Which High School Electives Should You Take

Which High School Electives Should You Take SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Electives are some of the coolest classes you can take in high school. They can cover almost any topic, from pottery to poetry to Portuguese, but just like any other course you take in high school, colleges will be looking at your electives to see which classes you chose and the grades you got in them. So which high school electives should you take, exactly? In this guide we'll cover how to choose electives that you both enjoy and can use as a way to strengthen your college applications. What Are Electives? Electives are classes students can take that are not specifically part of graduation requirements. High schools require students to complete a certain number of credits or hours in order to graduate, but core classes (such as English and math) don't fill all those hours, so you fill the free spaces in your schedule with electives. Why Are Electives Important? Like other high school classes, electives are a way for colleges to judge your interests and academic abilities. College admissions officers will be looking at which subjects you choose for electives and the grades you get in those courses. Electives, more than many other courses, offer a way to show your personality and interests to a school. For example, taking English your freshman year of high school doesn't tell colleges much about your personality because you probably had to take it (although the rigor of the course and the grade you got do tell them about your academic abilities). However, taking several painting classes or multiple courses in computer programming as electives can show colleges what you're passionate about. In addition to bolstering college applications, electives can also play a role in helping you discover new hobbies or career interests. Because electives cover such a wide variety of topics, they can introduce you to subjects you may not otherwise have learned about, and you may find some of those subjects really cool! For example, taking an elective in nutrition because you want to learn how to eat healthier could cause you to discover a passion for diet and well-being that leads to a career as a dietitian, nurse, or other health careprofession. It's possible for you to choose your career based on one really great elective you took in high school! Looks like somebody really enjoyed their animal science elective Examples of Commonly Offered Electives The options students have for electives can vary widely between high schools, due to a number of factors like location, financial resources, size of the student body, and student interests. Below are a few of the most commonly offered high school electives, organized by category. Computer science: programming, graphic design, web design English: journalism, creative writing, speech and debate Family and consumer science: nutrition, child development, culinary courses Math and Science: environmental science, zoology, astronomy, statistics Social Studies: psychology, anthropology, economics Visual and Performing Arts: drawing, painting, photography, choir, band Looking for even more electives? We've compiled a complete list of high school electives so you can see all the possibilities! How Can You Decide Which Electives to Take? So now that you know electives are cool and important, how do you decide which ones to study? Follow these 5 steps to figure out which electives are best for you! Step 1: Learn Which Electives Your School Offers To find this information, look through your school's course catalog, which most high schools send to students or have available on their website. If you can't find the course catalog, ask your guidance counselor for a copy. Course catalogs list every class a school offers, usually with a 2-3 sentence description for each class. Courses are usually organized by subject (such as math, science etc.) so the electives may not all be grouped together. It's a good idea to at least skim through each section and course description to make sure you know all your options. Even if you don't love you science, your school may offer science electives on topics you find interesting, such as marine biology or forensic science. Electives are a great chance to go beyond your normal academic boundaries! Step 2: Figure Out How Many Electives You'll Be Able to Take If your school doesn't automatically do this,either on your own or with your guidance counselor,draw up a rough plan of the classes you need to take in order to graduate. To figure this out, firstlook at your high school’s graduation requirements. High schools usually require that students complete a certain number of years of math, science, English, social studies, foreign language, and physical education classes, possibly along with some other courses like religion or health. Makeblank spaces to represent the number of classes you can take (for example, if you have eight class periods in a day and your school year is divided into semesters, make a column for each semester of high school you have left and put eight lines under each of those semesters). But I've got a blank space baby, and I'll write