Why Electives Matter by Isabella

Why Electives Matter by Isabella - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

It has been ingrained in the minds of high school students that Math, Science, and English are the foundations of their education. After all, those are the subjects that appear on standardized tests. Those are the subjects that colleges consider to determine whether or not a student is an appealing applicant.

But in truth, though such subjects do hold value, high school seems to do very little to prepare students for life on their own. As a current high school senior I have completed nearly all of my academic graduation requirements, and yet looking back on the last four years of cramming for tests and endless studying, I feel as though a simple “A” on a calculus test was almost not worth the stress.

Reflecting on my high school career, I have come to the realization that the subjects that had the greatest impact on who I am today and what I want to do with my life weren’t the academic classes at all - they were the electives.

I have always been extremely involved in my high school - president of philanthropy council, running the school newspaper, Wind Ensemble and Marching Band soloist, as well as various other musical achievements and endeavours. These were the activities and classes that shaped me into the person I am today.

Sure, taking 18 million AP classes might look impressive on your college application, but they often do very little to speak to your character. So while yes, I can write a pretty good argumentative essay and I can solve a piecewise function just fine, I have found that electives teach you the life skills that really matter: leadership, time management, imagination and intellectual curiosity, discipline, and teamwork. These are the things that every college admissions, every employer, every person of authority looks for in an applicant. These are the things that give people a sense of pride and purpose.

Coming from a high school offering over 74 clubs and various elective courses, I had no problem finding where I belonged. I was always urged by students, teachers, and other school staff to engage in electives and find what I loved. But my high school is not an ordinary one - the level of academic pressure and competitiveness alone is enough to discourage students from adding anything new to their already rigorous workload.

So rather than explore potential passions, many high schoolers today center their focus on their GPA. Not that academic success isn’t important, but life after high school is more than a standardized test, and it is highly unlikely that you will be handed a GradeCam sheet and a No. 2 pencil immediately following graduation.

Of course, my experience is not the same as every high school student’s. Maybe your AP Literature or AP US History courses really were the most impactful to who you want to be, but I have found that the most astounding experiences come from those outside of the typical high school classroom.

I believe that we should be further encouraging high school students to explore their passions through electives, without fear of academic reprisal. So while core subjects provide students with essential knowledge, electives help them develop personal interests and abilities that allow them to change the world in their own unique way.