3 answers
Ryan
Student
Roseau, Minnesota
3
Questions
Asked
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What would be a good class in high school to take if I want to get into the Graphic Design or Accounting career?
I am a 10th grader at Roseau High School. Some of the classes that I want to take are Drawing and Design and Accounting. It is really hard to fit all of these classes into my schedule, because I only have one open hour for classes to take. Each class is a semester, and I only have one semester available for next year. Which classes should I take this year/next year?
3 answers
Dinesh Singh
Senior Solution Architect
80
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Dinesh’s Answer
Hi Ryan,
If you only have one semester open next year, the best choice usually comes down to: which class you’re least likely to be able to take later and which one helps you test a possible future path sooner.
A good way to decide
Ask yourself these two questions:
Which class connects most to what I might do after high school?
If you’re considering business, entrepreneurship, marketing, or a job where money matters → Accounting is a strong “real-world” skill and looks good for many pathways.
If you’re considering art, design, architecture, engineering design, or anything creative/visual → Drawing and Design helps build a portfolio and skills that improve with time.
Which one is offered less often / is harder to fit later?
Some art classes are prerequisites for higher-level art classes (and starting earlier helps).
Accounting sometimes fits later and can be taken in different grades depending on how your school schedules business electives.
My recommendation (most common best move)
If you think there’s any chance you want to pursue art/design seriously: take Drawing and Design next year (so you can build skills earlier and possibly take more advanced art later).
If you think you’re more likely to go into business or want a broadly useful skill: take Accounting next year.
If you only have one semester open next year, the best choice usually comes down to: which class you’re least likely to be able to take later and which one helps you test a possible future path sooner.
A good way to decide
Ask yourself these two questions:
Which class connects most to what I might do after high school?
If you’re considering business, entrepreneurship, marketing, or a job where money matters → Accounting is a strong “real-world” skill and looks good for many pathways.
If you’re considering art, design, architecture, engineering design, or anything creative/visual → Drawing and Design helps build a portfolio and skills that improve with time.
Which one is offered less often / is harder to fit later?
Some art classes are prerequisites for higher-level art classes (and starting earlier helps).
Accounting sometimes fits later and can be taken in different grades depending on how your school schedules business electives.
My recommendation (most common best move)
If you think there’s any chance you want to pursue art/design seriously: take Drawing and Design next year (so you can build skills earlier and possibly take more advanced art later).
If you think you’re more likely to go into business or want a broadly useful skill: take Accounting next year.
Thank you for taking the time to help.
Ryan
Stephanie Woodard
Controller, CPA, CMA
7
Answers
Shalimar, Florida
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
Sounds like you are already well ahead of the game just by thinking about this topic. You are early enough in your education that you honestly can't go wrong either direction. I spent my entire high school years bulking up on science classes because it was something that I enjoyed, I started prereqs for accounting my senior year during dual enrollment when I was ready to start transitioning into something more specific. All that to say it's okay to choose something you enjoy and it's okay if you want to explore lots of options before nailing down where you want to be.
Steven Graham
Chief Accounting Officer, Corporate Controller, VP Finance
29
Answers
Boynton Beach, Florida
Updated
Steven’s Answer
Ryan,
Tough question to answer. I am prob biased as I had a 40 year career in accounting so you can’t, IMHO, go wrong with taking accounting course. The profession will be affected by AI and make it less doing and more analyzing and reviewing which will make the basic stuff, while you have to learn that, more interesting and less doing. To me, that has its challenges but will make it more interesting.
In terms of graphic design, my sense is that it will be taken over, for the most part, by AI while accounting would not.
You should prob research both fields, with particular emphasis on the effect of AI of the fields in the future.
Good luck
Tough question to answer. I am prob biased as I had a 40 year career in accounting so you can’t, IMHO, go wrong with taking accounting course. The profession will be affected by AI and make it less doing and more analyzing and reviewing which will make the basic stuff, while you have to learn that, more interesting and less doing. To me, that has its challenges but will make it more interesting.
In terms of graphic design, my sense is that it will be taken over, for the most part, by AI while accounting would not.
You should prob research both fields, with particular emphasis on the effect of AI of the fields in the future.
Good luck
Thank you so much for the advice.
Ryan
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