Imagine the rhythmic dribbling of a basketball — the squeak-squeak of your shoes scuffing against the court floor as you run into your layup. You hear your fellow classmates clap and shout cheers of congratulations as the basketball flies up and sinks into the net.

Envision an electrifying rush overtaking you as you tackle your friend to the mat during self-defense class. Both of your limbs are grappling and groping until you finally get the upper hand with your perfectly executed chokehold, forcing them to tap out.

Embrace a soothing energy encompassing you as you cycle through your vinyasa. Your back arches into Cat Pose and curves into Cow Pose. As one, the entire class breathes out, partaking in Lion’s Breath.

Feel a jolt of nerves rack your body as the teacher calls for the “En Garde” position. You and your opponent stand at the ready, your blades poised to strike. All hell breaks loose as the teacher roars, “Go!”

All of these exhilarating and thrilling experiences are ones you get in a Kinesiology 199 class. But not everyone at Texas A&M has the financial ability or desire to partake in one of these invigorating classes.

To account for these potential obstacles, A&M should make Kinesiology 199 classes free and mandatory for all Aggies.

According to the tuition calculator, an in-state kinesiology undergraduate student with a locked rate plan for the 2025-2026 school year will pay an estimated $398.76 per credit hour. For a full-time student, that’s an estimated cost of $6,237.41 per semester. This includes the cost of some hidden fees, although A&M does not give a listed breakdown of all the fees included. 

Additionally, about 71% of  A&M’s students receive some form of financial assistance through “scholarships, grants, loans, waivers and student employment.” 

With a large amount of the student population receiving some form of supplemental aid, it’s clear that not everyone can afford to rack up an even higher tuition bill.  

Students shouldn’t be constrained to eating ramen every day just to be able to ballroom dance with their peers. Instead, A&M should make kinesiology classes free for all students. 

But even after removing the financial barrier, many students will not take advantage of this opportunity. It has been seen time and time again with free A&M facilities.  

When was the last time you checked out a book from the library? Have you ever rented a camera from the Annex? Will you ever step foot in a student recreation sports facility? 

In order to ensure that students are benefiting from free Kinesiology 199 classes, these classes have to be made mandatory. 

Making these classes mandatory gives students the push they need in order to enjoy the multiple benefits of exercising.

For students, exercising can provide a real boon to academic life. Not only can the release of endorphins caused by physical exertion help alleviate anxiety and depression, but exercise can also improve mental focus — preventing you from nodding off in class. 

But if the science isn’t enough to convince you, maybe memory will.

Do you recall running around your school’s gym in elementary school, dodging the ball headed directly toward you? Or, if you were the braver sort, maybe you caught the dodgeball and threw it at the opposing team, knocking a player from their ranks.

Maybe you were the student who loathed the class, detesting the day the FitnessGram PACER Test came around to assess your physical prowess.

But regardless of your feelings for gym class, it was a guaranteed hour that allowed you to socialize with your friends and cultivate camaraderie among your whole class. 

You probably didn’t even realize that you were taking a mandatory class.

Kinesiology 199 classes are beneficial for all students. There is no reason that financial status and motivation should be barriers to all Aggies.

By making these classes free and mandatory, A&M can guarantee all students reap the mental, physical and social benefits they have to offer.

College is more than textbooks and grades. It’s a time for collaboration and community. Giving students access to these tools should be a priority, not a privilege. 

Gabriela Gomez is a biomedical sciences senior and opinion writer for The Battalion.