High School Subjects – What Subjects Will You Have To Take?

Secondary school subject choices have changed in the last century. Great grandparents of the current high school generation often were fortunate to be able to go beyond elementary school. Students had eight grades of school and often had subjects that today’s scholars won’t study until upper grades of high school. Students of the early 20th century were required to pass examinations to prove their proficiency in grammar, spelling, arithmetic and classical languages. A variety of high school subjects allows students to make better informed choices about possible careers.

Today, though, the range of subjects is much wider than historical students. There are schools that focus on certain types of subjects. For example, a student may complete college preparatory classes. Students can focus on various trade tracks. These might include dental assistant, beautician, mechanics or computer technology. Other schools can provide more education focused on the arts. Students might be able to study dance, music or theater.

General studies at almost every high school are set by state and sometimes federal standards. Students must complete a certain number of instruction hours or days of class before a graduation diploma or certificate is issued. These usually include classes in English, science, math, history, health, physical education and sometimes arts. Some states require study of a second language.

Today, many schools require students to learn keyboarding. The proficiency in using and understanding computer keyboards and software is critical for maintaining communication with others around the globe. Although most children have some exposure to computer games and the Internet, not all are able to make efficient use of the tools.

It’s important for adolescents to get a broad choice of subjects in secondary school, rather than focusing on just one range of subjects. A student who likes mathematics and related subjects such as geometry, trigonometry and calculus should also get a grounding in literature and grammar. While the student may not think subjects outside a field of immediate interest, high school should be the place where a wide range of basics can be experienced. Most people change careers more than once over the course of a lifetime, so using the secondary school years to learn as much as possible about many subjects is more important than detailed study of a single subject.

In addition to more traditional subjects, many schools now require some life experiences training. The belief is that students should understand how to balance a checkbook, open a bank account and create a budget. The life experiences classes can be very flexible in nature and may be included within the framework of other classes. With traditional gender roles and classes less obvious in today’s classroom, students may learn how to change oil in an automobile and how to do some simple cooking tasks.

Understanding how to put a sentence together and communicate thoughts to others is another part of classes. Some schools offer classes such as speech, but communications practice is more likely to be part of an English Composition curriculum. Plays and theater productions, including musicals are part of the optional subjects in some school.

Understanding the world in which they live is one of the high school subjects that is often part of the history classes. It might be as much current affairs as historical affairs. A good grasp of the panorama of history is important for learning how today’s culture is affected by what has occurred in the past.

Additional information at: http://www.pennfoster.edu/diploma/index.html?semkey=Q101057