Which High School elective class are you glad you took?

[angie_nrs]

I was on the phone today and while chatting with someone I just looked down at my keyboard and kinda chuckled. My keyboard at work is old and I'm the only one that uses it. After many years of use, I'm missing many of the printed letters on the keys such as the D, E, F, K, L, N, R, S and T. Some are entirely gone and some are partially gone and I didn't even notice it until today. I don't think my hubby would be happy to try and use my computer at work. LOL!

I attached a pic of it that I took. For some reason I couldn't just copy and paste it? My chromebook is a finicky. Anyways, the glare makes it look like the numbers are gone too, but they are all there.

I'm soooo glad I took typing in high school. I remember that when I took it, I had a really heavy load and I wanted an elective class that wouldn't require homework. At the time I was vying for the Salutatorian spot, playing sports, and taking advanced classes. I thought typing would be an easy A without homework, so I took it. I did get that A and actually really enjoyed the class. It is (by far) one of the most used skills I learned in high school especially considering it was an elective class. It has saved me more time than I will probably ever know.

What elective class in high school are you glad that you took? Reading, writing, and arithmetic were required, so those don't count!

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm with you on the typing. I learned to type decently and it got me jobs. I met my husband at work and was hired because I was a fast, accurate typist.

 

[Bacpacker]

We had several vocational classes. I picked Auto Mechanics. Took 3 hours my sophmore and junior years. I had already planned to be a mechanic and this was right up my alley. Was working as a mechanic my senior year. That lasted about 4. But it was still a good building block for getting into Industrial Maintenance after Electronics School.

 

[Patchouli]

Oh, I agree! I took typing class as many semesters as I could, two I think. I also became a swift typist and it has helped me immensely.
I've been able to do more than 80 wpm., yes, correctly.
Fencing, haha. I learned how to not jab my future sister-in-law who at the time was a good friend.
Drafting. Didn't do well in it but enjoyed it and helped me to understand architecture.

 

[Weedygarden]

We had several vocational classes. I picked Auto Mechanics. Took 3 hours my sophmore and junior years. I had already planned to be a mechanic and this was right up my alley. Was working as a mechanic my senior year. That lasted about 4. But it was still a good building block for getting into Industrial Maintenance after Electronics School.

We had shop for males and home economics for females.

I'm glad that I took typing, but when I was in h.s., we didn't have other choices. Maybe shop class taught a variety of things like auto mechanics. I do know they learned woodworking.

Since I was already the chief cook and cleaner at home, I didn't want to take home ec, but that was I was told to take by the school counselor. I was not happy about it. It never occurred to me to take shop, or to try to. A girl in the grade behind me took shop. I wish I could have.

 

[Neb]

Oh, I agree! I took typing class as many semesters as I could, two I think. I also became a swift typist and it has helped me immensely.
I've been able to do more than 80 wpm., yes, correctly.
Fencing, haha. I learned how to not jab my future sister-in-law who at the time was a good friend.
Drafting. Didn't do well in it but enjoyed it and helped me to understand architecture.

I failed my language of French so I substituted typing. Was dyslexic so failed typing. Substituted art as my language and passed.

I took calculus, physics, and lab assistant in my senior year of HS.

Ben

 

[Pearl]

I was "A" student, top of the line, ONLY WANTED TO GET TO THE RANCH!! I truly didn't care about school! Yet, I'm in the "Key Club"! Won a scholarship, didn't take it.....

 

[Peanut]

Typing served me well through the years, probably more than any other single class. I can still type today. They wouldn't let me take algebra and calculus the same year or graduate early, so I took typing for 2 years. Could never break the 70word a minute barrier though. The teacher wasn't much help. The mean kids would climb out the window, go around, knock on the door and ask for themselves... just to watch the poor lady get confused when she couldn't find them.

(the math classes came in handy too)

edit to add...the poor lady retired after my first year. Then we got a new typing teacher and one electric typewriter for everyone to practice on. The rest were manual, smith corona's seems like.

 

[Hooch]

I think typing was one of the most beneficial classes I took really. I've used it throughout all my jobs, college all that.
Home economics was a fun class but It was just a filler for me.
I took a bone head algebra my senior year..I didn't need it as I had whatever math I already needed to graduate passed a year prior but I sucked at math. I knew going to college I'd have to take more math so I took the college bonehead algebra.
I'm so glad I did..this teacher was a great teacher . He explained math in a way that clicked with me and he was the first math teacher to tell me some people think about math problems differently and suspected i did this. I actually did really well and for the first time ever enjoyed solving math problems. So I kept taking the next up ones through him all year.
I'm so glad I did because they were all the required college math classes so when I took math in college and was struggling with the teacher and got my first D grade in years..prettybig blow for my honor roll for years student ego..the counselor advised me that I didn't need it anyway..
A good teacher can definitely make a huge difference tho..

