5 on Class Schedules

When you first get your school schedule, you might be pleasantly surprised to see all the classes you wanted or that your least favorite teacher is no longer on your list of things to deal with. But sometimes you might find that your number one choice for an elective has been replaced by your worst nightmare.

Here are some things to think about when filling out your course selection sheet and then finalizing your schedule in August:

• Meet the requirements. As a student, it is your responsibility to make sure you meet all course requirements for graduation. That might include core courses, specific electives, the number of credits, and an online class. Double check with your school to make sure you're on the right track to graduate on time. Additionally, check if some of the colleges you're interested in require a minimum high school curriculum for acceptance.
• Challenge yourself. If you feel you're ready, push yourself to advance to an honors or AP level course. This can help you learn and grow more in your studies and prepare you for college.
• Don't forget to do what you love. Many students will get caught up in stacking up credits for their GPA, college, or Val/Sal recognition. Try to remember to take classes you might enjoy or that are in a field you're interested in. This can help you gain insight for a future career.
• Know your limits. Yes, AP classes are great ... if you can handle them. Don't get worked up in taking all the hardest classes at once if you can't manage them. Figure out where you stand and you can build up as you go.
• Do your own thing. This kind of goes along with the third one. At your school, there might be certain courses that are unofficially labeled as "the class you take if you're smart" or "the class you take if you're not smart." While its good to hear your peers' reviews on what a teacher is like or how a class is you don't want to get caught up in thinking that you have to take a specific course in order to be socially accepted as intelligent. In other words, you don't need to follow the crowd. You can do things your way and still be successful.