Taking special interest class

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My special interest is computers. I love programming, fixing, building, innovating all sort of things. When I found out about a computer engineer class I flipped out. I was top of the class by far. I was a shock to my teacher and I even taught him some new stuff. Like about liquid cooling. I feel it is much more efficient and makes no noise at all compared to the computer fan. But getting back on topic. Since I loved this class so much it is all I thought about. Hurt my other classes grades. Except math which has to do with programming and coding so of course I love it. My question is is it bad to have a child be in there special interest class. Since I did so much worse then I normaly do in my other classes

I'm confused. You did so much worse at what compared to your other classes? I thought you were at the top of the class in your special interest class?

No I mean that since I devoted all my time to my special intrest class my other classes grades got hurt since I always thought about that one class.

It's okay to be highly interested in one class, so long as it doesn't affect your others. Just find a way to balance the class you love vs your other compulsory ones.

My special interest is writing.

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The second story, Candlestick Kid, has a unicorn in it.

It's really good that you've found an interest, keep going with the class.

If you want to continue with a good computing career you will need to graduate high school. You'll also find that the skills taught in the other classes are very relevant.

Business skills are essential, good English (for proposals, project plans, technical specifications), any sort of Graphics/Art/Music will greatly assist you with any GUI or game design. Sciences will support any furthering of your interest in cooling and micro-electronics design.

Don't forget that programming is putting some sort of business requirement into code. You need to be able to understand these business requirements. If all you know is computing you won't be as useful and this will limit your career options.

There's nothing that wrong with being tactical about which subjects you'll follow, provided you can still graduate and find your career.

I've always used computing to make other subjects interesting, if you can program, then consider developing your own personal educational software to teach these other subjects. You'll exercise your computing skills and learn the other subjects as you go.

Jason.

Personally I would never take a class related to a special interest because I think, why bother? They're probably only doing stuff that, to me, would be basic, and I probably know all the basic stuff already.

Studying a special interest alone at home is much less frustrating than being subject to a teacher in a class, because you can do whatever you want. You can allow yourself to find out EVERYTHING about a certain topic - without being ordered to move on and study the next thing now. In classes, teachers are always saying: "right, time to move on" when you've barely scratched the surface of what you wanted to know.

The fact that you taught the teacher stuff he didn't know shows that you are not really learning much from taking this class. It may be very enjoyable but you are not gaining much from it academically. Unless you need some official qualification in computers in order to pursue your chosen career (which you probably do), you should just carry on teaching yourself computing at home and only attend classes in other subjects. But sadly you probably need that stupid piece of paper that says "I am qualified."

Yeah, I've been there too. Ideally you should develop your time management and willpower, so that you can spend time on your other classes too and not completely neglect them. That will take time and effort, but it's worth it to get decent results and do what you love. If you really cannot do that then it may be better to give up the special interest class, since you'll always spend time on your special interest anyway, even without the class.

I'd have to disagree with the advice given by the two posters above.

It's no surprise that the teacher wouldn't know anything about cooling for example, it's not something typically taught in any computer course and you wouldn't find it used in many businesses.

If grades are available for this course, then you should continue it. I know that if you somehow dropped this interest and replaced it with something else, the new interest might have zero educational or future career value.

Jason.