 

[Haertig]

I don't remember high school electives. I guess some of the classes I took must have been. What I remember were Math (Algebra, Geometry, Trig, Calculus), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Government, German - stuff like that. I don't remember a whole lot of choices (what I consider an "elective" to be). Possibly, I was so sure of what I wanted to take that I just considered them all requirements and not electives. Maybe was Band considered an elective? I took that. I did like Band. "And this one time, at Band Camp, ..."

 

[RATPACKER]

Spanish … so I can say “ Get off of my Lawn” … in a language that the newcomers will understand.

Sal de mi cesped

 

[Tootsie]

Auto body and shop. I was the only girl I knew of who took those classes. No home ec thank you, I learned skills that I did not use a whole lot in later years, but those teachers gave me self confidence and respect. I had to do no less than any of the guys. I was not as fast or proficient, but I did it and was encouraged. No discrimination, no harassment. Good memories.

 

[Supervisor42]

Oddly enough, the most useful - Bachelor Living, (Home EC for boys).
We had huge teenage appetites, and being able to cook (and eat) something besides cafeteria food was wonderful!
And it helped me a ton when I lived single for the next decade, and the decade between wife#1 and #2.
...Never once found a use for algebra or calculus.

 

[Haertig]

Fencing, haha. I learned how to not jab my future sister-in-law who at the time was a good friend.

My daughter started up a fencing group and teaches on the Kona side of the Big Island. Here are a few from her group, and some that came over from the Hilo side, and even one that flew in from Oahu for her birthday. She hadn't even met the one from Oahu (had heard of him though). Word had traveled about her group, he somehow also heard it was her birthday, and decided - Hey, why not fly over there and join the festivities! She brought a couple of the group here to Colorado a few months ago to compete in a huge SCA multi-day event. Everyone knew about "The Hawaiians" on the battlefield.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I've never touched a typewriter in my life. In high-school I took; welding, auto mechanics, wood shop, forestry, agriculture and general shop classes. At my school we could check out the schools tractor and take it home.
In my senior year we had what we called work release classes. Usually the last couple classes of each day we went to work. My jobs at that time was ranch work.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Typing, sewing, drafting

 

[lonewolf]

nothing beyond the basic Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.
I left school at age 15 and went straight into work.
anything I do know is self taught.

 

[SoJer]

Mechanical & Architectural Drafting...

...etc..

...Drawing & Painting...

..etc..

jd

 

[SoJer]

..Oh, and Woodshop / Machine Shop...

..Hand-Carved / Crafted for My Boys.. ..And, later:

..etc..

..That example was a Hand-built 'Dental Laser, Re-Purposed' System - 'New' chassis / case / cooling-sys, 100% DIY in my old Basement / Shop, using only hand / power-tools / DIY shear / brake, and good ol' fashioned Elbow Grease..

So, yep, I paid attention in Class. Also appreciated Chemistry and Biology, but.. Those weren't really "electives", so.. <shrug>

..But Nowadays? Pfff... "Electives" are like 'Gender Fluidity Homomorphisms in Trans-Unicorn Anti-Fascist Zommies with Side-Studies in Starcucks McFroot-Loops with Sprite Diets and BDSM-Fetishes'..

jd

 

[bkt]

Typing was in eighth grade. They told us "you'll need to be able to type when you get into upper school" (9th through 12th grades). I'm glad I took it. At the time, it we were taught on old mechanical typewriters so you had to learn not to jam the keys.

I took calc and physics, AP biology, AP French and AP English my senior year. I left high school with a semester+ of college done. I'm glad I was able to do that, but I haven't used what I learned. Non-credit electives I took were electronics and programming (BASIC, APL, Fortran). Both of those taught me things I have used later in life.

 

[old tex]

I'm surprised that so many people put typing, I figured that I would be the only one. I joined the military & the job that I was put into required that I be able to type. Having taken typing in HS that gave me a leg up. To get your 3 level you had to type 35 error free words per minute. I was able to pass that fairly quickly. My guess is that if I took one of those typing tests today I'd type about 35 or so words per minute. When I retired from the military I typed a lot more wpm than 35 but I don't type much now.

 

[sonya123]

we didn't have any electives
( I went to Gymnasium in Germany, and then just took a few required classes in Florida to finish)

 

[Morgan101]

I never took typing, but my Mother took a typing class when I was in High School. We bought a manual typewriter, and she taught my sister and I while she took the class. I agree it turned out to be a very useful skill later in life.

I went to a coed Catholic High School. Being Catholic there was always a Religion class in the curriculum. The second semester of my Senior year the Religion offering was Preparation for Marriage. Marriage was the last thing on my mind but for many of my classmates marriage was right around the corner. It was a very good class. It taught things about finance and budgeting, family planning, estate planning, things High School kids have probably never been exposed to. I thought it was very helpful, and one of the best classes I took in High School.

