<p>How does one decide on what elective to take? What's a good way to go about it?</p>
<p>Based on interest?
Grade booster?
Plans for further education/graduate school?</p>
<p>If you have a real interest or passion in something outside of engineering (music, for example), then pursue that. If you can acquire a minor that will help your major (economics, technical writing), that would be second choice.</p>
<p>If you need the credits to graduate and don’t care what you take, find the one that will require the least amount of work.</p>
<p>Are you referring to an in-major elective, a breadth (humanities or social studies) elective, or a completely free elective?</p>
<p>The starting point should be looking at what you are interested in learning and what would best prepare you for whatever things you are intending to do in the future.</p>
<p>I’m talking about an in-major elective. I’m looking at all of these electives to take and they all interest me in some way. I’m afraid that if I choose to take one, I’m closing myself from other fields that the other courses can lead me to.</p>
<p>Oh, in that case, it is pretty important if you know what you would like to be doing 5 years from now. Otherwise, your work experience, research, co-ops, and internships are more important for fine tuning your capabilities than your class choices, so it will be OK to choose based on your interest. Take what you think you might like as long as it is at the level needed for graduation.</p>
<p>Many companies, especially small ones, need someone with more general knowledge. Your class choices will almost never come up in discussion.</p>