It was during his senior year that a TCS student, enrolled in multiple demanding classes, realized something was missing. “I would love to come back next year and see some sculpture, cooking, and new teacher assistant options added,” Agustin Sierra, senior, said. Like many of his peers, he felt academically challenged yet unprepared for the beyond campus.
At TCS, AP classes dominate student schedules, promising college-level rigor and an early chance to earn credit. But as students prepare for the ever growing job market, critical questions arise: Are our electives evolving alongside them? Are they fostering real-world readiness? Students wonder whether current courses reflect the depth of university programs, or if it’s time to rethink learning and demand a change.
For many students, this disconnection became clearer after engaging with new course programs.
“I chose AP Seminar because it seemed like the coolest class. They said eventually we could get an extra diploma when graduating if I did well, and, as far as I understand, taking said course was needed for the Capstone Diploma,” Daniel Castaño, 10th grade, said.
Their experiences highlight a recurring issue: regular electives often feel outdated or surface-level.
“The debate is always there. The school gives a lot of options, but it could do better by talking more to the students to see what path they want to better prepare them for college,” Castaño said.
This became obvious after attending the FIRST Robotics Competition to represent Lightning Blue Lizards at Miami.
“They could include more hands-on experiences. Students should engage in conversations with professionals who have experience so we can get a better perspective of what we could expect and prepare for,” Castaño said.
Castaño’s experience is not unique. Students across grades share a common frustration: electives often feel like ‘schedule fillers’ rather than stepping stones.
“Once they expanded our Makerspace, I’ve been personally quite like allotted to by the school system because of how extensive their STEM fields are, especially during the past couple of years,” Castaño said.
However, he points out a lack of career-focused opportunities within the elective structure.
“But I can imagine a lot of other students who would prefer to have more complex and bigger band programs, since, as in my case, it would be completely normal for them to prefer having those systems in place,” Santiago Castaño, senior, said.
When confronted directly, the other Castaño mentioned the importance of student participation in the process.
“It just depends on each individual and the way they deal with the class. If you have no intention of actually learning the material, yeah, it’s going to be a filler. But if you take a class and pay serious attention, your commitment will help you to learn,” Castaño said.
In response, some students take learning into their own hands.
“Although I haven’t taken any elective that felt like a college-level course in terms of content or difficulty, I tried taking hard classes containing universal, real-life applications like AP Language and Composition and AP Physics II,” Sierra said.
This has raised comparisons with local universities that allow students to explore specific career paths before college.
“Yes, we have sciences such as AP Bio, AP Chem, and AP Physics, but no electives, not even in the form of APs like biotechnology or environmental engineering,” Sierra said.
Some believe our system is stuck in a ‘traditional mindset’ that can be solved by reflecting real-world tasks in already existing classes.
“We are well aware that every electronic device works on computer code. Computer Science reminds me it is the base for practically everything involving technology so it is effective in the sense that what they teach us has lots of applications,” Pedro Sierra, 10th Grade, said.
But what would an engaging elective system look like? TCS grade levels have already begun imagining alternatives.
“I feel like if my Computer Science Class was more networked, I would be motivated to study harder and dedicate more time to it as I get more opportunities to go places, meet new people, and open doors for myself in the future,” Sierra said.
Other adjustments suggested include conferences convincing other students that electives can be just as important as APs.
“Taking a new elective is a cool learning experience that any student should experiment. They get to learn about topics they probably have rarely explored before… This helps them envision, be more well-rounded, and get a sort of fresh taste,” Sierra said.
Female students also recommend more creative freedom.
“I hope that when I come back to school in many years I can see more electives with priority in completely different fields. Introduction to Fashion Design would be pretty cool!,” Juanita Martinez, senior, said.
She imagines new elective options each year.
“I know there are a lot of people with common interests: many like to sell stuff and others, for instance, enjoy cars. So maybe an engineering course, introductory mechanics class or advanced entrepreneurship would be great for students wanting to know what it takes,” Martinez said.
As admissions for college and careers become more unpredictable, APs alone may not be sufficient. School programs must evolve to meet students needs where they are. By prioritizing student voice, TCS has the opportunity to reimagine modern, meaningful electives. After all, at its core, “school isn’t just about passing tests, but about deciding what you can focus on for the rest of your life,” Martinez said. That is what electives do.