There are several facts of life. Humans are made of cells, the Earth is round, and schools are filled to the brim with subjects. There are many courses you can take, covering different topics. However, not all of them are winners. (Subjectively, of course. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)
So which subjects are fan-favorites amongst Brighter Horizons Academy students, and which ones, to put it simply, are not? This article will give you the details.
Now, this expedition was not an easy one. It started off when I was sitting in the room Newspaper Club usually takes place in. I was struggling to think of strong ideas for opinion-based articles, as I felt we didn’t have much of those. So of course, I asked the Editor-in-Chief, Wahaj Uddin, for help. Wahaj told me, “What about ‘what’s the worst subject for students?'” I felt like that one was a winner. After thinking about it, I decided, “Why not cover both sides of it? The ‘best’ and the ‘worst’?” And there, I decided to begin this journey.
I had to figure out how to gather information. I knew that asking in-person would not be feasible, especially if I wanted to get a large sample of people. So, I had to rely on something more direct. I looked through a long list of people from grades 6 to 12, and picked out 10 random people, making sure to take students from each section in their respective grades. I chose five girls and five boys from each grade as well. I emailed these ten people from each grade, attaching a Google Form that they could fill out to give their opinion. This means that I aimed for 70 responses in total. I received 24 responses, which was not 70, but since the sample was representative, it allowed me to make a somewhat accurate guess as to how the student body generally felt about the subjects they take.
In the survey itself, I asked the following questions:
Q1. What core subject is your favorite? (Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Quran, Islamic, Arabic)
Q2. Why is that subject your favorite?
Q3. What core subject is your least favorite? (Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Quran, Islamic, Arabic)
Q4. Why is that subject your least favorite?
The responses I received varied. Some were mild, others passionate. The results for people’s most favorite subjects were as follows, in order from most votes to least:
1. Math
2. English
3. Islamic
4. Science
5. History/Social Studies
6. Arabic
7. Quran
The results for people’s least favorite subjects were as follows, in order from most votes to least:
1. Arabic
2. Math
3. History/Social Studies
4. Science
4. English
5. Quran
6. Islamic
After analyzing these results, one can come to several conclusions. For example, it appears that Math as a subject is polarizing; while there are many people who have it as their favorite subject, many people also consider it their least favorite subject. Conversely, Islamic Studies is overall well-liked, having the least votes for “least favorite subject” while being tied for the most votes for “most favorite subject”.
It is also important to acknowledge why people have chosen certain subjects as their favorite or least favorite. There were a multitude of reasons mentioned. For example, several survey participants chose a subject as their favorite due to its level of difficulty (i.e. being easy, less rigorous, etc.). Others picked a subject due to long-lasting passion for it. For instance, Ayra Maalik, a senior, chose English as her favorite subject, and attributed this choice to her love for the course in general. “I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was enrolled in a Young Author’s club in elementary school,” Maalik says. “I…like English because there is no set-in-stone interpretation for literature.” Maalik had less favorable opinions for Math. “The rules and laws of math are mostly set-in-stone as compared to English.”
Yasmeen Mody, a 7th grader, has the opposite opinion. “Math is my favorite subject because it feels really satisfying when I solve a problem, especially when it’s tricky.” Mody says. “I like how it’s clear and structured; there’s always a right answer…”. Mody chose English as her least favorite, saying, “English feels too subjective…If my answer is incorrect, I might be told to “explain more” or to “develop your ideas”, which, to me, is impractical.”
These vastly different opinions demonstrate the variety and diversity in Brighter Horizons Academy; just like how no two zebras have the same stripes, no two BHA students have the same opinions.
Now, it’s time to let us know: what is your favorite and least favorite core subject?
