If you’re a freshman and confused about what elective to take next year, there are a lot of options to choose from, but a great choice is Coding. Programming C++, or Javascript, is an elective to choose when you want to learn a new skill or learn the basics of coding. Coding as a class includes things like app design and inputting code for your app’s functionality, and it is an easy process to work through with directions with some challenges. Learning how to code is a step by step process that becomes easier with practice and it will teach you new things about apps you didn’t know and allow you to see the results of a small functioning app you created which can be very satisfying. 

If you’re looking to go into an occupation or career that has coding or any type of technology based design then this is a good class to take that helps you learn the basics, and progressively learn more. There are a lot of things that you can learn in coding class, and a lot of different sites you can use for coding if you want to explore more on your own. The main site that you should use and the only one you will use in class, is code.org which is a site where you can both design and code the basic functionalities of an app. This site also uses videos, directions, and questions according to a teacher’s lesson plan to help whoever is using it in class to understand what they are doing better. If code.org is ever confusing then you can simply ask the teacher for help. Code.org will have different lessons, quizzes, comprehension questions, and a way for you to design an app all on your own for projects. It also will give you an app that is already designed, like a gaming app or a trivia app, for you to fix so you can understand that specific function or code you used to fix it for when you work on it on your own. 

Some people already may know how to code, video game design, or app design before they consider taking this class. The people who already have some skill should still take this class because they may learn some things that they didn’t already know. Learning how to use variables and design a theme you want for your app like gaming, trivia, or decision making apps are just some of the many things you will touch upon. You will also learn how to code buttons or other things in the design of your app to do specific functions, for example making something to move in your app. More specific examples would be an app like a counting app: in this example you can code an up arrow so when you click it the numbers will keep going up, and the down arrow will do the same but count backwards. 

This class is a good elective to take if you are unsure of what you want to do, because it may help you figure out that you would actually like coding. If coding is something you are already interested in, or any design, you should definitely take this class  so you learn the basics, if not more, of coding.