Junior year of high school is one of–if not the–most important year of every student’s academic career, so it is essential to have good classes to fill your schedule. Whether you’re trying to get the credits you need to graduate or are just looking for something new to do, there are plenty of elective courses that Niles West offers to its junior students.

Ranging from things for English credits or even something new to do like Chefs course, there is no limit to what you are able to do to make your junior year schedule perfect for you.

1. Journalism

For anyone who is interested in the news, whether it be local, national, or even entertainment, the journalism class is perfect. In this class, you learn the basics of news writing and analyzing journalistic elements throughout the one-semester course. It is a fun and engaging class that requires some out of class work but you’re bound to be interested in the topic. The class is also perfect for anyone looking to take another English credit as it counts as one and for students who are looking to explore a new type of class.

2. Public Speaking

Public Speaking is a required credit in order to graduate high school so it’s a no brainer for someone who is stumped on finding a class to take this one semester course and knock it out of the way. By doing this you will be able to fulfill the credit and eliminate it out of your senior-year schedule. Public speaking includes activities such as writing speeches and presenting them to your classmates. Once you are past the nerves and fears of public speaking, it could really help the future of your academic career no matter what path they might pursue in the future.

3. AP U.S. History

Taking and passing U.S. history is also a graduation requirement and just like almost all other non-elective courses, U.S. history has three levels all based on the student. There is a regular and honors course for this class but a popular choice is the AP course. APUSH is a great class for anyone who likes history or someone who wants to take a class for a GPA boost while still being a good challenge. APUSH is most definitely not a walk in the park,but with the right attitude and effort put in, achieving an A should be no problem and give you some college credits to put on your transcript.

4. Chefs

Definitely one of the most popular and laid back courses offered here is chefs course. Students spend one semester learning the basics of cooking and preparing basic dishes. Chefs class can fulfill a fine arts requirement. It’s a very hands-on class and is enjoyable to take. By making food while eliminating a fine arts credit, chefs is a popular class for all grade levels.

5. Summer School & Online Courses 

Another popular course taken by students across all grade levels is signing up for summer school and online courses so they do not have to worry about taking certain classes during the regular school year. It is a great way to finish off any credits you need to graduate, get ahead, or even just to keep up with things over the summer. Classes like Consumer’s Ed and Public Speaking are popular to take over the summer as it is much shorter than a whole semester and fulfills your credit. These options offer a way to eliminate requirements while getting a head start on the following school year.

There are multitudes of other classes that are offered during the regular school year, during summer school, or even an online course. There are a wide variety of courses that not only help get credits out of the way but allow students to look at other career paths for the future of their education.