As advisement season approaches, underclassmen and juniors have an important decision to make: what classes to pick for the next school year. Aliso Niguel offers a wide range of different academic and elective courses, making it overwhelming to narrow down and decide which ones to pick. After gathering opinions from members of this year’s senior class, here are my top suggested courses every student should consider taking next year.
A popular choice among Aliso students, Culinary Arts is a class that anyone looking for an elective should consider. Culinary Arts is both a College and Career Advantage (CCA) course and a visual and performing arts credit.
The class first allows students to obtain their food handling license before they begin cooking. The course is operated in different food units, for example, the soup and pasta units. Not only do students learn about the practical side of cooking, but they also do lessons that explain the breakdown of foods and where they come from.
Josie Zamora (12) shares how she would recommend the class to anyone interested, stating, “I love the class because it teaches you good cooking skills and healthy habits. You also learn quick cooks for everyday life.”
Sports Medicine is another elective class that is perfect for anyone, not just those interested in sports or the medical field. The class is also a CCA course that offers students the ability to earn college credit from California’s community colleges if they receive an A or B grade in the class.
For those interested in medicine, Sports Med has incredible opportunities for students to get experience in the field, one such being the Future Health Scholars of America (HOSA) club. Miss Mo is Aliso Niguel’s sole Sports Medicine teacher and the HOSA club’s advisor. She is a dedicated, creative, and enthusiastic teacher who cares deeply not only about her subject, but all of her students.
The class is valuable to everyone, not just those who like sports or science, as it teaches valuable life skills and information every person should know. The class allows students to obtain their CPR certification, as well as learn about first aid, health insurance, concussions, and all the major bones and muscles.
Miss Mo advocates all students should take the class because she believes, “the first aid skills and the life skills, it’s going to take you. Forget about whether you’re interested in medicine or not. If you’re a parent, if you’re a college student, or attending a football game you’ll be able to use those skills.”
Forensic Science is another elective that is perfect for any junior or senior looking for a fun and low-stress science course. Forensics is another CCA course and is listed as a UC A-G Part D honors credit class. One of its top-selling points to students is that there is no assigned homework, unless on rare occasions when students have to finish classwork at home.
Forensics is structured with many hands-on practical labs and activities instead of only doing lectures and notes on the content. Students who take Forensic Science will get to learn a variety of topics including crime scene basics, physical evidence, document examination, fingerprinting, blood spatter analysis, autopsy, drugs and toxicology, DNA analysis and more.
Some of the highlights of the class are fetal pig autopsy, mock crime scene investigations, creative labs and guest speakers. The course is great exposure for anyone looking to go into criminal justice, but more than that, it is an interesting class that all students would enjoy.
For any juniors looking for an AP course in their schedule, AP English Language and Composition might be the one. The same as any AP class, Lang offers students college credit when they pass the AP exam with a score of three or higher.
Although an AP-level English class might appear daunting to some, especially if English is not their preferred subject, AP Language is a course that anyone can take with the right dedication and effort. More than that, the class will benefit everyone’s reading and writing skills well beyond their academic career.
The class focuses on reading and writing prose, especially non-fiction speeches and essays. The skills taught to analyze a piece and examine the intent behind the author’s words provide students with skills that will help them think critically for the rest of their lives, not just in a classroom setting.
Anyone looking to explore a higher-level science course would benefit from considering taking AP Biology. Taught by Mrs. Bhaskar, the course also offers AP credit to anyone who can score a three or higher on the AP exam. Mrs. Bhaskar has roughly a 4.7 score average for her students, ensuring that anyone who takes her class has the best chance to succeed.
Her lectures and teaching style are engaging in a way that makes it easy for students to comprehend the more difficult content in the class. AP Biology is a great introduction to higher-level science as it gets students to think critically about real-world problems in the field.
Former AP Bio student Halima Ba (12) comments, “the class is fire, I love that class. The homework kinda sucks, but the content is gas.”
To any anxious students about having to choose their schedule next year, consider one of these classes when you take your pick.
