Are you wondering what classes you should take during your freshman year of high school? These 9th grade classes are suitable for different students depending on their interests, abilities, and dreams.
Pick a class or elective that you want to try and pursue.
It doesn’t have to be difficult, you can choose based on what skills you wish to develop.
Picking a 9th grade class or elective that matches your interests or breaks some comfort zones can help you grow and thrive better.
If you are shy and want to get out of your box more, pick classes that require more interaction and sharing.
However, if you want to gain skills that help with building patience, pick classes that involve those criteria.
There are many pros and skills that you can gain with each class so don’t worry about picking the wrong class.
This is the time to try out and experiment with classes to see which ones you like more.
Then, pick more of those classes as you advance in your high school career and beyond.
This post is all about 9th grade classes that you should take.
Best 9th Grade Classes
Language
Photo by Natasa Dav
This is one of the required A-G requirements to graduate high school.
The main languages that are available to learn in high school are Spanish and French.
If there are other options available, you can try to learn which ones interest you more.
Consider what language you may be able to use or what languages interest you more.
Language is one of the best 9th grade classes that you can take since it exposes you to other cultures, and lets you experience a different language.
You can practice with your friends and try it out.
I took Spanish in middle school and high school and enjoyed it immensely.
Not only do you get to do activities and learn to speak that language, but you also get to experience some of their cultures.
Many of your peers are probably first-time learners of a new language too so don’t worry if it takes you some time to practice or recall how to say something.
My favorite activities were the parties we held in class and the films or music played.
It allowed me to try out a different culture’s food and learn more about their movies and music.
If you want to try something new and learn an additional language, I recommend taking a language course.
Pros/Skills of language:
- Improved verbal abilities
- Better memory
- Improved creative thinking capacity
- Logical and reasoning
- Better listening
Sport
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Join a sports club or athletic program at your school.
Not only do you get more exercise, but you also get to build invaluable skills.
Learn about teamwork, competition, and practice by trying out for a sport.
I did golf in high school and loved every second of it.
It started as a random spur of the moment in freshman year and it stuck with me through high school.
I went from being a complete novice my first year to becoming the team captain my fourth year.
Joining a sport taught me about practice, patience, and discipline.
I would practice each week at the range and try different poses and strengths to hit the ball. Then I would go to the golf fields to practice my swings at a real plane.
My favorite practice activity is putting and I would set up small cones to practice my curves and angles.
I think joining any sport is great for building your confidence and meeting a group of teammates that would be with you for your entire high school career.
Pros/Skills of sports:
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Confidence
- Accountability
- Discipline
Coding / Computer Science
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If your school has coding or programming, sign up to learn some.
It is never too early to learn some basic coding since it is a valuable skill to have.
Coding is one of the best 9th grade classes to take since it will help you think in the coding language early on.
Grasping the concepts early on is better since it is easier to make connections and understand coding better.
Coding also helps you establish better problem-solving skills and improve abstract thinking.
If it isn’t offered in your freshman year, you can also start learning it on your own.
Look up exercises and lessons online and try to work on them at your own pace.
I recommend starting with Scratch, a gaming-coding platform for beginners to learn the language first.
Then, move on to Python and Java since these programming languages are more common and widely used.
If you are ever stuck, try it out on your own and then seek help.
It gives you much more satisfaction when you complete exercises or decode problems on your own.
Pros/Skills of coding:
- Problem-solving
- Abstract thinking
- Logical thinking
- Critical thinking
- Build creativity
Theater
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If you have the chance to take a theater class in high school, definitely try it out.
It will help you with speaking in front of people and expressing your emotions.
If you do not like acting, you can also choose to work with set design or behind-the-scenes.
Not only will it allow you to see what goes on with plays, but also act as an integral part of the production.
You will also be able to gain confidence and self-esteem in theater class.
Theater class will help you with conveying your emotions or message in front of an audience.
I took a theater class in college and loved it.
Since it was a small class, I was able to create close relationships with the class and adapt rather quickly.
It was such a fun class and I was able to build more confidence in the class.
Since it was a time after being stuck on remote learning, theater class pushed me back out and regain my confidence in front of an audience.
The best part was memorizing all the lines in a play and performing them in the play at the end of class.
It was such an interesting and fun experience that I believe everyone would enjoy.
Pros/Skills of theater:
- Problem-solving abilities
- Oral communication
- Collaboration/teamwork
- Public speaking
- Adaptability
Ceramics / Arts
Photo by Jadson Thomas
Ok, this is highly recommended. Or I might be biased since I was in the ceramics club for four years in high school.
There was just something captivating about ceramics and I enjoyed it so much.
