By: Cara Furchner
Garnet Valley offers many great electives that allow students to explore different topics they are interested in. Would you be surprised to hear that many of the top-picked electives by students do not run each year?
When students select their electives, many do not realize the importance of their number one choice. Even if you’re sure you will enjoy all the electives you’ve selected, prioritizing your favorite and selecting it as your first choice increases the chances it will run as a course.
No matter how many students select a certain elective, if it is not a first choice, the odds of the class running are largely decreased. For example, if Food and Nutrition, a popular course at the high school, is only 150 students’ top elective (number one choice), it will still run over Intro To Photography, even if over 200 students have selected photography as their second choice.
Of course, Intro to Photography would still have a high chance of running since it is another popular course that students will select as their first choice. Otherwise, if a less popular course is only selected by students as a second or third choice, it will most likely not be run by the school.
Students should be aware of how these electives are chosen to take place, so they can decide in advance what elective will be most important for them to select as their number one.
By understanding what electives tend to be popular and chosen as their peer’s first choices, students can designate these favored classes as second or third choices since the class is very likely to run. Then, if a student is interested in taking a less popular elective, they can use it as their first choice so it is more likely to occur.
The process of elective selection is much more complicated when fully looked at. Understanding the strategy of how electives are chosen to take place during the school year gives students an advantage when picking their electives. By being conscious of this process, students can prioritize their top choices and decide correctly which electives they should pick as their first, second, and third selections.
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