With a plethora of classes available, choosing just seven can seem like a daunting task. Calculus AB or discrete math? AP chemistry or environmental science? A double early release or vet med at Miller? Amidst this whirlwind of options, it can be easy to miss some of the school’s more uncommon classes that still offer credits needed for graduation.
One of such classes is financial math, taught by pre-cal teacher Megan Martin. Unlike other math courses, financial math is not characterized by equations or formulas, but instead emphasizes information students will need to know as part of the workforce such as how the market works and filing taxes.
“I really like [financial math] because it’s all relative to your life,” Ms. Martin said. “We talk about things like banking, loans, debt, credit, insurance, taxes– all sorts of stuff that you can actually use in your life.”
Not only does financial math teach essential skills needed for adulthood, but it also counts as a math credit or an elective credit, depending on the student’s needs.
“I would say to take [financial math] because [not only] is it relative to life but it’s also an easy class,” Ms. Martin said. “It should be an easy senior level.”
Much like financial math, lifetime nutrition and wellness also teaches essential life skills in a fun and engaging way. Taught by Elizabeth D’Agostino, lifetime nutrition and wellness teaches students how to prepare and cook food through hands-on participation.
“I have a background in teaching all FCS (family and consumer sciences) classes, and I love to cook, so I was excited when I got to teach this class,” Ms. D’Agostino said.
This class introduces students to a variety of dishes including savory staples such as pasta and tacos as well as delectable desserts like rice krispy treats and apple pie. Although these dishes are relatively simple, they allow students to get experience being in a kitchen and gain the tools necessary to maintain a healthy diet throughout adulthood.
“I love getting to see all the kids interact with each other on cooking days,” Ms. D’Agostino said. “[It’s my] favorite part of the class.”
However, it’s not only the classes that teach life skills that tend to be overlooked, some of the more specialized academic classes such as AP/Dual Credit anatomy and physiology also tend to get passed up for more well known classes like AP biology or chemistry.
“AP Bio is great if you want to go into healthcare or medical school as you have to take it as a prerequisite [anyways],” AP and Dual Credit anatomy and physiology teacher Jill King said. “But anatomy is cool because [not only] is it something you’ll have to take if you want to go into [the medical field], but all we do is human body stuff– there’s no plants like in APES or bio, it’s just the human body.”
Anatomy and physiology is incredibly versatile with some students taking it purely because they need a science credit, others taking it as a companion course to medical rotations at Miller, and others still take it as an opportunity to explore a portion of the vast world of health sciences.
“I have a lot of students that go to Miller, but then there’s also the kids that haven’t been exposed much to anatomy and they’re just taking it for a science which is neat because they get to learn the same things even if they’re not going [into healthcare],” Mrs. King said. “I also have a lot of athletes that take anatomy because they’re really interested in how the body works.”
Aside from financial math, lifetime nutrition and wellness, and anatomy and physiology, there are dozens of other classes that aren’t as large or streamlined as others and therefore harder to find information about. There’s no doubt that course selection can be overwhelming, however, it’s important to thoroughly explore all the options before making a final choice because you never know what you might be missing.
