Electives: Beneficial or Costly

Electives: Beneficial or Costly

In Exeter High School, electives are mostly Academic level classes with some CP and Honors exceptions. This can affect a student’s GPA, for instance if the student is trying to achieve a high position in the class, like valedictorian. This point has deterred students from taking the many electives provided at this school. However, electives are beneficial and more important than a high GPA or an academic award.   

Colleges are not only looking at your GPA and standardized tests. According to The Princeton Review, as much as academics are important for admittance into a good college. Being a well-rounded student increases the odds of acceptance, and this can be achieved by taking electives that can showcase “new skills and study habits.”  Finding new avenues to express your skillset is vital when thinking for the future. As stated by College Board, “Taking an elective can introduce you to an entirely new subject or expose you to more advanced concepts than you find in your regular classes. Taking electives is an ideal way to challenge yourself and stay motivated throughout high school.” 

A favorite example at Exeter High School of an English elective is Argumentation and Debate taught by Mrs. Davis. This course is labeled at an Academic level and takes students through the fundamentals of debate theory and practice. I have had the pleasure to take this class and believe the work level and intensity is higher than an Academic course load. It helps many skills such as confidence, speaking, research, and critical evaluation. Mrs. Davis says, “The level of work and the expectations of the student is higher in Argumentation and Debate than it has been for Academic classes I have taught in the past”. This class requires you to spend time working on assignments outside of class and be more independent in understanding the work than an average Academic level class. “We have a lot of cool things happening here that people should explore, but are afraid to because of what it will do to their GPA”, Mrs. Davis states after agreeing that electives are more beneficial and make “well-rounded students”. 

Course selection at EHS is coming around the corner in March for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors. Don’t avoid classes that seem really interesting to you based on their level.. They can be a lot more beneficial than you may believe. As much as GPA is a very important part of your college application, taking different, specialized classes makes you a multifaceted student and demonstrates your willingness to challenge yourself and learn new things.