How to pick electives and units in first year, and why it matters for your CV later
Pick electives that build a skill you can name on a CV, not ones that sound easy. Check your course structure document, identify the elective slots, and choose units adjacent to your career interest. A business student interested in tech gets more from a database unit than a random humanities elective. Ask second-years which ones were worth it.
Compulsory vs elective: know the difference on day one
Every Kenyan degree has two categories of units. Compulsory units (sometimes called core units) are fixed. You take them or you do not graduate. Elective units give you a choice from a list.
The mistake most first-years make is treating electives as throwaway slots. They pick whatever a friend is doing, whatever has the easiest exam, or whatever fits the most convenient timetable. That works in the short term. By third year, those units sit on your transcript doing nothing.
Your electives are the only part of your degree you control. Use them.
Three rules for choosing electives
1. Pick units that teach a skill you can name. "Introduction to Databases" teaches SQL. "Communication Skills" teaches writing. "History of Philosophy" teaches nothing you can put on a CV unless you are going into academia. Choose units where you walk out with a tool, not just a grade.
2. Pick toward a direction. If you are interested in tech, choose electives from the computer science or IT departments (if your university allows cross-department registration). If you are interested in business, choose finance or marketing units. Even CS students have gaps their degree does not cover. Electives are how you fill them.
3. Ask someone who has already taken the unit. Second and third-years know which electives are taught well, which lecturers are helpful, and which units look good on paper but deliver nothing. Five minutes of asking saves a semester of regret.
Elective mistakes to avoid
Choosing only by difficulty. Easy units give you a GPA boost, but a transcript full of them tells an employer you avoided challenges. Balance one comfortable unit with one that stretches you.
Choosing without reading the syllabus. The unit name does not always reflect the content. "Emerging Technologies" might be about blockchain or it might be a history of computing. Read the course outline before you register.
Ignoring prerequisite chains. Some advanced units (particularly in tech, maths, and science) require specific first-year prerequisites. If you skip the prerequisite, you cannot take the advanced unit later. Check the course structure document for any chains before finalising your selection.
Registering late. Popular electives fill up. If your university uses a first-come-first-served system, register the day the portal opens. Waiting costs you your first choice.
Why this matters for your CV
Your transcript lists every unit you took. Employers and postgraduate programmes read them. A CV that says "Bachelor of Commerce" is generic. A transcript that shows you also took Database Systems, Data Analysis, and Project Management tells a story: this person was intentional about their education.
If you are interested in tech, even from a non-CS course, strategic electives give you formal proof that you have exposure to technical concepts. Coding alongside a non-tech degree becomes much easier when you have a supporting unit on your timetable.
You do not need to overhaul your degree. One or two well-chosen electives per year, compounded over four years, make a visible difference on your transcript and your CV.
Browse the full set of first-week guides for more on getting your first semester right.
What to do this week
- Find your course structure document (department noticeboard or student portal) and identify which units are compulsory vs elective.
- Ask a second-year in your course which electives are worth taking and which to avoid.
- Read the course outline for at least two electives before registering.
- Register your units on the first day the portal opens.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I take electives from a different department?
- Some universities allow cross-department electives, others restrict you to a list within your school or faculty. Check your course structure document or ask the academic registrar. If it is allowed, a CS or statistics unit from another department can be very valuable for non-tech students.
- What if I pick a bad elective?
- Most universities allow you to drop a unit within the first two weeks of the semester without penalty. After that, dropping may show on your transcript as a withdrawal. If you realise early that the unit is wrong for you, act fast.
- Do electives affect my GPA the same as core units?
- Yes. At most Kenyan universities, electives carry the same credit weight as core units. A low grade in an elective hurts your GPA just as much as a low grade in a compulsory unit. Choose carefully, and put in the work.
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