Screw variety.
Why the hell do I need Geography if I'm going to an IT university? Or Chemistry? Or History? Seriously.
Or why would a nuclear scientist want to know about the Renaissance? How does it help him in his job?
Some teachers don't understand it and treat their subject as the most important of them all. I've met only ONE teacher, my current Physics teacher, who has a simple rule:
"Exams are easy to pass with a C, but if you want a higher grade, you have to put some effort". So basically if you care about the subject, you must work for it. If you don't, don't worry, you'll pass anyway.