Every year in middle school and high school, students are given a schedule to show them their classes for the semester. Each class teaches different subjects, like math, science, history, etc. There are also electives students can choose to study in, such as art, drama, culinary, auto shop, and foreign language. Every student who goes to school always has a favorite class or two, but why are these classes so important for all students to take?

The most important classes you are required to take in order to graduate include mathematics, English, history/social studies, and science. Additional graduation requirements include PE, health/human geography, and multiple electives of your choice.

Students take PE because the main benefits of PE is to improve students’ health and encourage them to make healthier lifestyle choices, such as eating healthier foods and working out. PE also helps dealing with stress and anxiety, which is something that plenty of students are going through today in the ongoing pandemic.

Math and Science are two important classes that will help students think better and positively. Math has several useful benefits that can help students with analytical thinking, better reasoning skills, and work well with numbers in tough situations. Science studies a lot about humans, plants and animals, planets, stars and galaxies, and chemicals. It is important for students to know this so they can get a better understanding of the world around us, and how we can improve living standards.

“I would say Data Science is my favorite subject because it talks a lot about coding,” Hovhannes Darbinyan, a student at Hoover High, said. “It teaches you about the statistics of coding, and is a fun class to take if you’re not very good at math”.

Two classes that will help students develop an understanding of our world are U.S. History and English. U.S. History talks about the foundation of the United States of America and provides a better sense of our nation and how it came to be today. English gives students the ability to read and write, which are two of the most important things that will make you become a successful person in life. English can also enhance and develop your communication skills with other people in society.

Electives are classes that are outside of regular school subjects. Students love taking electives because it can offer the opportunity to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Electives can also help students develop important skills that would be useful to them in the future. Recent studies have shown that students who take their favorite electives are more likely to get a degree or major in a course they took as an elective.

“One class that I find to be the most enjoyable for me is Digital Arts,” Leoni Sarkesian, a student at Hoover, said. “Digital Arts is great because we can make our art designs using digital tools like Photoshop and ZBrush. We also work on multiple projects that represent the beauty of art when it is made digitally.”

Sports are another type of class students love taking because they can provide self-esteem benefits, and it’s a great way to move around your body and exercise. Sports teams in Hoover include the basketball team, softball team, and soccer team.

Hoover provides students with many different opportunities that allow them to be successful. As students begin selecting their classes throughout the following years, they should think about what classes they will learn the most in and how the classes they took will help them in the future after high school.