your (course) name. Image via Taylor Swift Blank Space Next, fill in each of the required classes you must take. You don't need to know specificcourses right now. If you know you need three years of science to graduate, write â€Å"science† in a blank space under six different semesters. Thenlook at entrance requirements for a few colleges you are interested in and add any additional courses you’ll need to take in order to meet those requirements. Remember to leave room for lunch! Afteryou have filled in all your required classes (it’s a good idea to check your plan over with your guidance counselor), the blank spaces you have left will be when you can take electives! This planning will give you a rough idea of how many electives you'll be able to take in high school. Maybe you have free space every semester and will be able to take a lot of electives, or maybe your required courses take up most of your schedule so you'll only be able to take a few. This is good information to know early because if you know you won't be able to take a lot of electives, you can make those you do take count by choosing the electives you're most interested in.It also prevents you from taking too many electives early on and running out of space for your required classes. Step 3: Decide How Rigorous You Want Your Electives to Be Are you applying to top schools and want your electives to behigh-level or AP courses? Or would you like your electives to be spaces in your schedule that are less demanding and give you more time to focus on other classes? Ifyou're applying to competitive schools and want to show you had a rigorous course load throughout high school, choose honors or AP courses for electives, or possibly higher-level foreign language classes. Some commonAP courses to take as electives include environmental science, statistics, and psychology. Electivesdon’t always need to be demanding courses though, especially if you are already balancing other difficult classes, perhaps with extracurricular activities or a job on top of that. Don'ttake particularly difficult or time-consuming electives if they will cause your grades in core classes to suffer. To decide, think honestly aboutthe competitiveness of the schools you’d like to attend and the amount of time you’ll have in order to determine how difficult the electives you take should be. You can also alternate between harder and less difficult electives, especially if you know a certain year or semester will be more difficult than others. Step 4: Look for Electives Related to Your Academic Focus A good way to develop a strong college application is to have a clear interest in a particular subject (most likely the topic you plan to study in college). This subject can be anything: biology, writing, playing the piano, computer programming... Colleges like to see passion and dedication to a specific topic, and electives are a great way to show them what your interests are. Choose electives that relate to your main academic focus. For example,if you want to major in business, you could take electives in economics, personal finance, and accounting, or if you want to go to med school, you can make sure to take the main AP science courses (AP biology, chemistry, and physics) along with additional science electives like human physiology and nutrition. Not all ofyour electives need to relate to your academic focus, and it’s fine to have more than one area of interest, but at least some of your electives should relate to what you’d like to study in the future to help show colleges that you are well-educated on the subject and are interested in learning a lot about it. Gothrough your school’s list of electives and mark all the ones that relate to your academic focus. Then read through their descriptions to see which ones you find most interesting so you know what electives to take in the future. Step 5: Look for Electives You Find Particularly Interesting As Imentioned above, electives don't always need to relate to your academic focus; it's OKto take a few that just sound cool. Read through your school's course catalog with an open mind, asking yourself the following questions: Do Any of These Electives Relate to Your Hobbies? For example, if you like playing video games, you can take a class incomputer programming, or, if you like fashion, you can take a class in sewing or fashion design.Students oftenget higher grades in classes they're interested in because they are more motivated to learn and study the material. Which Skills Do You Wish You Had? Do you not know how to cook? Do you get nervous speaking in front of audiences? Would you like to know what to do if your car breaks down? Are you thinking about writing a blog but don't know how to start? Electives can help with all of these things! High school is a great time to learn new skills before you head off to college. Some electives that can help you expand your skill set include web design, public speaking, personal finance, and culinary classes. Can Any of the Electives You're Interested in Also Relate to Your Academic Focus? You can get creative with how you connect your electives to what you plan to study in college.When I was in high school,I knew I was going