One of the most exciting aspects of college is having the opportunity to decide which career path you want to explore in the future and taking classes specific to that subject area.
College gives you the resources to learn in depth about your chosen field and what skills are required to excel in such positions.
Like many universities, UW also requires students in most majors to take certain amounts of electives that cover topics outside of their study area.
Throughout their time in college, students should take electives that venture away from their comfort zones in order to develop a broader knowledge of different subject matters and discover new interests.
I know it can be intimidating to enroll in a class with content that you are unfamiliar with or are not passionate about, but it can never hurt to try something new.
When I was a sophomore, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in Philosophy as an elective – a class that had almost nothing to do with my chosen major and that I knew absolutely nothing about.
I was immediately nervous on the first day of class. I had entered uncharted territory and I was worried that I wouldn’t understand any of this new material.
However, my interest in the course grew substantially throughout the semester and I was grateful that I took that risk.
That first elective proved to me that going outside of your comfort zone can truly pay off.
Throughout the rest of my time in college, I continued to enroll in electives that did not correlate with my major – or my basic interests – but gave me valuable information that I would not have had access to otherwise.
It turns out that these electives did correlate with my basic interests; I was simply unaware that I could be passionate about several different subject areas.
It essentially boils down to the phrase, “How do you know you don’t like it if you haven’t taken time to try it?”
Not only are electives a crucial part of expanding students’ knowledge, but they can also help students decide on a major.
If you find yourself struggling with engagement in your major-focused classes but are thriving in one of your electives, it might be time to think about switching your study path.
That’s the beauty of taking classes outside of your comfort zone – you might come to discover a passion that you never knew about before.
When it’s time to enroll in electives, don’t be afraid to branch out and look at classes that you wouldn’t usually consider. College is the perfect time to learn about multiple topics and find new subject areas that fascinate you.
Each elective that I took during my time at UW, no matter how far it strayed from my comfort zone, provided me with useful knowledge that I hold onto today. I am hopeful that new students will receive the same experience from any electives they take.
