With hundreds of majors and countless jobs to choose from post-high school, what’s the best way for Campo students to narrow down this list?
Bland core classes such as math and science rarely inspire students; therefore, they should take elective classes to learn what they are interested in the most. Campo offers a large variety of electives ranging from Woodshop to Biotechnology to Computer Science. Classes like these are crucial for students to figure out their interests and passions.
Counselor Duane Magno sees a consistent issue surrounding students’ class selection: “I think more than half of our students gravitate towards courses that will help them down the road with getting into college instead of what they are interested in,” he stated. While students may benefit from taking academic classes in the short term, by taking career-based classes that can spark interest, students will feel better prepared to pick a job that they thoroughly enjoy.”
Many believe electives look unimpressive on a college application. However, according to CollegeBoard, “electives prepare you for tomorrow, setting the stage for new interests, college majors, and career paths” and on applications for college they can “show a willingness to branch out and try something new”. This indicates that electives taken in high school are looked at by colleges while applying.
There are many different paths electives can lead you. Sports Medicine and Human Anatomy can inspire students to go into the medical field. Law and Society can encourage careers surrounding government and criminal justice. AP Art History gives students a close look into different cultures through an artistic lens.
Taking these elective classes, AP or not, could uncover an unknown talent, one that couldn’t be discovered in an standard English or Geometry class.
Senior Audrey Sakamoto is a prime example of finding a passion through an elective, “I already feel prepared to pick a major for college because when I took Sports Med I realized I liked anatomy and bio so now I want to study biomedical engineering or public health next year.”
College and Career counselor Joan Batcheller has helpful suggestions to put students at ease regarding their futures. Batcheller suggests taking classes and extracurricular activities that could possibly draw some curiosity. Some recommendations outside of school include shadowing a family member or friend at a job, taking online classes or even working a part-time job.
Although, adding more electives to our campus would be valuable to students and more electives could broaden student interests even further. A home economics or foods class could prepare students to live on their own and help students use skills learned in class in everyday life. Other interesting electives that could be beneficial to students would be a public speaking class and a philosophy class.
Some high schools even offer semester-long internships. Students get to leave campus and work alongside adults to get firsthand experience of working in something they are interested in. This exposes students to various careers and helps narrow down majors they could possibly pursue in college.
Nonetheless, we are extremely fortunate at Campo to have courses and dedicated teachers that help expand our knowledge and interests. By trying out these classes, students will feel ready to pick a major and thus pick a career path. So next time you pick classes, don’t be afraid to try something new because you never know where it could lead you.
