Students meet with their counselors in the spring to register for courses for the following year. Students can benefit from good choices as they fulfill graduation requirements and explore interesting options.
High school counselor Donna Ramos said, “Students need to be aware of the expectations of the courses they choose. For example, if a student is thinking of taking an honors or AP course, she should speak with her current teacher and other students who have taken the desired course to get a better idea before making a decision.
“Students should have completed a 4-year plan with counselors which will allow them to have a comprehensive view of their years in high school academic career and determine credits for graduation. Students need to determine their end goal and use the plan to make steps to meet that goal.
“Students only have four years to create an impressive profile of themselves for universities. I would not want students to realize their mistakes in their Senior Year. At that time it is too late. Planning ahead will eliminate those errors and feelings of regret during their Senior Year. I want students to be proud that they took advantage of all of their opportunities in high school.
“I would advise students to consult with their teachers and counselor about options. Create an end goal and work backwards. Find new ways to challenge and improve yourself.
“Courses give students knowledge and experience. It is a time to determine learning styles and study skills in order to be a successful college student in the future,” said Ramos.
Teachers play a big part in deciding what courses a student should take. For course registrations, teachers give recommendations to their students based on their abilities, efforts and results.
Japanese teacher Masa Yamaguchi said, “I am currently teaching Japanese I and II and English as a Second Language. When it is time for registration, I first take a survey to see what courses (honors, regular or switching languages) my students are looking to take for the following year. At the same time, I check my students’ grades since World Language courses have prerequisites and see if they are eligible for the next level.
“Looking at students’ responses, I check whether the student and I agree. If we reach agreement, there is no problem and I let the student know the recommendation. If there is a gap between a student’s plan and my recommendation, I meet with her to discuss it. If necessary, I contact her parents.
“We hold this type of conference not to convince a student and her parents to agree to my recommendation, but to reach an ‘agreement’ without conflict, complaint or misunderstandings. Going through these processes, I finally determine what course a student should take.
“Recommendations are not merely made based on a student’s grade but also her class participation, enthusiasm, work ethic, interest in the language and culture,” said Yamaguchi.
Many students benefit from the courses they take while others may regret their choices.
Senior Chelsea Nicholas said, “Looking back, there has definitely been a difference in my decision-making for what class to enroll in. Before, I would only base my decisions on the course descriptions provided by the Academy. Now, I have learned that asking other students who have been in a class, its difficulty and the teacher’s overall expectations. It is more helpful that way. I tried to see myself in that class.
“I wanted to make sure that the classes I took were challenging but manageable and that they were courses that interested me. I don’t regret my courses during freshman to Junior Year.
“However, I do regret not taking AP Biology and Spanish V although it was impossible to fit into my schedule for Senior Year. AP Bio would have taken up an extra class period that I needed for a required course, and Spanish V was only available for one period which made it difficult to re-arrange my course schedule.
“AP Bio would have definitely helped me at Boston University because I am going to concentrate on Human Physiology, but it is okay because I’m taking Anatomy and Physiology and AP Calculus which will equally benefit me in college.
“As a freshman and sophomore, I definitely explored all the course opportunities that the Academy offered me. It wasn’t until I knew that I wanted to pursue the medical field that I focused more on science and math courses and steered away from art or drama classes. I knew that getting into a good college was difficult so I took advantage of every honors and AP course that fit into my schedule.
“Since I’ve taken challenging courses, it has taught me a lot about time management, persistence and communication. Overall, the classes have been beneficial in helping me realize what I want to do in life,” said Nicholas.
