Four humanities classes to complete your high school experience

in Opinion by

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Taking seven classes a year for four years can feel like a lot, but when you take into account the requirements that you must fulfill to graduate, it might feel like you don’t have space to take the classes that really intrigue you. Here are three humanities classes I took (and one that I wish I could’ve taken) that I recommend.

  1. AP Human Geography

As Americans, we tend to get wrapped up in our own sociopolitical affairs rather than paying attention to things going on around the world. AP Human helped me think on a global scale, understanding everything from religion and culture, to neocolonialism, to international financial institutions. Throughout high school, I used the information while competing at Model United Nations conferences and writing research papers for other classes; but most of all, I found that it came in handy any time I read a news article because it gave me a brief context of the geopolitical affairs of every global region.

  1. AP Spanish Literature and Culture

I always wanted to become fluent in Spanish in order to be able to communicate with the huge Hispanic population in South Florida, and so I made it my mission to complete the Spanish classes our school offers. Despite the workload, I think this has been my all-time favorite class because it teaches Spanish history through the lens of literature. We move chronologically through time, learning about important events by listening to the people who experienced them.

  1. AP Comparative Government and Politics

AP Comp Gov helped me deepen my understanding of governmental structures as we zoomed into the affairs of six countries: the UK, Russia, China, Nigeria, Mexico and Iran. As we discussed current events that pertained to each country, we heard from students with personal ties to the issues we were talking about. I really enjoyed how our teacher, Mr. Mark Gruskin, not only taught us about the countries on a political level, but also totally immersed us in the sociocultural landscape.

  1. AP Psychology

Although I didn’t have room in my schedule to take AP Psych, I did self-study for the exam. I really enjoyed the content of the course because it gave me a very broad overview of a multitude of psychology topics including learning, sleep, neuroscience and behavioral disorders. Above all, it taught me how to understand people at the most fundamental level. I also thought the structure of the exam was interesting because one of the free response questions involved analyzing real-world situations which helped me apply the course concepts to my own life.

AP Spanish Literature classes generally tend to be on the smaller side since not a lot of students reach that level, which makes for a close-knit group of students who treat each other like family within the classroom. “Profe [Mrs. Evelyn Silva] always treats us with so much love, and I love the environment because we’re always supporting each other, too. Whether we speak Spanish natively or not, the class has helped us all grow into the people we are today,” senior Esther Oyetunji said. (Photo/Anya Pinto)

Now a senior at American Heritage, Anya returns as Editor-in-Chief of the Patriot Post. With her passion for journalism, she is Co-President of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society. She started an organization called “ActionPAKT: Projects Advocating for a Kinder Tomorrow” to educate youth about current issues and help them take action; currently, she has expanded it to 15+ chapters in multiple countries, raising $17,000 within the Heritage chapter itself. As a Youth Ambassador for Bullets4Life, Anya advocates for gun control. She leads the top Model UN program in the nation as President, competing nationally and organizing conferences at school. To relax, Anya hangs out with friends, swims, goes on walks and binge watches Netflix. She loves the beach, good food and her lazy little dog Simba more than anything.