Amy Meng, Arts & Tech Editor
@amengcourant
Allow me to introduce you to Riley, a made-up realistic representation of a typical student at the high school. This is their schedule: Precalculus, Honors Chemistry, AP US History, AP English Language, French IV, Ceramics 2. Riley already has a very rigorous schedule but has recently been bothered by the fact that while they are taking Ceramics 2, their classmates all seem to be taking AP Comparative Government or AP Computer Science Principles. Yes, Riley loves ceramics, but it wouldn’t help their high school transcript, or would it?
We all have different schedules that match our academic abilities and potential. However, is a school day filled to the brim with honors and AP courses a student’s dream schedule? The core academics are vital to students’ growth, but if I were to throw the consideration of college admissions to the back of my mind, my schedule would probably look very different.
Aside from the STEM and humanities classes that students are required to take every year, students are allowed to choose their sixth and even seventh classes in the form of electives. A diverse range of electives are offered, from cooking and child development to AP Comparative Government. As a player in this game of academics, I’ve noticed that more of my peers are inclined to take the college-level course that will seemingly look better on their college transcript than an interest-driven elective, and I have been plagued with the same concern.
It’s spring of sophomore year again, and I’m sitting in front of my computer, staring at my teachers’ course recommendations for the next school year. Do I take the drawing course to fuel my passion for art, or do I take another AP history class to ‘impress colleges’ and potentially boost my academic GPA?
The counselors have also noted this pattern when it comes to selecting electives. “From the counselor’s perspective, we’re really looking to push you all a little bit outside your comfort zone to explore areas that will challenge and encourage you to think in a different way,” said counselor Erica Schaedler. “I have a student who has been a four-year orchestra member, and what they report is that while it hasn’t always been their hardest, they feel that they have learned the most and grown the most as a learner through orchestra because of the ways that it made them think differently. You have to be able to think on your feet, react to what you think around you, and be an active listener. These are all skills you need to thrive in very challenging academic classes, but are developed outside of the traditional academic curriculum.”
The World Economic Forum’s “Top 10 Skills of 2023” reflects a versatility of different skills that construct a person’s success and reliability in the workplace, including both analytical and creative thinking, curiosity, self-awareness, and leadership. In a world of ever-growing change due to advancements in technology and numerous discoveries, intellectuals with strong academic backgrounds are in high demand, but this is to be balanced with creativity, innovation, and strong social skills. The latter skills are those that can be more efficiently developed in subject areas that interest students and push them to approach situations differently, such as in orchestra, as Ms. Schaedler mentioned.
With such difficult core academics, regardless of whether the class is at the normal, honors, or AP level, interest-based electives can serve as a resort for students to explore interests at their own discretion. In Drawing 1, although students were given assignments on a specific topic, I had the freedom to choose what to draw within the limitations of what was required. On the other hand, there’s only one right answer to that multiple-choice question on the physics test.
Ms. Schaedler understands that students strive to challenge themselves with the most rigorous course loads, but also notes the importance of interest-based electives. “Weirdly enough, developing and exploring your interests at this age is going to help you in college admissions and the college process because colleges are looking for students who understand their interests, who pursue their interests, who have a clear sense of self, and one way to demonstrate that is through your electives. That’s the only part of your curriculum that you get to pick, that’s not designed for you,” she said.
I approached my course selection with a similar perspective. In freshman year, I was amazed by the plethora of electives that the school offered. There were so many possibilities, but not as much time. With my love for art, I enrolled in Drawing 1, and in the next year, AP Drawing. While I learned about the Mongol Empire in history and Avogadro’s number in chemistry, I also developed stronger drawing skills and created an art portfolio of my best work over the past two years. (AP Drawing is a college-level course but isn’t factored into the academic GPA.)
I also took a second elective in my sophomore year: Journalism 1. To be honest, Journalism was not a class that immediately popped into my mind when I thought about electives, but it seemed interesting enough at the time for me to tell my counselor that I wanted to take it. Seeing some of my classmates take AP Computer Science Principles planted a seed of doubt in my mind: Journalism wouldn’t go into my academic grade, so should I really take it?
However, the class deepened my understanding of journalistic-style writing and the importance of media. Furthermore, I established connections with my peers, who were more like my ‘co-workers’ in a sense, rather than just classmates. Through my interviews, I met many people around the school that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to talk to. For these main reasons, I decided to continue my high school journalism journey in my junior year.
For some students, choosing to take a college-level elective can also be based on personal interest. Junior Lauren Smith currently takes AP Psychology and has been enjoying the class so far. “I’ve always been interested in everything to do with the human mind and the thought processes of our brains,” said Lauren. “Another bonus was that I could get AP credit from it, so overall, it just seemed like the right choice.”
Majoring or minoring in psychology crossed Lauren’s mind a few times prior to this school year, but her exposure to the different aspects of the subject through the AP class has led her to establish this possibility in college. “Both my parents said that I’d be pretty good at studying or doing something like that as a career, but it wasn’t until I got into the class and I started to learn more about it that I really got fascinated with psychology and started to take it seriously as something I could take in college,” Lauren said.
For Lauren, taking AP Psychology seems like a win-win situation; she is able to explore an academic topic that wouldn’t be possible by simply taking a required history course while showing colleges her impressive ability to take rigorous AP classes. “Although people might call AP Psychology an easier AP, it still comes with a lot of work and you have to be willing to put in that effort,” said Lauren. “I really enjoy this class and I hope that someone else will enjoy it as much as I do.”
In summary, there really isn’t a straightforward and satisfying answer, but over the past few years, I’ve deduced that I should strive for the classes that I believe will benefit me the most. There isn’t much fulfillment in taking an AP course to get a high grade if there is a lack of interest and enjoyment, and at the end of the day, is there really a difference between taking 5 or 6 APs? Of course, as academic rigor and competitiveness continue, the classes that students choose to take will probably still be based more on impressing colleges, but if you have that extra free period and want to make the most out of it, take the class that will benefit your interests rather than that hard AP course you don’t expect yourself to major in.
