How are you using Electives?

I havent played University too much yet, but I d like to use electives as hobbies and possibly making a little extra cash during school year. My sims are taking realism painting, and guitar.

Depends on the sim. One sim has a superparent aspiration but his family was just starting so he wanted to take a parenting elective. Another sim has a bowling hobby so that's what she took.

So far I've only had two Sims take an elective class; I just wanted to try it out. But I think I'll probably end up sticking to the main courses. It's easy enough to build skills in their freetime, so I'd rather their classes be focused on the skills for their degree.

But who knows? The right storyline may come along and change that. Like my first Sim that I enrolled, I was going to have him do an elective class for the writing skill, since he's going to be a businessman with a passion for writing. But unfortunately, it wasn't available. Instead I just had him practice writing and work on a couple of books which worked just as well.

It's on a case-by-case basis. I've only played two sims so far, but to the extent that they have taken electives, it has been to build out other interests or to further support their career.

Currently I allow my sims to take only 1 elective class out of the 12 classes and it is usually something my sim is interested outside of their uni course. So it’s more like a fun hobby course for them.

I checked "All of that", but I mostly try to find a subject that kind of specifies the sim's interest in the chosen degree. For example the Economy student who I know will become a very greedy business person, might add Mischief to the mix as an Elective. Someone into culinary might add a Business subject because the sim might want to start a bakery later. Someone into Psychology might add something including Parenting because he will focus on psychology for the youngest life stages later on.

It probably makes no difference later on, but it feels more individual when I can mix the subjects a little.

It looks like they only give skill points - as in there's no point if they already have maxed that skill. It's a shame as the name of the herbalism one made me think I might get extra recipes, but I didn't :(