High School Subjects & Finding your Passion
While some students may know exactly what they want to pursue in college and their future careers, others need to do further exploration to find their interests. Taking a variety of high school subjects is a great way to explore new areas of study and see what sparks your curiosity. Finding your passion is important — it can help guide your choices when it comes to what you’d like to study in college. But, it doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it can even be fun!
Are you curious as to how you can take a list of high school classes and turn it into a tool for finding your passion? We’ll dive into how you can explore different high school subjects, as well as take advantage of outside programs, to uncover your interests. But first, let’s talk further about why it’s important to understand what excites and motivates you.
The Importance of Finding your passion
Many people venture on a quest to answer the question: What is my passion? The sooner you can answer this question, the easier it becomes to make decisions about your future. While your passions and interests may evolve over time, understanding what interests you now can help give you a sense of direction and purpose as you navigate the world. It will also likely influence what you choose to study and your future career.
3 Benefits of Finding your Passion in High School
Increased motivation
Many students slog through their list of high school classes just to graduate. However, fully engaging in their high school subjects helps students become more academically curious and motivated. When learning is enjoyable, students become active participants in their education and tend to do better. This means they are truly getting something out of their high school subjects, rather than simply waiting for the bell to ring.
Personal growth
Finding your passion, and pursuing it, are great ways to increase your confidence and develop new skills. Really diving into your list of high school classes, with the goal of enhancing your skillset for your future, will also give you a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment. The most curious and motivated learners can find a new, useful skill in any of their high school subjects. That desire to keep learning and growing is a valuable skill that will lead to a happier and more satisfying life.
College and career direction
When you embrace your high school subjects list as an opportunity to find your passion, you will likely discover what you want to study in college. Understanding what high school subjects interest you, can lead to discovering your college major, or your top major contenders. Finding, accepting, and nurturing your passions can also give you clear direction when it comes to your future career path.
The right combination of your skills and interests is a powerful formula for success — one that often leads to finding your passion and gaining a clearer direction for your future.
What are the core high school subjects?
Though requirements vary by school, most high schools in the U.S. offer a similar range of courses. As such, a standard high school subjects list typically includes the following core classes:
- English
- Math
- Science
- Social studies/history
Often, core high school subjects also consist of health classes, including physical education, and foreign languages, such as Spanish, French, or Chinese.
These core subjects allow students to develop skills in a variety of areas. Beyond developing foundational knowledge for more advanced subject matter, students also strengthen their writing, research, and critical thinking abilities. Some students find that their academic interests lie within one of these core high school subjects. However, others may need to look a little further from these core high school subjects when seeking their passions.
What are school electives?
While core high school subjects are often required, electives are the classes you get to choose for yourself. Of course, like your core high school classes, you must complete a certain number of electives in order to graduate. However, the courses you take are up to you!
Electives are an important part of discovering or pursuing your academic or creative interests. Subjects such as art, music, computer programming, business, journalism, and STEM are all electives in high school. The exact electives that students can choose from will depend on their schools’ offerings.
When choosing electives, you’ll want to consider your interests and future goals. Also, keep in mind that electives give admissions officers a glimpse into who you are. For instance, taking a lot of STEM electives signals you’re passionate about that area. On the other hand, taking drawing and visual arts shows creativity and a desire to develop those skills.
Having balanced electives can be helpful if you’re still trying to figure out what really sparks your interest. Developing a myriad of skills and trying different areas can allow you to discover what you like, and don’t like, getting you closer to discovering your passions.
Why should I explore new subjects in high school?
Exploring different high school subjects offers countless benefits. Beyond finding your passion, you’ll also develop new skills. If you can truly embrace exploring different high school classes, you may even discover a new spark for learning. Whether learning a topic you’re passionate about, or simply taking a new type of class, it’s all good practice towards becoming a life-long learner.
Additionally, taking classes in different high school subjects will allow you to broaden your perspectives and skillset. Perhaps you don’t plan to go into the STEM field, but you’re interested in research. Well, exploring science subjects can give you valuable analytical skills that you can bring into other subject matters. Or, perhaps you really enjoy science subjects, but know that writing is an essential skill. Taking a writing class will help you develop and strengthen your abilities.
How to choose your high school subjects
Finding the perfect balance of your core high school subjects and electives can feel like a balancing act. However, there are certainly things to keep in mind when deciding which high school classes to take.
Consider your interests and strengths.
Think about what subjects you enjoy. If science subjects are your favorite, you might explore taking more science electives or advanced science courses. Alternatively, if you most enjoy doodling in your notebook, you might consider a visual arts class.
Additionally, reflect upon your strengths. For many students, their best subjects are often their favorite subjects. If you’re a natural writer and English comes easy to you, consider taking a creative writing or journalism class. Students should also consider taking advanced courses in subjects in which they excel and have an interest. For example, the natural writer might also take AP English.
Balance your course load.
Make sure that you challenge yourself academically without overextending yourself. You don’t have to take every IB or AP course to show that you are academically motivated. Instead, take the advanced courses where your interests and strengths are.
You also want to balance your interests when creating your list of high school classes. For example, just because you are interested in STEM doesn’t mean you need to choose all science electives. Maybe you love science, but also enjoy the arts. There’s no reason you can’t take a fine arts elective as well. College admissions value students with a holistic education and varied interests.
Think about your future.
If you know where your interests lie, as well as your intended college major, then your high school subjects are the perfect way to show college admissions you are serious about your future. Take courses that will prepare you for your future plans, both in college and your career.
