When entering senior year, a wider range of semester-long classes than were available in prior years of high school present opportunities for students to participate in more courses that interest them as compared to filling their schedule with year-long classes. With so many choices, however, comes the challenge of finding a way to fit all of the preferred courses into a student’s schedule.
Students are required to take math and English every year of high school, but after having few options in grades nine through eleven, many juniors find themselves in a debate over what to take given the expanded options for seniors and how those choices will impact their schedules.
“There are a lot of options for next year, but I do not want my schedule to be too crowded,” junior Olivia Scully-Power said. “I wish I had the time to take multiple science semester courses at the same time as my English and math courses.”
For many current seniors, choosing two English semester courses rather than doing AP English was a very common decision, and students had to balance their preferences for those classes with other priorities.
“I chose the two [semester] English courses that I thought I would be the most interested in,” senior Katie Gaw said. “In my experience, prioritizing my APs was more important than my interests, which limited the amount of semester courses I could take, so it was a tough decision.”
Other rising seniors see more universal positives around whatever semester courses they take.
“Although I know that any course I take will benefit me, I think balancing my APs and interest in semester courses is the most important,” junior Quinn Garry said. “Semester courses are definitely more engaging in my opinion, but academics also play a large role in college decisions and what I might major in.
In terms of greater challenges beyond scheduling space, many students struggle trying to match their interests and what they might want to do in the future with academic requirements for graduation or to match colleges’ expectations.
“I have always been interested in computer science and engineering,” junior Andreas Gavris said. “Although I want to take another computer science course in my senior year, I also have to prioritize my core academics.”
Guidance Intern Leah Worth has worked with some current juniors to help them determine the optimal schedule for next year.
“We want students to pick a balance in classes that they will both succeed in and find interest in,” Worth said. “One of the benefits of senior year is that you do not have to take a social studies course, for example. You could in theory double up and take AP Lit and if you are super interested in non-fiction you could take a semester-long non-fiction course.”
Many students also have similar opinions regarding their balance and interests in academics, mainly focusing on the future.
“I had to take Art 3 over an extra AP to satisfy the needs of my schedule,” Garry said. “I know that many colleges would prefer an extra AP, but I think there is a balance between that and what makes you different from other applicants.”
As for current students’ favorite semester courses, many current seniors enjoy the English semester courses.
“In my experience, I have really enjoyed Creative Writing and Sport Literature so far,” Gaw said. “Both have been interesting, and it is nice to switch it up halfway through the school year.”
Aside from focusing on academics, some students still want to take their semester courses for the social aspects and experiences they offer.
“Taking semester courses will allow me to meet and work with more teachers,” Scully-Power said. “I also like switching classes in the middle of the year as I get to be with new people or friends.”
Like Scully-Power, some faculty members enjoy teaching their semester courses to seniors and others due to the unique opportunities they offer.
“The semester course is enjoyable because I have mixed grades in my classes and business is a new subject for many students,” Flynn said. “In addition, I meet and work with more students over the course of the school year.”