Choosing Electives

Choosing Electives: Make the Right Choice

By Jana Hammam

Electives - Most students’ “highlight of the day.” Students will have to choose their electives for next year soon, so it's important to know what's right for you.

RCMMS has many elective options including various hands-on CTE courses, MANY computer science and technology electives, numerous electives where students can use their artistic skills, RCMMS Magnet courses, and Reedy Creeks animal science elective class. Here is a link to the elective list

Student Favorites

Every student has their own preference of electives, but here are some fan favorites from Reedy Creek students:

Jana Hammam : “I really liked Mrs. Archie’s Red Cross, Child Care and Nutrition and Wellness because it was really fun to get certified with my friends. I was honestly kind of sad to leave it.”

Sai Kanakadandi: “Band, because we have a sense of togetherness.”

Deekshita Gunturu: “Robotics and Mechatronics, it was very enjoyable and I learned a lot of things.”

Ishvetha Balamurugan: “I like Mechatronics because Mr. Boehm is really nice, you don't even know time passes because it's really fun.”

Cara Craig: “Magnet Peer Helpers is unique, and it's really nice to work with and help kids who are different from me.”

Band

Many students picked Band as an elective. Band is a great course, where you can learn to play an instrument from scratch, or learn to play it better. In Band, you get to participate in band concerts, and make friends on the way to mastering your instrumental skills. Although band is an amazing elective choice, it does have one requirement. If you were not in the Beginner Band as a 6th grader, you would not be able to get into the Intermediate band as a 7th grader as Beginner is a requirement for the next level.

Gym

Let's talk about Gym. Although taking a semester of Gym during middle school is mandatory, you do have a couple of options. Most people who have been in Reedy Creek for at least one year already know this, but I just wanted to make it clear. Students are required to have at least one semester, but if you really enjoy gym, you can sign up for a year-round Gym period. This is a great opportunity for those who love physical activity, but it does mean that you get one less elective.

CTE

CTE. - Career and Technical Education. You probably have heard this term before, but do really know what it means, so let's talk about the pros and cons. With CTE classes, students are given the academic and technical skills, knowledge, and training through these Career and Technical Education courses(CTE), supporting them to succeed in their future careers.

Pro. Taking one of our electives for a certain amount of time can get you a credential that can be a convenience to you in jobs or even just doing chores around the house safely.

Pro. You will have lifelong common sense that will get you around life easier, safer, and more efficiently. And, if you really think about it, there aren’t many Cons to CTE.

Your interests

Our school has many great elective choices, but not all classes are for everyone. In this section of the article, I will help you decide on what's best for you. It may help to get a piece of paper for this part.

Step one - What do you like?

Browse the elective list. What looks interesting?

First, think about what you like. Do you like coding, arts, technology, life skills (CTE), sciences.
Next, think of what might help you or be convenient for you; for example, if you babysit, it might be a good idea to take Mrs. Archie’s Child Care class, or if you feel like you would want to start a business, you can take Coach Phillips’ Business and Entrepreneurship class.

Step two - Get advice

Ask around. What do the majority of your friends think is the best elective to pick?

Ask for electives to avoid (based on your interests).

Step three - Settle on six

For your final step, collect all the data you gathered and cancel out the classes that you definitely DON'T want.

Next up, settle on six of your favorites, 3 primary and 3 secondary, and you're done.

Sources

https://www.wcpss.net/reedycreekms

https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/career-and-technical-education

Interviews with Reedy Creek students

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