to study biology in college, so most of my electives were science classes. However, I also took a photography class because I thought it sounded interesting. To connect the class to my interest in biology, my final project was a photo catalog of a local forest's tree species that I ended up later using for a biology project on biodiversity. Ifyou do choose to do something like this, make the connection clear for colleges because they may not be able to infer it themselves.Youcan do this by mentioning the connection in your personal statement or asking teachers to include it in their letter of recommendation. Remember,not every elective has to relate to your academic focus, and don’t try to invent connections where none exist. Any of these interest you? Take an electivethat focuses on one of them! Key Takeaways High school electives are important because they offer you a chance to study new topics while providing colleges with another example of your academic abilities and interests. Colleges like to see a deep interest in a particular topic, so at least some of your electives should relate to your academic focus (and remember, there are creative ways to do this.) Also remember to choose electives youare legitimately interested inbecause electives are one of the few areas in high school where you can take pretty much any course you want! What's Next? Looking for a list of all the electives that are offered in high schools? We've got a complete list of electivesfor you! Browse through it to see which subjects strike your fancy. Also thinking about which foreign language to take? Read our complete guide to choosing a foreign language so you know which is the best language for you to study. Considering the AP or IB program? Learn the differences between the two and which program you should take. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Biography of Idi Amin, Brutal Dictator of Uganda

Biography of Idi Amin, Brutal Dictator of Uganda Idi Amin (c. 1923–August 16, 2003), who became known as the Butcher of Uganda for his brutal, despotic rule as the President of Uganda in the 1970s, is perhaps the most notorious of Africas post-independence dictators. Amin seized power in a military coup in 1971, ruled over Uganda for eight years, and imprisoned or killed at least 100,000 of his opponents. He was ousted in 1979 by Ugandan nationalists, after which he went into exile. Fast Facts: Idi Amin Known For: Amin was a dictator who served as the president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979.Also Known As: Idi Amin Dada Oumee, The Butcher of UgandaBorn: c. 1923 in Koboko, UgandaParents: Andreas Nyabire and Assa AatteDied: August 16, 2003 in Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSpouse(s): Malyamu, Kay, Nora, Madina, Sarah KyolabaChildren: Unknown (estimates range from 32 to 54) Early Life Idi Amin Dada Oumee was born around 1923 near Koboko, in the West Nile Province of what is now the Republic of Uganda. Deserted by his father at an early age, he was brought up by his mother, an herbalist and diviner. Amin was a member of the Kakwa ethnic group, a small Islamic tribe that had settled in the region. Success in the Kings African Rifles Amin received little formal education. In 1946, he joined Britains colonial African troops known as the Kings African Rifles (KAR) and served in Burma, Somalia, Kenya (during the British suppression of the Mau Mau), and Uganda. Although he was considered a skilled soldier, Amin developed a reputation for cruelty and was almost cashiered on several occasions for excessive brutality during interrogations. Nevertheless, he rose through the ranks, reaching sergeant major before finally being made an effendi, the highest rank possible for a black African serving in the British army. Amin was also an accomplished athlete, holding Ugandas light heavyweight boxing championship title from 1951 to 1960. A Violent Start As Uganda approached independence, Amins close colleague  Apollo Milton Obote, the leader of the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC), was made chief minister and then prime minister. Obote had Amin, one of only two high-ranking Africans in the KAR, appointed as first lieutenant of the Ugandan Army. Sent north to quell cattle stealing, Amin perpetrated such atrocities that the British government demanded he be prosecuted. Instead, Obote arranged for him to receive further military training in the U.K. Soldier for the State On his return to Uganda in 1964, Amin was promoted to major and given the task of dealing with an army in mutiny. His success led to a further promotion to colonel. In 1965, Obote and Amin were implicated in a deal to smuggle gold, coffee, and ivory out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A parliamentary investigation demanded by President Edward Mutebi Mutesa II put Obote on the defensive. Obote promoted Amin to general and made him chief-of-staff, had five ministers arrested, suspended the 1962 constitution, and declared himself president. Mutesa was forced into exile in 1966 after government forces, under the command of Amin, stormed the royal palace. Coup dEtat Idi Amin began to strengthen his position within the Army using