After students quickly return from winter break, organizations and counselors anticipate working with a vast array of students as they map out their future high school schedules. For many, choosing classes is exciting, while for others, it’s stressful and overwhelming. Events like I Have a Plan night are held for incoming freshmen to learn about how the district supports their interest or how to appropriately select courses that will lead them to potential success.
“I had help from the counselors and some friends when choosing my courses, so of course it was a little easy. But choosing whether to make it advanced, on level, or AP was difficult because I didn’t know how hard it would be,” Augustin Nguyen (9) said.
For some students, course selection is shaped by past experiences and outside influences, sometimes leading them to take classes they might not have otherwise chosen. This only further leads to indecision that heightens emotions while adjusting to a new stage of life, so some people need honest guidance to be confident with their final schedule decisions.
“I took AP human geo because it was a step above advanced, and I was used to taking such classes. Had I been told the truth about the class, or even found out I needed to pay nearly $100 to take the AP test, it’s likely I wouldn’t have selected the class,” Natachi Kaduru (12) said.
Many believe that improving the course selection process by keeping resources direct and easily accessible could help students make better informed decisions.
“[On] the courses page in Skyward, they should change the layout to make it easier for us to choose classes,” Nyugen said, “They should add the description of classes and show us the things we need to choose the class we want”.
While seniors look ahead to graduation, the arrival of the class of 2029 serves as a reminder that things have come full circle and much has changed since they were freshmen themselves.
“I feel relieved to be a senior,” Kaduru said, “As for the class of 2029, it’s weird to think that those who were born in 2011 finally made it to high school. It makes me feel old.”
Course selection can feel like a big deal, whether it is freshmen trying to figure everything out or seniors looking back on how much has changed. While the process is overwhelming, having the right support and resources makes a huge difference, so it is important that the district continues their efforts to grow and improve with the main purpose of aiding students.