾的学生，学校还会提供犯罪现场调查课程二期。

stress management—weber state university
　　stress is a bigger problem than most people think—the class's syllabus says 80% of all illnesses are at least partly stress-related. this class, which is included in the school's health major, teaches coping strategies and relaxation techniques including yoga, massage therapy and time management.

压力管理——韦伯州立大学
　　压力这个问题比多数人想象的要严重许多——这门课的课程提纲中提到，80％的疾病或多或少都与压力有关。这门课程教授处理压力的策略和放松技巧，包括瑜伽、按摩疗法和时间管理。学校的卫生专业也包含了这门课程。
　　
　　with these classes, it's not hard to see why some students are anxious to go back to school. this fall, flip through your school's course catalogue to see what gems it holds—you may just find the perfect class for you!

　　有了这些课程，就不难看出为什么有些学生会急于回到学校了。这个秋季，翻翻学校的课程目录吧，看看里面有什么珍宝——也许你就会发现适合自己的完美课程！