April 24th, 2020
“Hey, what elective are you taking?” “What is a fine arts class?” “Did you complete your English requirement already?” “Can you give me your CRN, so we can both be in the same Data Structures class?” “Is it only offered at 12pm? Oh no, it clashes with another class.” Yes, I am talking about one of the most common topics for many students around this time; something we all do while choosing our classes at the end of every year. It has been a tradition for me and many others for the past five years. I was in my eighth grade when I first picked what classes I wanted to take during my ninth grade, and that tradition continued till today. This was the question I heard a lot from many kids, whenever I meet a high schooler or a new college student, they will always ask “What classes should I take?” It is one of the most important parts of every student’s life because every class they take will have an impact on them and their careers. Today I want to discuss three important factors to consider when you are picking your classes.
Tip 1: Look at the requirements, every college/school will have some requirements to complete before going into free electives, try completing them before choosing your free electives because it will make your last year/semesters a lot less stressful. Also, look at the requirements for every class, so you can pick the right classes which fulfill the prerequisites for dream classes.
Tip 2: Choose a different class every semester, it is really important for you to explore more fields as you never get that opportunity later in life. I believe that is one of the reasons why Colleges/High Schools have various requirements like communication arts, history, and fine arts. I always explored various interests of mine with those classes. I picked Yearbook, advanced speech, coding, and research and design in high school, which really helped me in understanding my strengths and weaknesses. I chose Economics in college because I wanted it to be a base class for my interest in Entrepreneurship.
Tip 3: Pick times what will work for you. I personally like coding classes in the mornings because that gives me happiness and energy that I can enjoy my whole day. Whereas I don’t like having English or reading based classes in the morning because I want to challenge myself in the morning with problems rather than reading. So pick the classes that will work for you. It is one of the best perks of being a college student; you get to choose what classes you want and when you want them.
Choose great classes, have fun and make your college/high school life memorable. I know it is a really stressful time period to focus on classes but finish it strong and choose the right classes for the rest of your journey.