UTAH TECH UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE | March 29, 2024

OPINION | Elective classes aren’t a waste of time

As registration opens to all students, we need to remember that elective classes aren’t a waste of time. Bailey Chism says electives will help student motivation, GPA and bring to light real interests. Photo by Bailey Chism.

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College elective credits can seem pointless, but these classes are actually turning us into the well-rounded students and people we want to be. 

When looking at our Degree Works online, we mostly focus on the specific classes we’re required to take for our majors, but every so often, our eyes will skim across the electives section. Instead of getting upset about all the extra credits we need, take a minute and think about the good that will come from it. 

These classes can boost our GPA, in turn, making our college experience a little bit easier. Knowing those required classes aren’t the only thing allowing you to graduate, these elective credits can get you a step closer and you might even find something you love. 

Students have taken elective classes and felt really connected to what they learned from them. These elective classes can help you find what you really want to do after college.  

“Students have even switched majors because they connected with that elective subject far more than their original intended major,” writer Michael Kirst said.

Elective classes will keep your semester interesting. Instead of all the required classes in your schedule, you’ll have a mix of something different and interesting in there.

For those more difficult majors, you might end up with a fun dance or art class instead of slaving away with math problems all day. When we have semesters filled with boring or difficult classes, motivation can be hard to come across and it will make the semester harder for you. 

According to an article by College Raptor: “Motivation can be difficult to find if none of your classes interest you. Electives can also offer a mental break from a semester filled with major requirements that are all about the same subject.”

Some elective classes may even help your major; it may not be a required class but is still related. Dixie State University offers tons of elective courses, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one relatively similar to your major. 

An article by Thomas Edison State University suggested to “use this opportunity to explore additional subjects and develop a well-rounded general knowledge of your area of study.” 

We don’t have to take completely random elective classes to get the credit, it can be something we actually want to do which will help our skills towards our major. I’m a media studies major and next semester I have to take a few classes that aren’t required and I chose to take a creative writing and technical writing class. They aren’t classes I have to take, but they will help build my writing skills for my major. 

Elective classes aren’t a bad thing, they will help us become more well-rounded and better students. They don’t have to be a waste either. Take something that interests you, something you’ve wanted to learn more about, you may be shocked by how much you actually enjoy the class.