With the new school year in coming, it is important to consider course scheduling. It is always wise to get a head start on this process, as it is a vital part of having a successful school year.
Choose a Good Amount of Alternates
When scheduling, an individual must always choose a healthy number of alternates. It is important to remember that, while it would certainly be nice, people cannot always get exactly what they want. This is especially true when it comes to receiving school schedules. An individual should always choose alternates that they would not be unhappy with taking so that their counselor can plan accordingly and try to match students with the next best thing if the first option does not work out. Though they try, counselors are not always able to make first choices fit into a schedule. Therefore, if one has their hopes set on taking a particular course, they must keep in mind that there is a possibility that they will have to wait to take it.
Consider Time Commitments
When course scheduling, an individual must always consider the amount of time and effort that they are willing to put into a class. Choosing courses is a commitment to respecting a teacher’s time and not wasting their efforts in education. If one knows that they may not have enough time to tackle a class that requires more effort, such as ACP calculus, it would be best not to choose the class. After all, a failed credit is a wasted credit that could have been used on something else. Consider how the workload of four or more difficult, college-level courses in a school year may impact a student’s time for other things, such as extracurriculars, family, work and friends.
Consider Graduation Requirements
One of the most important things to keep in mind when scheduling courses is graduation requirements. It is always important to consider the amount of graduation requirements you want to take in a year. For example, most students take economics and US government, which are required to graduate, during their senior year. An individual should consider the type of degree they are planning to graduate with and schedule accordingly. One should also leave space for fun classes that they want to take and will enjoy as well.
Consider the Future
The absolute best thing to do when choosing courses for the next school year is to consider the future. For example, if one wants to achieve a science major, it may be best to take plenty of courses that relate to scientific endeavors. Alternatively, if one wants to earn a major in English, it would be best to choose relevant courses, such as advanced English classes and English electives. Additionally, an individual must consider whether they plan on furthering their education or not. AP courses and classes through Ivy Tech are useful when considering applying to college, whereas the ICE programs, Jobs for America’s Graduates and other career opportunity based classes, are more useful to those who want to go into the workforce directly after high school. It is also important to at least have an idea of which courses to take in future years of high school so that one can account for the courses that they really want to take or the courses that they did not get.
Course request sheets for the new school year are due Wednesday, March 6, 2024. They should be turned in physically to the counseling office and digitally entered in Skyward.
