I was catching up with a friend recently, and she mentioned something that stuck with me. Her child is starting high school next year, and they have just attended the new student orientation. One of the things they reviewed was the list of available electives. Photography. Robotics. Languages. Theater. Woodworking. Music production.
She laughed and said, “Honestly, I’m jealous. If I had half of those choices when I was in school, that would have been amazing.” I knew exactly what she meant.
Those electives always felt like the part of school where curiosity had room to breathe. You could explore something simply because it sounded interesting. But later that day, it hit me.
As adults, we actually have more elective options than we ever did in school. We just call them hobbies now.
Somewhere along the way, many of us started believing that every new skill needs to connect directly to our careers. If we learn something new, it should increase productivity, generate income, or somehow become a “side hustle.” But electives were never about that. They were about curiosity. Learning something simply because it seemed interesting.
Today, access to learning is greater than ever. Between local classes, community colleges, and online platforms, you can learn almost anything if you’re willing to invest a little time.
Personally, I’ve been thinking about learning American Sign Language. I checked the local community college to see if they had an in-person class this semester. No luck, though there are plenty of online options.
And while online learning is incredibly convenient, I’ve realized something recently. After years of remote work and screens, something is appealing about learning alongside other people in the same room again.
It reminds me that growth doesn’t always have to be tied directly to our professional paths.
Sometimes it’s enough to simply pick an elective. Something interesting. Something different. Something that expands how you see the world. Out of curiosity:
If you could easily add one elective to your life this year, what would you choose?