Specialization in the classroom

Specialization in the classroom

With certain classes required for graduation, Marksmen attempt to balance specializing in one area with taking a variety of classes across multiple disciplines.

I won’t use half the stuff I’m learning in this class when I’m older.

It’s difficult for someone to sit through a class they just don’t find interesting, a class they’re not passionate about. But the school’s graduation requirements can make students take classes just to check a box rather than to pursue an interest.

Throughout an Upper Schooler’s career, he must take four years of English; three years of social studies, science, mathematics and foreign language; one year of fine arts and an elective course.

It’s important to have a strong and diverse academic foundation to build on throughout one’s life. It’s important to develop a work ethic through different intellectual avenues. It’s important to have the tools to contribute to one’s community.

But should students have more freedom to specialize their academic experience, or should they focus on being a well-rounded student?

According to English instructor Scott Gonzalez, specialization is a process that should be taken up at the college-level, while the high school years should be used for experimenting and trying new things.

“Perhaps our students would specialize more if given the opportunity.” said Gonzalez, who previously served as the school’s provost. “On a personal basis, I believe that would be unfortunate because then who knows what a student would not discover about himself if he focused on one subject. The world of ideas is vast, and there’s plenty of time to narrow one’s focus. One, in my estimation, cannot pursue a passion if he hasn’t seen or experienced the possibilities.”

During their junior and senior years at the school, Marksmen will often “double up” in a certain subject or interest. Having one subject to double up in can give students a taste of specialization. However, senior Meyer Zinn’s interest in computer science has led him to a unique schedule consisting of an English class, a social studies class, two math classes and two science classes; he’s doubling up in two subjects at the same time.

“The math classes seemed like a no brainer because of my interest in computer science,” Zinn said. “Linear algebra [a focus in the advanced topics class], despite its deceptive name, is basically the study of matrices and processing large amounts of data, both of which are fundamental to computer science.”

The other math class he takes is AP calculus BC. Zinn also chose to pursue his love of physics by taking AP physics C and AP physics II. With two science classes also come two lab periods, leaving only three of Zinn’s five free periods open weekly.

“Having multiple lab periods can make my schedule a bit tighter but it’s definitely manageable,” Zinn said. “My schedule is very busy, and finding time for extracurriculars and relaxation is difficult but not impossible. I get most of my homework done during class.”

Different students have different motivations behind trying to specialize their academic experience. Some students specialize to show colleges an emphasis in a particular subject, while others specialize purely out of their own genuine interest. Of course, many students specialize for both reasons. Regardless of the reason, clubs and extracurriculars are another way for students to delve deeper into topics and ideas touched on in class — another avenue of specialization.

“Once you hit your junior year, you should be able to take a more specialized approach to your education,” senior Billy Lockhart said. “We’re old enough to know what interests us, and St. Mark’s has the resources and faculty to provide us with specialized classes in areas we care about.”

While specialization can have many benefits and allows students to pursue their interests, an argument can be made that specialization can narrow a student’s focus too much — it can prevent a student from experiencing the wide variety of subjects available and possibly finding a new interest. Zinn says even with his math and physics-focused schedule, he has been able to maintain a diverse and balanced education.

“I would challenge the idea that I’ve lost breadth of curriculum,” Zinn said. “The only class I dropped this year was Spanish. I consider myself a well-rounded student in terms of the classes I take.”

With his interest in computer science, Zinn decided to pursue his passion by talking to others about attaining his unique schedule before his senior year.

“I talked to my advisor and parents before deciding on my schedule,” Zinn said. “I also consulted with the college counseling office and various teachers, and approval was pretty easy after all of that.”

Even with such a focused schedule, Zinn believes balance is crucial for academic success; at a certain point, an academic workload can become too specialized. While a student can have a preference of what classes he wishes to take, it is ultimately up to the faculty and administration to guide the student in his selections and help him make the best choice for himself as it pertains to specialization.

“I don’t think there should be any required classes,” Zinn said. “But it is the responsibility of the academic advisor and student to seek out that balance.”

Because of his interest in coding, Zinn wishes he could take more computer classes at a local college, like the University of Texas at Dallas, instead of taking extra physics classes, but doing so isn’t an option for him at this time. That being said, taking college-level courses is still an option for Marksmen, according to Gonzalez.

“Students are welcomed to pursue courses at local community colleges and universities.” Gonzalez said. “However, St. Mark’s doesn’t award credit toward graduation for classes offered outside of our institution.”

As Zinn looks ahead to college, he realizes the importance of preventing the college admissions process from influencing his course selections. For Zinn, taking extra difficult classes just to stand out to colleges is not the way to go.

“Many kids feel the pressure to take as many advanced classes as possible to increase their chances of admission to selective colleges instead of just taking classes that interest them.” Zinn said. “We end up with people who are good at miserably trudging along, doing their work rather than enjoying their work.”