Tough Interview Question - What were your favorite classes? Why?

What were your favorite classes? Why?

Similar interview questions:
What classes did you benefit from the most while in college?
Which courses best prepared you for your career?
Were there any courses in which you excelled?
What training has been most beneficial to you in your career?

Why the interviewer is asking this question:
The interviewer is looking for the relevance of your coursework, gauged by your interest level, in relation to the job for which you are interviewing. The question is also an indicator of your willingness to continue learning throughout your career. This question is often asked when internship candidates and/or entry level candidates have little in the way of relevant experience.

The best approach to answering this question:
Pick a class that is most directly tied to your chosen career. Ideally, it should be a class where you earned an A grade. The exception could be that super tough class where no one received an A, but you were one of the few to earn a B. Talk about what it was in the class that helped you to prepare for the world of work. Be ready with a second and a third class to discuss if the interviewer would like more examples.

An example of how to best answer this question for experienced candidates:
"Most of the classes in my major were my favorite classes in college. That said, the capstone class in my major my final year of college was definitely my favorite class. It was taught by the Department Chair and she really brought together theory with practical application in my future work. For example, one of the extra credit assignments was to take and pass the first part of the industry certification exam. I did that and it got me started toward my certification early in my career…"

An example of how to best answer this question for entry level candidates:
"The classes in my major were my favorites and got progressively more interesting each year. My favorite class is one that I just completed and ties in directly with the needs for this job. I excelled in that class and even received a letter of recommendation from my professor in that class. Would you like to see it?…"

An example of how you should not answer this question:
"Sometimes when you ask grade school kids about their favorite class, they say recess. Well, for me, that’s not far off. For me it was my PE classes in college. I had a choice of taking more classes in my major to use up my elective credits, but decided to use them for PE classes instead. I love getting a good workout and by taking more PE classes, I got a workout and also got credit for it at the same time…"

Further review: know the answers to these 100 Standard Interview Questions to be fully prepared for your interview!