SVJHS COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
  • HOME
    • OUR PROGRAM >
      • MISSION
      • MINDSETS & BEHAVIORS >
        • 1. Mindset Standards
        • 2. Behavior Standards
  • COURSE SELECTION (Registration)
    • 7th Grade >
      • Registration Presentation 7
      • Academics 7
      • Electives 7
      • HONORS 7
      • Independent PE
      • Selecting Classes through Infinite Campus 7
    • 8th grade >
      • Registration Presentation 8
      • Academics 8
      • Electives 8
      • HONORS 8
      • Independent PE
      • Selecting Classes through Infinite Campus 8
    • High School >
      • CVHS
      • MHS
  • ACADEMIC
    • AASA >
      • TestNav System Layout
      • TestNav Tools >
        • Calculators
        • Expandable View
        • Highlighter
        • Math Drawing
        • Spellcheck
        • Text and Notetaking
        • Toolbar
    • LEARNING INVENTORIES >
      • Barsch Inventory
      • Gardner Inventory of Multiple Intelligence
    • Motivation & Goal Setting
    • Memory
    • Note Taking
    • Organization and Management
    • Taming Test Anxiety
  • COLLEGE/CAREER
    • Learn >
      • Academics
      • Academic Record
      • Accreditation
      • Admissions, Retentions, Placements
      • Applying to College
      • Campus Life
      • Choosing the Right School
      • Electives
      • ECAP
      • G.P.A.
      • Rigor
      • MyFutureAZ
      • Transcript
      • School Costs
    • Explore >
      • AzCIS
      • CAREER CLUSTERS
      • College Search Wizard
      • JOB SEARCH
      • SALARY FINDER
      • SKILLS PROFILER
      • MyFutureAZ
      • THRIVE! @ GPS
  • SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
    • ANXIETY >
      • Anxiety Disorder >
        • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
        • OCD
        • Panic Disorder
        • PTSD
        • Separation Anxiety
        • Social Anxiety
        • Specific Phobias
      • Diagnosis & Treatment
    • BODY IMAGE
    • BULLY PREVENTION >
      • Bully Prevention >
        • Reporting
    • DEPRESSION >
      • Coping Statements
    • GRIEF AND LOSS >
      • Grief & Loss >
        • Complicated Grief
        • How to Help
        • Healing
    • STRESS >
      • Managing Stress >
        • Developing a Stress Management Plan >
          • I. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • II. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • III. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • IV. Stress Mgmt Plan
      • Stress Overload
    • SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
    • SUICIDE AWARENESS & PREVENTION >
      • Awareness >
        • Risk Factors
        • Warning Signs
      • Intervention >
        • Help for Self
        • Help for a Friend
      • Grief >
        • Newly Bereaved
      • Healing >
        • Toward Recovery
  • CONTACTS
    • Counselors
    • Social Worker
    • DISTRICT >
      • Buses and Transportation
      • District Policies, Handbooks & Awareness Videos
      • Enrollment Information
      • Health Services
      • Parent University
      • Safety & Security Updates
      • Tech Support
    • COMMUNITY >
      • Community Info and Referral
      • Community Resource Guide
      • Crisis Counseling
      • Crisis Line
      • Domestic Violence & Exploitation >
        • Hotlines/Reporting
      • Community Health >
        • Support Groups
      • Housing & Shelter >
        • Emergency Shelter
      • Mental Health & Substance Abuse >
        • Community Bridges
        • Counseling
        • SAMHSA Treatment Locator
        • Substance Use
        • Support Groups
      • Peer to Peer
      • Suicide Prevention >
        • American Foundation of Suicide Prevention
        • Jem Foundation
  • Schedule Change Requests
Picture

CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL ELECTIVES


At most high schools, students get to take elective classes. These are classes outside the required curriculum that you get to choose. You may find elective classes in subjects such as art, music, journalism, computer programming and business.

Taking elective classes can give you a chance to:
  • Explore your interests.
  • Lighten a demanding class schedule.
  • Have fun studying something you love.​

Tips for Choosing Electives

How can you make the most of the opportunity to choose elective classes in areas of interest?
​Keep the following tips in mind.
Picture
​
​Pursue Your Passions
Follow your passions when choosing electives. Taking a class in an area you enjoy or want to learn more about can be fun and help reduce stress. If your school doesn't offer the classes you want, check out the course offerings at local and community colleges.

Picture
Maintain Balance
Handling four or five core courses each semester doesn't leave a lot of room for extras. Some schools offer elective courses — such as journalism or band — that complement your extracurricular activities. Classes like these can reduce your after-school time commitment, giving you more time to study.

