Electives are extra classes that play as the student’s “Career Starters”. These classes are supposed to take your mind off of your main classes, and focus on more of the career path that you want to take or hobbies that you are interested in. Electives courses are classes that a student can take which are not specifically required to graduate or to fulfill a degree. They are seen as at the opposite of core requirements, which are classes that all students must take unless they have special excuse.

Are these classes helping prepare you and giving you ideas on what you want to pursue in the real world? Or do you feel as though you are wasting your time? I asked a couple students here at Roswell High School and recorded their answers.

I sat down with junior MJ Johnson, who has been attending school here since he was a freshman.

“How do your electives help prepare you for your future career, and/or enhance your talents?” I asked.

“My pathway can contribute my future by promoting necessary tasks needed for the real world. For example, deadlines to turn projects in, shows how essential it is to be responsible,” MJ replied.

“Does your certain career path relate to the elective you are taking? Does being in that class help prepare you?” I asked next.

“Yes, actually taking on these requirements shows how important it is to plan and have a good idea of what needs to be done and makes things move more efficiently in getting things done more effectively,” he said.

I was surprised to get the different feedback from some of the students, both negative and positive.

I interviewed Elijah Anderson, junior, on his thoughts on electives and if he and his classmates took them seriously.

Elijah chuckled a bit, and started to explain, “Well, I chose to take P.E.. It seemed like an easy A but really it’s way deeper than that. They teach you about your everyday health and how crucial it is to stay healthy. You also have to do things like the pacer test, and suicides, and more to see your momentum and your athletic endurance. It also helps with keeping our bodies active.”

Writing all of this down, I started to wonder if he could apply the rules and activities that he did in P.E. to his everyday life.

“Yes, it helps me watch what I eat and I am more conscious about being active and I encourage my peers and family members to do the same,” Elijah responded.

I was shocked that I got two different opinions, and they both had one thing in common. Electives help prepare students, and actually go way deeper than the labels that are assigned to them.