Throughout my high school career, I have attended a few field trips. These past two years I have gone to Boston and Washington D.C. to attend the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association Fall National High School Journalism Convention with student publications.

Both years, I went to workshops that were enriching, intriguing and beneficial to, not only me, but my staff. We attended sessions taught by teachers and professionals across the nation and learned how to better ourselves as journalists and how to create an effective publication.

This year, I have also been on several trips for my Advanced Placement (AP) Art History class. We’ve gone to the St. Louis Art Museum, an Islamic Center and have toured several churches and cathedrals.

While learning certain pieces of art and architecture in a classroom setting is helpful, seeing examples of works that we studied and being able to point out architectural features in a building allowed us to further learn and practice our knowledge of what we have been studying.

Educational field trips, such as those I have been on, should certainly be more common because not only are they a great way to add variety to a student’s learning but these experiences really do benefit the student. One can only learn so much in a traditional classroom setting but applying what he or she has learned to aspects outside of the school building can help the student grow in a way he or she cannot in the classroom.

Strengthening my skills through workshops and collaborating with student journalists across the nation allowed me to improve as a journalist, just as seeing and identifying things I’ve studied in Art History have helped me grow within that subject. Had I not had the opportunity to do so outside of class, I would have lost the experience of gaining a considerable amount of knowledge and insight.

I have seen more opportunities arise for students this year, such as Senior Literature trips to watch play performances. This momentum should continue because seeing what one studies outside of the classroom can be an enriching experience.

I’m not saying that students should always be out of school to tour a museum or go to a play, but I think that a class having an opportunity outside of school once or twice a year could help add variety to the course as well as help the student to pick up on things in a way other than lecture.

While missing school can be a concern for some teachers and students, learning beyond the classroom setting can be imperative for a student’s growth and engagement in the subject.