Last year was my first experience with creating a schedule at ELHS and to say the least, I was stressed. There was so much preparation around creating our schedules and then waiting for our counselors to call up the next person while we waited at a table in the computer lab. I had my whole schedule planned out and ensured that all of my classes were still available while I checked the master schedule after every class. After all of that waiting and preparing, I ended up with almost none of the classes I wanted.
I was upset, to say the least.
There are three days of scheduling where each student is assigned a time slot to arrange their schedule with a counselor. However, this leads to advantages for some. Students with later days tend to get schedules they do not want as opposed to students with earlier days. My time slot was on the last day, hence why I didn’t get the classes I wanted.
Although the classes I got were not originally the classes I wanted, I grew to love and enjoy them. At the beginning of the school year I wasn’t the least bit excited about going to class and all I wanted was a different schedule. But now, I actually kinda love my classes, including the newspaper, which I originally did not want to be a part of.
Despite everything working out in the end this year, that was definitely not the case my freshmen year. Last year I went through several schedule changes just to revert back to my old schedule to prevent all of my classes being rearranged, so in the end nothing changed and I was stuck with a schedule I didn’t want.
Looking back on it now it wasn’t that awful, but at that moment I dreaded going to some of my classes. Now that I am done with that year, I’m glad that I got my elective credits and that I’ll never have to be in those classes again. Some of those classes even gave me friendships I would’ve never had and I am forever grateful for that.
Sophia Skrotzki (10) had a similarly bad experience with scheduling after having to add Algebra 2/Pre-Calc to her schedule because Algebra 2 wasn’t available. Skrotzki was uninterested in taking this class, but it was the only available option, so she had to take it. Being forced into taking a core class you did not want should not be possible.
Our current schedule system is designed to give upcoming seniors first pick on the schedules in order to ensure they get the rest of their needed electives. Although the rising juniors and seniors getting more options makes it a lot harder for underclassmen to get classes, this may be the best thing about the scheduling system. It should depend on seniority because underclassmen can make up those classes as they move up grade levels.
The group that has the worst classes are definitely freshmen. Picking what classes we want in eighth grade in preparation for freshmen is practically useless. No matter what you pick, you will always end up in a class you do not want because you get the classes no one else picked, unless you are in band or orchestra.
I know it feels useless sometimes. If a student wants to change a class they are in they have to fill out the form, which feels like it never works, or email their counselor until they are happy with their schedule, which they never are. Then you find out that the classes you want to switch into are full and the only way to get into them is to rearrange your entire schedule, which is the worst possible option. The other option is to just give up and accept that your schedule sucks or blame your counselor.
Although the counselors are often blamed for how scheduling works we should recognize how much work they have to do and that they don’t control the master schedule. Unfortunately our counselors are not at our beck and call because they have hundreds of other students they have to schedule for. I’m not sure that more counselors would be helpful during the rest of the year that we are not scheduling. However, a little help during those times may serve them well. Don’t blame the counselors for things outside of their control. Scheduling is one of those things.
My best advice for scheduling would be to just get through freshman year and everything will get better from there. Or, make the most of the classes you are put into by finding a friend or just someone to talk to.
