In today’s completelt-random blog post, I’m going to talk about high school.

It’s been 22 years since I graduated from high school. That’s right, I’ve been alive for more years since then than I’d been alive when I finished high school. I’m getting old. Anyway…

In my last two years of high school, I took a lot of what we called “bird courses”. I don’t know why they’re called that. But they’re those courses that everyone thinks won’t get you very far in life but they’re easy credits and far less academic than the maths and sciences.

I am so glad I took those courses because they set me on a path toward a pretty great life. I do things I enjoy, both at work and outside of work, and I make a pretty decent living. So this blog post aims to show you why not every student should have calculus, biology and Shakespeare shoved at them.

Outdoor Pursuits

We’ll start with this one because much to the surprise of everyone who knew me in high school, it had a bigger impact than any other course I took.

Outdoor Pursuits is the bird course of bird courses. We went hiking, biking and canoeing. We went camping. We went cross-country skiing and snowboarding.

I was pretty much terrible at all of the things . I couldn’t paddle my canoe in a straight line. I didn’t have an athletic bone in my body. (The only extra-curricular team I ever joined was the debating team.) And yet, I got my highest mark in high school (a 94%) in Outdoor Pursuits–not because I was good at any of the things, but because the mark was heavily based on the preparation of reports after our outings. I was good at taking pictures and writing reports.

I took the course because I thought it would be fun, but I planned on becoming a newspaper reporter, so I didn’t think I’d really use the things I learned much after high school.

Fast forward 22 years and since then I spent a decade leading an army cadet expedition training site offering hiking, biking and canoeing opportunities for youth in New Brunswick. I’ve served as Expedition Leader on regional and national army cadet expeditions offering opportunities to youth to do everything from biking all the way across PEI, to snowshoeing and winter camping in Labrador, hiking across the Cape Breton Highlands, sea kayaking along the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia, and hiking and biking at Algonquin Provincial Park, canoeing on the Petawawa River, and white water rafting on the Ottawa River. I spent a couple summers with the Leadership and Challenge Course at Rocky Mountain National Army Cadet Summer Training Centre in Alberta, where I led cadets while taking part in everything from glacier trekking on Mount des Poilus to white water kayaking on the Kananaskis River. I had a summer where my job title was “Mountain Bike Training Coordinator”, another there I led a Physical Education and Recreation Training course, and for two summers I was called the Officer in Charge of Sports and Recreation. Oh, and for three years I coordinated support for all army cadet expedition training in Atlantic Canada. So… I guess Outdoor Pursuits was worth taking.

Shout out to Mr. Dewyert, who was my Outdoor Pursuits teacher at Carleton North High School.

Theatre Arts and Creative Writing

I’ve always been a strong writer. My preferred writing style is conversational, and I also enjoy journalistic writing. Mrs. Matthews’ creative writing course allowed me to explore other types of writing. Meanwhile, Mr. Matthews’ theatre arts course (yes, they were husband and wife) heightened my confidence in front of an audience. I now confidently address audiences large and small. I deliver dynamic periods of instruction to youth and adults, I confidently deliver clear briefings and presentations, and occasionally I get to be creative with things like a comedic bear safety briefing. So… I guess Theatre Arts and Creative Writing were worth taking.

French

I failed Grade 12 French. It was an elective course, and it was the only course in high school that I failed. And yet, I’m glad I took it. Mr. Gallant made it fun so I enjoyed learning French even though I was slow to learn it. Fast forward 22 years and various opportunities to use and develop what little ability I have with French, and I can pull off a basic oral ability and intermediate reading comprehension ability as tested by the Government of Canada. I use my minor French ability in my current job every day. So… I guess French was worth taking.

Visual Arts and Music

I didn’t become a concert pianist and I’ll never paint a masterpiece, but I’m glad I took these courses, because… art is awesome. The courses gave me an appreciation for art. I enjoy visiting art galleries and museums, and I love listening to everything from classical solo piano music to electronic dance. I also really, really enjoy singing in a choir. And I’ve travelled many places to explore abandoned places, where I enjoy taking photographs. So… I guess Visual Arts and Music were worth taking.

Law & Co-Op

I think most of the folks in my Grade 12 law class were just there to figure out how they could get away with breaking the law. In addition to taking a Law course, I also spent a semester doing a co-op placement at a local law office. I’ve developed a keen interest in law, and have applied the things I learned about law during high school a few times. I’ve successfully pursued a number of claims in small claims court. I once referred a New Brunswick Right to Information Request to the Court of Queens Bench after the recipient denied my request. I represented myself and convinced the judge to order the City of Saint John to give me what I was asking for. I’ve also enjoy working with lawyers I’ve hired, including when I recently got a $40,000 settlement after threatening a law suit against Mr. Lube for forgetting to put oil in my engine, and during 20+ real estate transactions over the years. So… I guess Law was worth taking.

Ancient & Medieval History

I didn’t really love studying history. But I’m glad I did–for two reasons. For one, Mrs. Kelley had a way of consistently tying whatever ancient or medieval thing we were learning about back to current day events. I liked that, and I continue to enjoy drawing parallels between the past and present–even though it can be scary sometimes to see how little we learn from the past. The other reason I’m glad I studied history is that as I’ve had the opportunity to travel over the years, I’m always amazed by how the ancient places we visit come to life thinking about what happened there so long ago. Roman ruins are just blocks of stone unless you can appreciate what happened there way back when. So… I guess Ancient and Medieval History was worth taking.

Math

Alright, Math isn’t a bird course. But the last math class I took was called 113 Math, which was a Grade 11 math course for those who didn’t really do math. There was no calculus. (To this day, I don’t know what calculus is.) But I am glad I took the course. It introduced us to practical math, such as concepts around loans and interest, for which I’m glad I had a strong foundation when I got into the world of real estate investing. I’ve continued to use basic math skills as I’ve managed the accounting for various small businesses, and budgets as a staff officer in the Canadian Armed Forces. So… I guess Math was worth taking.

Conclusion

To the high school student who wants to become a surgeon, you should study biology. If you want to become a structural engineer, you should study physics and math. If you want to become a pharmacist or a chemical engineer, perhaps studying chemistry would be wise. If you want to become an actor in Elizabethan England, you should probably study Shakespeare. (I can’t think of any other reason to do so.)

But regardless of whether you plan to head to university and follow a traditional path to “success” or you want to take a more unique journey, if you want a future that will truly excite you, consider what courses will expand your horizons, expose you to new and interesting things, and open you up to new concepts and ideas. Bird courses can change your life trajectory–at least they did for me.