By Mihika Badjate
Now that the school year is coming to an end, it is time for many high school students to choose their courses for next year. Deciding between several required classes, visual and performing arts classes, honors classes, advanced placement classes, and electives can be challenging. There are only so many classes in a school day, so how can you fit in Algebra, Choir, Social Studies, English, P.E, Physics, Literature, French, and the cooking and entrepreneurship classes you wanted to take?
While these decisions may seem stressful, and it may feel like they will determine your entire high school career, it can actually be quite fun to explore the courses that are offered. One strategy which is really helpful is planning out your junior and senior year courses. While you definitely don’t have to stick to the courses you plan out since your interests may change or you might change your mind, it is good to have a rough plan. When I started picking out my courses for junior year, I realized that I would have to eliminate at least one or two courses from my list and take them in senior year instead.
The other thing to keep in mind is Advanced Placement, or AP courses. Although looking good on college transcripts is definitely a big plus, AP classes are also great to challenge yourself and go further in a subject you are interested in. It is also important to remember not to overload yourself and make sure you will have time to relax—you don’t want to spend all your time doing homework and studying for tests! Most of all, make sure you choose extracurriculars and electives that interest you or that you’d like to learn more about. Have fun with your classes!
