By Joshua ’28
The stereotype that “colleges like when you take honors classes” is a prevalent driving factor in HW’s spring course selections every year. This perception around college preferences for honors courses leads some HW students to taking overly rigorous courses without genuine interest in the class. That being said, many students still do well in the difficult classes that they don’t enjoy, but prioritize success in the class over their own wellbeing and quality of life.
I have had my fair share of difficult classes: Honors Geometry as a freshman and Honors Chemistry and Honors (AP) Spanish as a sophomore.
As a new 9th grader, I was one of few placed into Honors Geometry and was proud to be in the class. However, being more of a humanities student, I never felt interested in math and sciences, or even motivated to study hard for those subjects. By the end of the first quarter, I had averaged a C+ in the class and was upset with my performance. Many advised me to drop to Advanced Geometry, but I initially refused to give up the “honors” title, as it would demonstrate rigor on my college transcript. After much thinking, I ended up switching classes. While I didn’t have Honors Geometry on my transcript, I felt happier, liberated even. I wasn’t bound to doing extra hard math problems on the daily, and allocated my time to doing things I actually enjoyed. I ended with an A in Advanced Geometry.
When spring came around, after meeting the grade requirements for math and science, I clicked the checkbox next to Honors Chemistry. My biology teacher mentioned that Honors Chem would be great for students who enjoy cooking, so I felt excited to have an interest in a class that had “honors” in the name. But, after scoring a solid 60.5% on the first test, even though I actually enjoyed attending class, my teacher and I agreed to switch classes. While I do miss the friends I had in my first class, I am grateful to have received time back from Chem. Looking back, although I did initially miss the “honors” title, I am glad to have switched classes.
To date, I am still taking Honors Spanish Language and Culture, and I continue to fall in love with the class. Although the workload is hard, I enjoy it. Having genuine interest in the class in addition to learning Spanish from a young age has helped me excel, and while our tests are difficult, I manage and I feel more invested because it is a true interest of mine.
As far as electives go, I would advise any student to take electives that they might like. While another language or honors class (in the place of an elective) might “look good” on a transcript, I have chosen classes that I look forward to throughout the day. Last year, I took Student Leadership, Pottery, Ethnic Studies, and Entrepreneurship, and all of those classes became ones to look forward to, and have enriched my school experience as a whole. This year, I am taking Graphic Design as my elective, and it has been my favorite class at HW to date. Next year, I plan on continuing into Graphic Design II, and am beyond excited for it.
To conclude, my advice is to choose classes based on your interest or motivation–and some of those might be honors courses! There is certainly a place for honors courses but your experience will be better overall if you choose with intention and care. And if you have the option, don’t be afraid to take fun classes!