the funds obtained from smuggling and from supplying arms to rebels in southern Sudan. He also developed ties with British and Israeli agents in the country. President Obote first responded by putting Amin under house arrest. When this failed to work, Amin was sidelined to a non-executive position in the Army. On January 25, 1971, while Obote was attending a meeting in Singapore, Amin led a coup detat, taking control of the country and declaring himself president. Popular history recalls Amins declared title to be His Excellency President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea, and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular. Amin was initially welcomed both within Uganda and by the international community. President Mutesa- fondly known as King Freddie- had died in exile in 1969, and one of Amins earliest acts was to have the body returned to Uganda for a state burial. Political prisoners (many of whom were Amin followers) were freed and the Ugandan Secret Police was disbanded. At the same time, however, Amin formed killer squads to hunt down Obotes supporters. Ethnic Purging Obote  took refuge in Tanzania, from where, in 1972, he attempted unsuccessfully to regain the country through a military coup. Obote supporters within the Ugandan Army, predominantly from the Acholi and Lango ethnic groups, were also involved in the coup. Amin responded by bombing Tanzanian  towns  and purging the Army of Acholi and Lango officers. The ethnic violence grew to include the whole of the Army, and then Ugandan civilians, as Amin became increasingly paranoid. The Nile Mansions Hotel in Kampala became infamous as Amins interrogation and torture center, and Amin is said to have moved residences regularly to avoid assassination attempts. His killer squads, under the official titles of State Research Bureau and Public Safety  Unit,  were responsible for tens of thousands of abductions and murders. Amin personally ordered the execution of the Anglican Archbishop of Uganda, the chancellor of Makerere College, the governor of the Bank of Uganda, and several of his own parliamentary ministers. Economic War In 1972, Amin declared economic war on Ugandas Asian population, a group that dominated Ugandas trade and manufacturing sectors as well as a significant portion of the civil service. Seventy thousand Asian holders of British passports were given three months to leave the country, and the abandoned businesses were handed over to Amins supporters. Amin severed diplomatic ties with Britain and nationalized 85 British-owned businesses. He also expelled Israeli military advisors, turning instead to Colonel Muammar Muhammad al-Gadhafi of Libya and the Soviet Union for support. Leadership Amin was considered by many to be a gregarious, charismatic leader, and he was often portrayed by the international press as a popular figure. In 1975, he was elected chair of the Organisation of African Unity (though  Julius Kambarage Nyerere, president of Tanzania, Kenneth David  Kaunda,  president of Zambia, and  Seretse Khama, president of Botswana, boycotted the meeting). A  United Nations  condemnation was blocked by African heads of state. Hypomania Popular legend claims that Amin was involved in blood rituals and cannibalism. More authoritative sources suggest he may have suffered from hypomania, a form of manic depression characterized by irrational behavior and emotional outbursts. As his paranoia became more pronounced, Amin imported troops from Sudan and Zaire. Eventually, less than 25 percent of the Army was Ugandan. Support for his regime faltered as accounts of Amins atrocities reached the international press. The Ugandan economy suffered, with inflation eclipsing 1,000%. Exile In October 1978, with the assistance of Libyan troops, Amin attempted to annex Kagera, the northern province of Tanzania (which shares a border with Uganda). Tanzanian president  Julius Nyerere responded by sending troops into Uganda, and with the aid of rebel Ugandan forces they were able to capture the Ugandan capital of Kampala. Amin fled to Libya, where he stayed for almost 10 years before finally relocating to Saudi Arabia. He remained there in exile for the remainder of his life. Death On August 16, 2003, Amin died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The cause of death was reported as multiple organ failure. Although the Ugandan government announced that his body could be buried in Uganda, he was quickly buried in Saudi Arabia. Amin was never tried for his gross abuse of  human rights. Legacy Amins brutal reign has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and dramatic films, including Ghosts of Kampala, The Last King of Scotland, and General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait. Often depicted in his time as an eccentric buffoon with delusions of grandeur, Amin is now considered one of historys cruelest dictators. Historians believe his regime was responsible for at least 100,000 deaths and possibly many more. Sources â€Å"Idi Amin, a Brutal Dictator Of Uganda, Is Dead at 80.† The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2003.Wall, Kim. â€Å"Ghost Stories: Idi Amins Torture Chambers.† IWMF, 27 Dec. 2016.