During course selection week at the end of January, students have to make a relatively quick decision on what classes they’ll sign up for in the following school year. These decisions are important in every year of high school, as they affect the student’s future interests, GPA, and overall high school experience. Many students may have questions about course selections, and school counselor Ms. Allen helped by answering some of these questions, as well as freshman Jacobo Mendoza answering some questions from the students’ perspective.
Ms. Clarissa Allen- Counselor
Q: What are the most popular electives among the student body?
“It kind of depends. There are sports which are very popular, but so are the Fine Arts. Art is a very big one, though. Art is probably one of the most popular ones that you can take, especially because a lot of freshmen take that class.”
Q: What common problems did students go through when picking their courses?
“The most common problem is trying to narrow down what they like because there are so many things that it’s hard to figure out what they want. The other major one is making sure that they get all their graduation requirements that they need on their schedule.”
Q: How do you think the process can be improved to make it simpler to pick courses?
“I do think that meeting with their counselor is a good [way to improve it]. When I was in the classroom I was going through every single person’s transcript that I was going through and telling them what they need, so as long as they meet with their counselor instead of trying to just guess what it is, they should instead ask questions and come see us. I think that that’ll make it easier for them.”
Q: When are the latest students can update their course selections?
“They can update their course selections through February 11th on their own, then after that, they’ll have to go to their counselor and they’ll have until May 27.”
Jacobo Mendoza, 9
Q: What elective are you most excited to take next year?
“Culinary Arts.”
Q: What elective would you have liked to pick but didn’t end up picking?
“Welding.”
Q: What is a class you wish would be an option at the school?
“Fisheries & Wildlife.”
