By Leo Corman ’15

Many students decry the supposed lack of real-world value in some of their classes. They complain that a number of the courses they must take teach skills and subject matter with little to no use outside of school, and they wish they could select courses with more realistic applications. However, students have it in their best interest to take and experience a variety of classes. Nearly all classes have value for students later in life.

Students have ample opportunities to take classes that apply more directly to real careers. For students to graduate, MCPS requires that students fulfill 4 math, 4 English, 3 science, 3 social studies, 1 fine arts, 1 PE, 1 technology, and 0.5 health credits, with a choice of three elective options to reach the minimum total of 21 credits. This may seem demanding, but most students end up taking 28 classes in high school. Assuming that students pass all of their classes, spend four years in high school, and do not take any high school-level classes in middle school, they will have 28 credits by the conclusion of their senior year. Since the MCPS requirements only dictate 17.5 mandatory credits, students have the freedom to choose 10.5 credits of classes that interest and engage them and prepare them for the real world.

Some people advocate for a system in which students choose a career path and classes more tailored to a specific career. However, this creates problems for high school students who have not decided what college major or career they wish to pursue. Also, early specialization limits students in the event they change their minds. If half of college students change their major at least once, then high school students have an even greater likelihood of ambivalence.

In general, people tend to prefer either STEM classes (science, technology, engineering, and math) or humanities classes (language, social studies, arts, etc.). Unfortunately, those who favor one side often reject the other, failing to recognize the importance of having a well-rounded knowledge of both areas.

Students frequently have trouble seeing any real-world application in solving for “x” or graphing an equation in math classes. This idea does have some merit, as very few, if any, careers would entail a person performing those same exact operations, but many careers, even non-STEM ones, call for the exercise of similar critical thinking and problem solving skills. Furthermore, students need these basic math abilities to progress to the more advanced math concepts they would use in a technology or engineering career.

Likewise, humanities classes still have benefits for non-humanities students. English classes teach students to express themselves and communicate effectively with others, capabilities just as useful to an author as an engineer. Also, social studies classes help students to understand the world around them and open their minds to new cultures and perspectives, making them better able to carry out civic duties as adults. High-paying modern jobs necessitate a diverse mix of intelligence and creativity that can come only from a variety of STEM and humanities classes.