Adapting to Electives

Electives are something that I always had a good and bad perception of since starting university. On one hand, electives act as a break from the mandatory core classes that go towards your declared major. On the other hand, choosing which elective to take was always scary because it often meant taking classes out of your expertise and more unfamiliar aspects of a course.

With the way certain classes were offered, I planned to only take electives during my last semester. Although I chose some based on pure interest, when it came down to deciding whether to stay in them, I was hesitant about how different the structures of each course were.

For example, I ended up taking 2 classes from the Gustavson School of Business and as a Psychology major, everything from the lecture style to grading scheme was drastically different. Seeing as it’s my last semester, I decided to take the gamble and stay in the courses even though it scared me quite a bit.

My notes for COM 240 – Intro to Finance. I haven’t used a calculator for a course in so long even though the formulas aren’t very hard.

Now that it’s more than halfway through the semester, I’m still wondering whether I made the correct decision. Although I enjoy the content, sometimes the way we learn it isn’t ideal for my learning style. However, I am continuously learning on how to adapt my studying habits to fit each course’s requirements.

After all, these electives are meant to diversify and enrich your learning even more aside from your intended focus! If you’re looking at which electives to take, use that chance to take some classes with friends or perhaps a subject you really enjoyed in highschool but never got the chance to pursue. In the end, each course has something to offer and it’s up to you to frame your learning in a way that’s beneficial for you.