The Elective

Christian Niedan

Christian Niedan is a writer for The Elective, the College Board's education magazine

18 Articles

Overhead photograph of people moving around the main lobby of the metropolitan museum of art

17 Min Read

Interview

School Days Influences: Meet the Curators Behind the Met

17 Min Read

a young woman wearing headphones sits in front of a laptop as she codes a video game

10 Min Read

Interview

School Days Influences: Decoding the World of Video Game Designers

10 Min Read

a young woman college student sits in the bed of a red pickup truck doing homework

4 Min Read

News

Bridging One of the Widest Gaps in the Digital Divide

4 Min Read

An out of focus image of an empty classroom

4 Min Read

News

Districts Begin Forming Plans to Reopen Schools

4 Min Read

New Yorker cartoon editor Emma Allen smiles while listening to a person she's interviewing onstage

4 Min Read

Interview

New Yorker Cartoon Editor Emma Allen’s School Days Influences

4 Min Read

cartoon people painting white over printed text

15 Min Read

Interview

School Days Influences: Inside the World of New Yorker Cartoonists

15 Min Read

A young woman wearing blue headphones smiles as she listens to a podcast

6 Min Read

Extra Credit

Ten Great, Enjoyable, and Educational Podcasts

6 Min Read

screenshot of a virtual art gallery showing a shadow of a person looking at a painting

4 Min Read

News

College Galleries Get Creative to Showcase Student Work

4 Min Read

A young man sits at a voting booth during the 2020 presidential primary election

5 Min Read

News

The Data Behind the Youth Vote

5 Min Read

A row of college students wearing graduation regalia sit at a commencement ceremony, seen from behind

3 Min Read

News

Coronavirus Concerns Lead to Virtual Commencements

3 Min Read

a group of teenage young men and young women from the Evergreen Valley High School e sports team holding up signs promoting e sports

6 Min Read

Interview

A Career Path Winds Through Esports

6 Min Read

two male college e sports competitors pose standing back to back on a stage

7 Min Read

Interview

The Esports Boom Means Scholarships for Gamers

7 Min Read

a male e sports gamer wearing a black and maroon jersey wears a headset, has one hand on a computer mouse and another on his keyboard, and stares with focus at his computer monitor

7 Min Read

Feature

The New Power-Up on Campus: Video Games

7 Min Read

the top half of the front of a parked yellow school bus

3 Min Read

News

Can Anyone Here Drive a Bus?

3 Min Read

water running down a kitchen sink drain that is stuffed with 100 dollar bills

3 Min Read

News

Good Schools, Bad Investments

3 Min Read

a room full of empty school desks where a small table is attached to a colorful wood and metal chair

3 Min Read

Extra Credit

Say Goodbye to the Classic School Desk

3 Min Read

students in shop class working with a saw on a woodworking project

4 Min Read

News

Shop Class Is Back—and Gen Z Students are Here For It

4 Min Read

three young men chatting and laughing as they stand next to tractors parked on farmland

3 Min Read

News

The Next Big STEM Career: Farming

3 Min Read