How can you do this? Well, if you know your potential major, you can take advanced courses in the area. Research if your schools of interest award college credits for AP courses and what scores you’d need to earn to get them. Additionally, check out requirements for your intended major and choose high school classes that help you start ticking off those boxes.
Should I take advanced courses in high school?
Adding advanced courses, such as honors or AP or IB college-level courses, to your list of high school classes can be advantageous for many reasons. For one, you could potentially earn college credit and skip some required courses, saving you time and money. Taking college level courses can also show admissions that you are academically motivated and don’t shy away from a challenge. These are excellent qualities as colleges want students who will adapt to their more demanding workloads.
Taking advanced courses can also improve your GPA. Many honors level or AP and IB courses are weighted classes, meaning they can boost your GPA much more than a standard course.
However, you should only take advanced courses if you are up to the challenge. You’ll have a more academically rigorous courseload in these classes and will need to be motivated to do well. That’s also why it’s important to choose the advanced courses you take carefully. Consider high school subjects in which you excel and can succeed.
Specialized Programs to Pursue Your Interests
For those students who have discovered their interests and passions, there are specialized programs and courses to help you explore those interests further. If you know what kind of career you may be interested in, these specialized programs, and even summer research programs, are an excellent way to expose yourself to the field and see if it’s for you.
One such program is Polygence Pods. In this program, students will have six sessions to explore an area of interest further. Here are some examples of the different types of programs available:
- Molecular Evolution: Tracing Genetic Footprints Through Time
- Building in Biotech: From Idea to Impact
- The Psychology of Social Connection: From Strangers to Deep Friendships
- Japan in the Modern World: The Rise from Shogunate to Global Power
As you can see, the topic areas of each pod are specific and varied. Whether you’re interested in history, science, or anything in between, there are options to explore.
In these Polygence Pods, students will work in a group of their peers led by an expert in the field. Each program will culminate in some sort of final project, depending on the subject. This final deliverable may be a paper, presentation, or analysis.
These specialized programs are excellent ways to explore interests outside of the typical high school subjects. Students who may be looking to complete a passion project or internship to further explore their interests can use the Pods as a way to test out the subject area and gain some knowledge and insight on the topic. And, since Polygence Pods only have six sessions, students should be able to fit them into their busy schedule!
While exploring different high school classes is a good way to discover areas of interest, specialized programs like Polygence Pods are a unique opportunity to really hone in on a specific subject.
5 Tips to Exploring High School Subjects & Finding Your Passion
Finding your passion isn’t a clear, simple path for everyone — and that’s okay! When searching for your passions and discovering your interests, the key is to try out different things. Exploring topics through a high school subjects list is a good way to get started. But, let’s get more specific. Here are five tips to trying out different high school subjects and finding your passion:
5 Tips to Explore and Find Your Passion in High School
1. Reflect on your strengths, interests, and values.
To get started, consider what makes you happy. From there hone in on your values. For example, are you obsessed with recycling and composting in your home? Well, your passion may lie within environmental science. Try to find some common ground between your strengths, interests, and values – your passion will usually be somewhere among them.
2. Explore different subject areas.
Use your high school classes and electives to try out different areas to see where your passions lie. Make a list of high school classes and rank your favorites. From there you can choose electives and advanced classes to match your interests. Additionally, you can use extracurricular activities to try out different areas as well. If you love writing, you might sign up for the school newspaper. Or if you’re into science subjects, you could join the robotics club.
3. Consider your future.
Once you have narrowed down your areas of interest, consider potential college majors or professions within those subjects. Do they align with your vision of your future? For example, if you’re interested in science, do you see yourself in the lab or on the field? Or, even more generally speaking, do you see yourself in an office setting or not? Envisioning the future life you’d like to have can help you narrow down potential careers. Of course, it should align with your genuine interests, too. For example, you don’t want to pursue a career in law if you dread reading and writing, simply because it could be lucrative.
4. Seek guidance.
You can also seek out experts in the field or trusted mentors to ask questions. What’s it like to work in the industry you’re interested in? How is the workload in college for that major? Do they enjoy their daily work tasks? Seeking out the answers to these questions can help you better understand your areas of interest and determine whether a field is the right fit for you.
5. Keep pursuing your interests.
Overall, the most important thing to do is to pursue your areas of interest. If you have answered the question “what is my passion?”, consider pursuing a passion project to explore and gain some hands-on experience. If you’re having trouble finding your passion, just keep exploring things until something sparks your interest. When you’re committed to finding your passion, eventually it will appear — just don’t give up!
Exploring High School Subjects- Takeaways
Answering the question “what is my passion?” isn’t about arriving somewhere — it’s about what you discover about yourself along the way. The key is to stay active by pursuing your interests, developing new skills, and understanding your strengths. In doing this, you’ll be more likely to find the path that leads to a satisfying and rewarding life.
High school is the perfect time to start digging into your interests and set yourself up for success in college and beyond. High school subjects are an excellent way to begin that exploration, but you don’t have to stop there! You can seek out specialized programs to further develop your skills, knowledge, and experience in your chosen field. Programs such as Polygence Pods are an excellent way to learn from an expert and expand your knowledge.
While the pressure to find your passion can feel overwhelming, remember it doesn’t have to be. Simply have fun by being open to new experiences and take your high school classes with more intention. If you’re actively seeking out your lifelong passion, you’re sure to find it sooner or later!
This a partner article with Polygence and was written by Sarah Kaminski. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.
