The future is exciting — but for some, uncertain. Every March, Mater Dei students in grades 9 through 11 can access their class lists for the next year through Aeries, the school’s official gradebook. Here, students will see the next level of courses they are set to take, and submit requests for new electives or alternative courses. With the wide variety of classes for students to choose from, not every student is going to take the same courses.
Students may pick from a variety of classes that cater to their interests, with Mater Dei offering everything from ASL (American Sign Language) to Zoology. However, some courses are required to graduate. Counselor Marybeth Nguyen lays out the general curriculum pathway for each and every Mater Dei student.
“You need four years of Religion, four years of English, three years of History (because freshmen don’t take it), at least three years of Math, a minimum of two years of science, a minimum of two years of [a foreign] language, [and] one year of visual or performing arts,” Nguyen said. “We always recommend doing four years of math and science, typically for certain colleges.”
Classes are also divided into three different academic levels: College-prep, Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP). College-prep level classes are the base classes students are put into such as freshman year English and Biology. Based on student performance on previous test scores such as the High School Placement Test (HSPT), students may be allowed to take Honors or AP courses. Nguyen emphasizes that balance between courses is key, given the more rigorous nature of Honors and AP classes.
“If you have straight A’s and did awesome freshman year, you might automatically be invited to take all Honors and AP in the next year, but at that point, we’d recommend meeting [with a] counselor just to talk about balance,” Nguyen said. “Because if you take on too much too soon, we want to make sure you have enough time to be successful in those classes.”
Electives also offer students the opportunity to explore their creative interests, such as film, visual arts, or theatre. While only one year is required, students are welcome to develop and explore their interests for all four years, and for some, up to the AP or honors level. Nguyen encourages students to look out for electives that will enhance their high school experience.
“The benefits of taking an elective is that you get to try new things,” Nguyen said. “I always say that your electives are your bucket list items of what you’d want to try; you don’t always get the opportunity to take a robotics class or a yoga class or just unique classes that you wouldn’t normally think about.”
Junior Joseph Vu found that the classes he chose to take helped him decide his career path. He finds that a more rigorous, yet engaging schedule was what he needed during his time in high school.
“I’m going to pursue chemical engineering,” Vu said. “I took AP Chemistry this year, and I found chemistry really interesting. I always want to solve problems. [I’m also in] AP Calculus AB, and next year, I’m also probably going to take [AP] Calculus BC, and AP Physics.”
However, not every class will be connected with a student’s desired career. Many classes, especially those such as English or Math, develop a student’s critical thinking and problem solving skills. Vu shares how AP Literature has become a valuable experience for him, even though the class isn’t directly related to his future major.
“I think one of the most impactful classes I’ve taken is AP Literature, despite it not actually pertaining to what I want to do in college,” Vu said. “I just love the literature selection this year, and I think it really taught me how to think emotionally and not think so rigidly. It taught me how to interpret text and analyze documents.”
As an Honors/AP student himself, Vu also recognizes the importance of balancing higher workloads with other classes that are easier to handle. He encourages his peers to focus on what they can handle first, rather than try and take all of the hardest classes.
“You don’t always have to go the max AP/Honors route,” Vu said. “I think it’s always important to just think about your work-life balance first. And then after that, choose specialized classes that you think you’ll be more prepared for and those can be more useful for your [career], if you can handle it.”
Course selection also allows freshmen to have the chance to explore more courses outside of the standard curriculum, which for ninth-graders is much more fixed than upperclassmen. However, many freshmen still have opportunities for accelerated, enjoyable, and challenging courses. For example, many students take a block of weights for their sport. A weights block serves as a way students can get exercise and better prepare for their individual sport, whether that be football, wrestling, or swim. Freshman Chloe Shelton elaborates on why she finds weights to be helpful as a non-academic class.
“Weights is technically a required class for basketball, but I found it as a great opportunity to work out and get better at my sport,” Shelton said. “I hope to continue to grow in basketball.”
Weights is such a remarkable course for student athletes seeking more work to gain ability to get better at their sport as well as another way of physical education, which is extremely important for human development. Other than athletic courses, there are courses that are in connection to your extracurricular activities. Some of these can include Associated Student Body (ASB), Model United Nations (MUN), and more. Freshman Jack Duncan is a member of both ASB and MUN, and shares why he chose these electives.
“I went into student leadership because ASB is fun to me and I love helping out in school,” Duncan said. “I picked MUN because it sounded really interesting and I wanted to go on the Greece trip to see the world.”
Choosing an elective helps to balance out a student’s schedule, and gives them the opportunity to discover new interests in an academic environment. Duncan finds that they are worth continuing in the future.
“I would do these courses again,” Duncan said. “They are all very fun or interesting to me.”
Picking classes for next year is an exciting task, but one that requires careful thought. Balance in schedules and interest in subjects are both important factors to consider. Nguyen stresses the importance of meeting with your counselor, and being willing to try new things.
“Talk with us,” Nguyen said. “Just because you can take all Honors and AP [classes] doesn’t always mean that you should. [And] the electives [are there to] build your own interest and experience.”
