How to Make the Most of Electives

If you’re not at the Tav by noon you’re doing it wrong.

It’s that time of year again when Aussie students painstakingly choose their subjects only to be dealt a bad hand of timetable clashes or six-hour gaps between classes.

Though lengthy gaps may leave plenty of time for the important, uhm, educational institution that is the Tav, it’s also great for thinking about what you do or don’t like about your course. If you love what you’re studying, great! But if you’re having doubts, electives are a great way to look at other areas you might be interested in and perhaps bring back the spark that you’ve lost while working on your butt groove in the couch over the break.

What are electives?

Electives are subjects that count towards the completion of your course and are not part of the compulsory units you have to take as part of your course requirements. This gives you the opportunity to try out other disciplines and subjects. Elective units will be different at each uni, and they cover a wide range of subjects.

What interests you?

There’s no doubt that picking an elective that interests you is going to make 13 weeks of class a whole lot easier to endure. However, just remember because a unit sounds easy doesn’t mean you’re going to like it.

This is a great time to try something completely different from your major. Maybe you want to take a landscape painting elective because that will feel like downtime compared with your heavy law degree. Maybe you’re having total seconds thoughts about your course and want to try science instead of arts. Or, maybe you’d like to focus on a specific area within what you’re already studying because you really enjoy it. Well, this is your time to do it. 

Exams or no exams?

Not all subjects have an exam, so this could be a tempting thought to lighten the load come end of semester. But many units that don’t have end of semester exams often have large research essays or final projects instead. Weigh these up and play to your strengths. It might not be such a good idea to avoid exams after all.

Timetabling

In an ideal world, we would all love for our classes to start at 11am and be done by 2pm. Realistically, this just doesn’t’ happen. If you have an 8am class, parking will be a breeze and just think about all the other things you can get done at the start of the day. Big gaps between classes aren’t too bad either. Use this time productively to study at uni or work on group assignments. Don’t pick units purely on the timetabling. Make smart choices.  

Skills

Yep, skills. They’re going to make you more employable when you go to get that all-important first job after uni, so use your electives to your benefit. Is there something that would complement your degree, or an area you can upskill in? For a student studying Business, a public speaking class can definitely work to your advantage. Someone studying design might want to take an accounting class so they can set up their own business. You get the idea.

Get advice

This is one of the best things to do if you just can’t decide. Ask your friends, lecturers, tutors and older students who have taken the unit to get their recommendations. Making an appointment with a career advisor at uni can also be beneficial if you’re considering a big change up. People learn in different ways so while more rigid and structured units might suit you, others might hate it. Know what works best for you and what to expect from the unit.

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