​
Handling four or five core courses each semester doesn't leave a lot of room for extras. Some schools offer elective courses — such as journalism or band — that complement your extracurricular activities. Classes like these can reduce your after-school time commitment, giving you more time to study.
Try Something New
Taking a class that will introduce you to a completely new subject or that is more advanced than your usual classes is a great way to challenge yourself and stay motivated throughout high school — you may even discover a new talent or interest.
Picture
​Strengthen Your Transcript
One of the most important pieces of your college application is your high school transcript. Admission officers want to see that you’ve earned strong grades in challenging classes. If you choose electives in areas you’re excited about and will work hard in, that interest and effort will show in your grades.
Picture
Show Colleges Who You Are
The electives you choose tell colleges something about you. If you take several electives in a certain area, for example, you can show your interest and skills in that subject. Or your electives can show that you have wide-ranging interests or that you like to tackle challenging work.  
​
​Take Courses Colleges Recommend
Did you know that just taking your school’s required courses may not be enough to satisfy college admission officers? Some colleges, for example, want to see that you’ve studied fine art or taken four years of a foreign language in high school.

​To make sure you’re choosing the right elective classes, take these steps:


  • Talk to your counselors and teachers to help you figure out which electives will meet the requirements of the colleges or types of programs you’re considering.​​
​
  • Use College Search to see what specific colleges require.
​
  • Check out High School Classes Colleges Look For to get an idea of the courses college admission officers want to see on your transcript.
~ Quick Clicks~
Virtual Calming Room
  • HOME
    • OUR PROGRAM >
      • MISSION
      • MINDSETS & BEHAVIORS >
        • 1. Mindset Standards
        • 2. Behavior Standards
  • COURSE SELECTION (Registration)
    • 7th Grade >
      • Registration Presentation 7
      • Academics 7
      • Electives 7
      • HONORS 7
      • Independent PE
      • Selecting Classes through Infinite Campus 7
    • 8th grade >
      • Registration Presentation 8
      • Academics 8
      • Electives 8
      • HONORS 8
      • Independent PE
      • Selecting Classes through Infinite Campus 8
    • High School >
      • CVHS
      • MHS
  • ACADEMIC
    • AASA >
      • TestNav System Layout
      • TestNav Tools >
        • Calculators
        • Expandable View
        • Highlighter
        • Math Drawing
        • Spellcheck
        • Text and Notetaking
        • Toolbar
    • LEARNING INVENTORIES >
      • Barsch Inventory
      • Gardner Inventory of Multiple Intelligence
    • Motivation & Goal Setting
    • Memory
    • Note Taking
    • Organization and Management
    • Taming Test Anxiety
  • COLLEGE/CAREER
    • Learn >
      • Academics
      • Academic Record
      • Accreditation
      • Admissions, Retentions, Placements
      • Applying to College
      • Campus Life
      • Choosing the Right School
      • Electives
      • ECAP
      • G.P.A.
      • Rigor
      • MyFutureAZ
      • Transcript
      • School Costs
    • Explore >
      • AzCIS
      • CAREER CLUSTERS
      • College Search Wizard
      • JOB SEARCH
      • SALARY FINDER
      • SKILLS PROFILER
      • MyFutureAZ
      • THRIVE! @ GPS
  • SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL
    • ANXIETY >
      • Anxiety Disorder >
        • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
        • OCD
        • Panic Disorder
        • PTSD
        • Separation Anxiety
        • Social Anxiety
        • Specific Phobias
      • Diagnosis & Treatment
    • BODY IMAGE
    • BULLY PREVENTION >
      • Bully Prevention >
        • Reporting
    • DEPRESSION >
      • Coping Statements
    • GRIEF AND LOSS >
      • Grief & Loss >
        • Complicated Grief
        • How to Help
        • Healing
    • STRESS >
      • Managing Stress >
        • Developing a Stress Management Plan >
          • I. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • II. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • III. Stress Mgmt Plan
          • IV. Stress Mgmt Plan
      • Stress Overload
    • SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
    • SUICIDE AWARENESS & PREVENTION >
      • Awareness >
        • Risk Factors
        • Warning Signs
      • Intervention >
        • Help for Self
        • Help for a Friend
      • Grief >
        • Newly Bereaved
      • Healing >
        • Toward Recovery
  • CONTACTS
    • Counselors
    • Social Worker
    • DISTRICT >
      • Buses and Transportation
      • District Policies, Handbooks & Awareness Videos
      • Enrollment Information
      • Health Services
      • Parent University
      • Safety & Security Updates
      • Tech Support
    • COMMUNITY >
      • Community Info and Referral
      • Community Resource Guide
      • Crisis Counseling
      • Crisis Line
      • Domestic Violence & Exploitation >
        • Hotlines/Reporting
      • Community Health >
        • Support Groups
      • Housing & Shelter >
        • Emergency Shelter
      • Mental Health & Substance Abuse >
        • Community Bridges
        • Counseling
        • SAMHSA Treatment Locator
        • Substance Use
        • Support Groups
      • Peer to Peer
      • Suicide Prevention >
        • American Foundation of Suicide Prevention
        • Jem Foundation
  • Schedule Change Requests