Time seems to go by quickly each time I sit and mold with my fingers or on the wheel.
If you want to gain patience, work with your hands, or raise your creativity, check out an art class.
Art class is often overlooked as you enter high school and beyond, but it is super important.
When I had art class in elementary, all the kids were creative and thought outside of the box.
However, as we grow older we seem to lose that outrageous think outside the box ideas.
This is why continuing art class allows you to keep that creativity and unleash your imagination.
You will be able to think of other solutions to problems and go at them with a different perspective.
Pros/Skills of arts:
- Patience
- Creativity
- Hand-eye coordination
- Complex analysis
- Critical thinking
Public Speaking
Photo by Henri Mathieu-Saint-Laurent
If you have a shy personality or are afraid of speaking in front of others, you should try to take a public speaking class to help you combat that.
On the other hand, if you love speaking in front of others, public speaking is the perfect class for you to express your thoughts and enhance your confidence.
A debate class is also very similar and helps you build better reasoning, confidence, and self-esteem.
Communication is a very critical skill to have, so no matter if you like or dislike public speaking, you should try it!
I used to be very shy in high school during my freshman year, but after joining a club, it changed.
There were presentations and school events that pushed me to present in front of middle school classes and high school events.
Bit by bit, I got less and less afraid to speak publicly or in front of an audience.
Everything takes practice, and if you want to overcome an obstacle, then head straight on and tackle it.
Pro/Skills of public speaking:
- Critical thinking
- Build confidence
- Improve deductive reasoning
- Enhance oral communication
- Improve self-esteem
Nutrition
Photo by Jane Doan
This class might be overlooked or nonexistent, but if your school has it, then try to apply for it.
Learn about calories, proteins, and what those numbers mean on your food packaging.
Nutrition is important and learning how to balance your meals, exercise, and learning what to include in your diet is crucial.
Your health should be the number one thing you care about because if you are unhealthy, you are unable to spend time with your loved ones or do the things that you want to do.
Learn what you should consume and put into your diet to create a balanced and healthy meal.
Some physical education classes also teach nutrition and health as a component so look into what clubs or classes have this.
Pro/Skills of nutrition:
- Recognize healthier foods or alternatives
- Improve well-being
- Learn to prevent illnesses
Interested in more high school content? Check out The Complete High School Freshman Survival Kit.
Web Design
Photo by Tranmautritam
If you love to design and want to do more techy things, then web design is a wonderful option.
Crafting beautifully made sites and clean interfaces is a highly sought-after need.
Nowadays, it’s super important to build a website that showcases your resume and some of your works.
You want to create a brand for yourself and convince others why you are a good fit.
If you want something to look more unique, web design is a nice choice.
You won’t be stuck picking from a static format that looks the same on almost every other website.
By learning to design on your own, you get to implement features that you want and how it looks.
Web design is also great skill and very marketable for the job place.
If you can pair this with another major like computer science or coding, then you will be more marketable than others who only know one field.
Pros/Skills of web design:
- Unleash your creativity
- Able to work remotely
- Hand-eye coordination
- Design one-of-a-kind projects
- Showcase your skills
US Government
Photo by Brett Sayles
Learn to understand the laws governing the United States by taking US government and history courses.
Understand how the legislature works and how the government operates.
This course may not be available in your freshman year, but usually in your sophomore year of high school.
Keep your eyes peeled and sign up for a US government class.
If you are interested in government and politics, you can consider pursuing a career in congress or government.
Look up requirements or education requirements needed to work in the government.
Then plan with your counselor in high school and a college advisor in college to get those courses completed.
Pros/Skills of US government:
- Understand the basic principles and laws of the Constitution
- Learn from history to correct present
- Analyze economic issues
- Understand policies
- Learn about past cultures
Robotics
Photo by Alena Darmel
Robotics is a fun STEM class that includes many hidden gems.
You get to work together with other students or independently on projects and showcase them at the end.
If you want to improve your engineering skills, math skills, or STEM areas, then robotics class is a great 9th grade class to try!
Sometimes it may not be available as a class but be offered as a club.
If none of those are available, consider starting your own robotics club.
There are so many skills that you can gain from robotics and it allows you to be hands-on on projects.
Pros/Skills of Robotics:
- Collaboration
- Active learning
- Solving complex and difficult problems
- Perseverance
- Leadership
No matter what class you pick, make sure you enjoy it and make the most out of it.
These 9th grade classes are great ideas on what to take.
Find one you like and try it out!
High school is the best time to try out and explore a bunch of different subjects to see what you like.
If you find classes that you like or enjoy more, then you can consider pursuing that field in college.
This post was all about 9th grade classes that you should take.
