Making a whole new schedule can be stressful. Some students have thought about their schedules since their freshman year. Others do not even think about it until their counselor starts talking to them about the next year. But what do you do if you are having trouble choosing your new classes for the next year?
“The primary thing students should consider is what their goals are after high school,” said Counselor Dave Vigneault. “If they are considering going to a university, they must select classes in the A-G program. If their goal is to just graduate high school and go into the workforce, they need to consider where that job will lead and if they will need a college degree in the future or not. If they plan to go into a trade school, students should consider what classes are required to get into that trade school.”
Students are required to take four years of English, two years of Math, two years of Science, two years of Physical Education, one year of a Fine Art or Foreign Language, a year of Modern World History, a year of U.S. History, a semester of World Geography, a semester of Government, a semester of Health, a semester of Economics, and eight classes of electives. This comes to a total of 230 credits required for students to graduate from high school.
For students who plan to go to college or university, they must follow the A-G track to be accepted into a California college. These requirements include two years of History, four years of English, three years of Math, two years of Science, two years of Foreign Language, one year of Fine Art, and one year of an Elective.
“The main problem with choosing classes for students is that oftentimes they are unaware of just what classes have to be taken and which classes are optional,” said History teacher Derek Akin.
One of the hardest parts about choosing your schedule is deciding on an elective. This can be difficult for students, especially if they do not know anything about the classes.
“I always encourage students to try something new they have never done before,” said Vigneault. “If students look at a course description guide and see a class that looks or sounds interesting to them, they should take that class.”
Sometimes, after looking over the options for electives, students do not find a class that sparks their interest. These students typically think their only option is to take a class offered by the school, but there are other options out there.
“If they find a class that sparks their interest, kids may even be able to take a class outside of school classes at Cerro Coso,” said Vigneault. “It does not come up often for students to take classes outside of school, but there is the option of doing online classes with Cerro Coso.”
As the school years go on, some classes students have taken in previous years may be taken off the roster. This can leave some students perplexed about what class they should take instead.
Senior Kaylee Cooper has dealt with this dilemma before.
“I’ll try to find something close to the class I originally wanted or I would ask my counselor for advice,” said Cooper.
Juniors will begin their class registration for their senior year on Feb. 22 and will have individual conferences with their counselors from Feb. 28 to Mar. 8. Sophomores will begin their registration on Mar. 11 and will speak with their counselors individually from Mar. 13 to Mar. 21. Lastly, freshmen will start their class registration on Mar. 22 and will have individual conferences with their counselors from Apr. 3 to Apr. 12.
In the end, choosing new classes for the upcoming school year can be stressful, but Burroughs offers many resources for its students. If you are having a hard time deciding on your schedule, visit a counselor and take into consideration the next step you want to take after high school.
