Essay after essay—test after test—math problem after math problem. Traces of lead, like these, are deemed the best way to achieve greatness in one’s future endeavors, but is that accurate?

Today, many people view their GPA as the end all be all, but in reality, there is so much more that goes into a complete high school experience, one being electives. 

Electives can come in many forms, especially at North Penn High School. Classes from public speaking to photography are offered to students and are usually overlooked because they don’t boost one’s GPA, however, they can be a key component to discovering a new passion or future career.

“Because you have all the required courses that you have to take no matter what which can help you gear towards things that you might be interested in; but with electives, you can go even closer to that,” Contemporary Global Issues teacher Ryan Gutshe said. 

Although some kids enter high school knowing exactly what they want to do, most struggle to find a path they are passionate about. Finding a career for the rest of their lives can be intimidating to these students, but it doesn’t have to be. By taking a class, such as Marine Biology or Graphic Design, they might find a job that they otherwise didn’t think of. 

Not only are electives a great gateway to finding one’s future but also an escape from the redundancy of high school core classes. Burnout is extremely common for high school students because they tend to drown in assignments, and because of the rigor, it can be difficult to find time to breathe. 

“This is the only opportunity for you to get a free education and [electives allow] you to pick things that you like to see if that is something you want to pursue, but you can also take fun things during your school day,” Gutshe said.