The most obvious goal of education, above all else, is to prepare students for their lives and careers. But for many students, this goal is secondary. Instead, their primary focus for school is much simpler: attaining certain numbers. Big numbers, preferably.
Higher grades, higher grade point average, higher class rank. All of these goals, while certainly not pointless, share one common pitfall: they sacrifice experiences in favor of numbers.
Think of all of the interesting and unique electives available at LHS: geology, metals and even a class on science-fiction writing, to name a few. These classes offer a vast array of unique experiences that students would not get from other classes. On top of that, they can act as a good way for students to explore their interests outside of core classes.
The one thing that electives don’t help students with: their GPA.
With the way GPA is calculated, honors or Advanced Placement level classes add more to a student’s GPA than a College Prep level class. Most electives are CP level with only a select few having an honors level option, such as philosophy or accounting.
Because of this, taking an elective class actually lowers a student’s GPA if they take it instead of an honors or AP level class. In essence, students aiming for a high GPA are punished for taking electives.
However, a rather simple solution to this problem can be achieved by students. Quite simply, students should stop having notable tunnel vision on GPA and instead divert some of their attention towards exploring their interests through electives.
While high level classes might provide students with higher numbers, it is impossible to put a number on some of the experiences acquired through electives.
None of this is meant to bash AP or honors level classes. The more rigorous coursework offered in these types of classes can be highly beneficial. I myself have found that these types of courses can be interesting and effective, and to say that they should be disregarded would be absurd.
I am, however, saying that electives can be just as useful to students as honors/AP classes. Despite this, many students see electives as not worth taking due to the damage they can do to their GPA. The factor motivating this concern over GPA can typically be traced back to one source: colleges.
For a significant portion of students, getting into a good college is one of their most important goals for high school. While maintaining a good GPA can certainly help students to achieve this goal, it is not the only factor that colleges look at. Nowadays, colleges are more focused on applicants being well-rounded students.
GPA is certainly a part of that. But it is just that: a part.
Due to this, sacrificing electives to maximize GPA is a poor decision for most people. For example, a student thinking of going into forensics should probably take the forensics class to see if they actually have an interest in the field rather than finding out in college.
The student may then discover that they love the field and, because they took the class, go on to pursue forensics in college. Maybe they’ll discover they hate the field and look into other options. Either way, the class would prove extremely valuable to them and help them decide what direction they want to take in the future.
Taking a higher level class instead simply to boost GPA would provide none of these benefits.
For too many students, school becomes almost solely about GPA and grades. This focus is missing the flowers for the trees; it overlooks many of the interesting experiences available to high school students in favor of higher numbers.
Don’t let your academic experience be overrun by numbers. Take a few electives and explore your interests. Maybe you’ll discover a passion that would have gone otherwise unnoticed.