 

[Jen]

I was on the phone today and while chatting with someone I just looked down at my keyboard and kinda chuckled. My keyboard at work is old and I'm the only one that uses it. After many years of use, I'm missing many of the printed letters on the keys such as the D, E, F, K, L, N, R, S and T. Some are entirely gone and some are partially gone and I didn't even notice it until today. I don't think my hubby would be happy to try and use my computer at work. LOL!

I attached a pic of it that I took. For some reason I couldn't just copy and paste it? My chromebook is a finicky. Anyways, the glare makes it look like the numbers are gone too, but they are all there.

I'm soooo glad I took typing in high school. I remember that when I took it, I had a really heavy load and I wanted an elective class that wouldn't require homework. At the time I was vying for the Salutatorian spot, playing sports, and taking advanced classes. I thought typing would be an easy A without homework, so I took it. I did get that A and actually really enjoyed the class. It is (by far) one of the most used skills I learned in high school especially considering it was an elective class. It has saved me more time than I will probably ever know.

What elective class in high school are you glad that you took? Reading, writing, and arithmetic were required, so those don't count!

Oh yes! Typing is definitely the best elective I took. Others may type as fast as I do (usually not) but I look at the screen as I type and can catch mistakes when I see them(usually a fingernail catch of wrong letter or something odd like that).

I took typing because my dad wouldn't let me touch his typewriter until I did. His was an old Royal with no electricity going to it, but I knew I would be typing papers so I took typing at my earliest opportunity.

In homeschooling my kids, though, I waited too long to try to give them a typing class. I'm thinking that because kids are on a keyboard before they even learn to spell, typing classes may now be obsolete.

 

[Bacpacker]

Oddly enough, the most useful - Bachelor Living, (Home EC for boys).
We had huge teenage appetites, and being able to cook (and eat) something besides cafeteria food was wonderful!
And it helped me a ton when I lived single for the next decade, and the decade between wife#1 and #2.
...Never once found a use for algebra or calculus.

I had bachelor living as well. Pretty good class. Didn't help my cooking skills that much.

SoJer, you have some awesome drawing skills. Very impressive.

 

[angie_nrs]

I can still type today.

I think it's probably like riding a bike. I also think it has the added benefit of keeping the mind sharp.

Oddly enough, the most useful - Bachelor Living, (Home EC for boys).
We had huge teenage appetites, and being able to cook (and eat) something besides cafeteria food was wonderful!

My kid took a class called 'healthy living'. His instructor was more interested in telling deer hunting tales than teaching anything. He took bacon to class all the time. It seemed everything he made was bacon inspired, although it probably was just bacon. Finally the instructor told him he could only bring bacon on Fridays. I suspect that he smelled up the place and was making people drool all the time. I apprecitated it when he told him that b/c it was getting expensive! I told him he'd need to get a job if he was going to continue with his choice of meat. Now that he's got a job and living alone, I doubt he makes bacon as much. The kid is a string bean, so he actually could afford the calories although I wouldn't call it 'healthy'.

At the time, it we were taught on old mechanical typewriters so you had to learn not to jam the keys.

Yup, me too. We all started on the mechanical typewriters so we could feel the pain. After learning the basics, we were so appreciative to advance to electric typewriters. When we finally got to use the giant word processors, we were in heaven! No more white out needed!!

Preparation for Marriage. Marriage was the last thing on my mind but for many of my classmates marriage was right around the corner. It was a very good class. It taught things about finance and budgeting, family planning, estate planning, things High School kids have probably never been exposed to. I thought it was very helpful, and one of the best classes I took in High School.

This was not offered at my school.....not even a personal finance class. Luckily I picked that up on my own due to my own interest. It should be required! I have always wanted to teach a personal finance class to high school students. It could make a HUGE difference in their lives.

 

[joel]

Love & Teenage problems.
Drifting
Woodshop
Welding

 

[d_marsh]

Okay, confession time.

When I was in high school I skipped shop class & automotive for 3 years straight and took Home Economics and Culinary Arts instead. Pops knew how to build and fix ****, but all we ate was TV dinners and stuff from cans. Also, I was the only straight male in those classes and it paid off with the ladies big time. Even hooked up with a teaching assistant from one of the local colleges.

 

[DrHenley]

Trigonometry. I couldn't believe how useful it is!

 

[Morgan101]

Okay, confession time.

When I was in high school I skipped shop class & automotive for 3 years straight and took Home Economics and Culinary Arts instead. Pops knew how to build and fix ****, but all we ate was TV dinners and stuff from cans. Also, I was the only straight male in those classes and it paid off with the ladies big time. Even hooked up with a teaching assistant from one of the local colleges.

As soon as you said Home Economics and Culinary Arts I knew where this was headed, but I don't disagree with your choices. That was where my mind was headed in those days.