Why do you want to take a variety of classes?

Ok, you’re in high school, and you’re ready to make your schedule for the next year. You want to make sure that you’re taking classes that will prepare you for college, and you want to make sure that you get the most from your high school education.
When you are selecting classes, you always want to take as many upper-level classes as you can. Even if the subject matter isn’t what you’re interested in, you’ll want to show that you are capable of taking and succeeding at Honors, AP, or IB level courses. However, there is a limit to this philosophy: “It should not interfere with your other passions and interests.” This means that if you have to choose between taking Band, which you have taken for 6 years prior, and Honors Amphibian Biology when you don’t like amphibians or biology, you shouldn’t take the honors class just because it’s an honors class. Go ahead and take the class that you like and that fuels your passions. Because in the end, colleges are interested in people who are extraordinary and you can show them that you are indeed such a person by taking Band to hone your music playing skills. Try to strike up a balance between the honors classes that you are taking and the classes that reflect your passions. If you really love classes that are offered at high levels within your high school, be sure to take those classes above all others.

Now, let’s say that you are looking at your schedule, and you find that you have taken all of the high level classes that you want to take and you are now debating over what other class(es) you should use to fill the gap in your schedule or perhaps not taking a class at all because you don’t need the credits to graduate.
In high school, you’ll want to take as many classes there as you can. There are only two real reasons for scheduling a less–than–full course load. The first is if you are on a strict diet of upper level classes, and you know that the time commitment of an extra class would cause your other classes to suffer. The second one is if you are involved in a sport that takes up a good portion of your free time. This added time commitment could detract from schoolwork time, so it can be wise to take a slightly lighter load when you are participating in a sport.
However, if you don’t fall into either of these categories, fill your schedule with an extra class. If you have ever been curious about a subject that is offered, now is the perfect time to take it. Ever thought it might be fun to do some metalworking? If your school still has a shop class, give it a try and see what all of the fuss is about.
There are many classes that are not honors classes that provide you with useful skills that will make life much easier when you are finally on your own out in the big world. Take a cooking class or a money management class, both of these skills are vital in the real world.
Be careful around an Intro to course like an Intro to Business or an Intro to Marketing. These courses will oftentimes present a highly topical and simplified version of marketing or business, which is usually as much of an introduction as you can get by watching a movie about business or marketing. This isn’t always the case, but you will want to go and talk with the teacher and see if you can get a copy of the syllabus. Look for guest speakers and other signs that this course is well connected to the industry. It is beneficial to ask around and see what other people who have taken the course think of it.
In the end, you will always learn something from whatever class you take. Taking classes that are less rigorous academically can give you a break from studying – plus the opportunity to learn something useful.
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