Through all the various classes offered at South Hadley High School, some prevail as students’ personal favorites. The data below showcases statistics taken from 28 different interviews of students who attend South Hadley High Scool.
While it can be unexpected to some, the Additional section stood out as the number one most popular section. The Additional category highlights many classes that do not pertain to the four academic subjects or are not specialized fields of study offered at the High School. This includes classes such as academic tutoring, physical education, graphic design classes, and art.
South Hadley High School junior Brady Denniston stated that he “really enjoys the self-paced structure of classes like Journalism, and the field trip opportunities.”
Out of all the students interviewed for this data, the majority of individuals determined which class was their favorite based on three factors. The first, and arguably the most impactful comes the teacher. The teacher determines how the classroom environment is handled, boundaries set within the class, and the work presented within it. It varies from student to student, but most agree that teachers who are hands-off have a more positive classroom experience.
Gavin Losty, a Junior as well, shared his opinion towards the matter exclaiming how he “loves Mr. Chaput’s Economics class… It is a very fun class.”
A major determining factor comes as the student body present within a given class. Students are more likely to enjoy a class when one or more of their close friends are attending that class as well. Students who are very engaged with their peers also tend to have a more enjoyable time throughout high school. A positive classroom environment can shape the interest of students, and alter their experience throughout the year.
The most impactful area of consideration for students when determining their favorite class comes in the form of the difficulty of the schoolwork given.
The majority of students at South Hadley High School who were interviewed were upperclassmen. Half of the interviewed individuals agreed that a more challenging workload increases their overall enjoyment of a class. None of the interviewees in ninth or tenth grade at the time agreed that a more challenging workload benefitted their enjoyment of a class. This is particularly interesting when considering the goals of the separate demographics during their year of study.
Upperclassmen tend to focus more on the future of their education past high school, than underclassmen. This is most likely the case based on how college applications and GPA requirements are present during the summer of their junior year into their senior year.
Whether you are considering which classes to choose for your next year at South Hadley High School, or just curious about the statistics and what thoughts go into choosing classes, consider chatting with students who have already completed the courses you are interested in.
