In September through October, Trinity High School students have the opportunity to drop classes that they have signed up for, and some ultimately choose to no longer continue dedicating time and hard work into these classes.

With all of their reasons for dropping their class, stress and mental health were the main reasons. This was along with having little to no time for themselves because of the amount of work from the class and preparation for upcoming tests. 

The students’ expectations for each of their dropped classes were very similar as well. Some students thought their class would be useful and more easy going, while the other students had expected the class to be challenging, leading them to think it would be at a faster pace with a helpful understanding of what is being taught, but, in their opinion, it was not. The students’ expectations of their dropped classes were not met. 

Senior Nathan Evans explains that his reasoning for dropping came down to his future plans.

“The class really just wasn’t what I was looking for. I was in a college-level class and that doesn’t really match up with what I want to do in the future,” says Evans.

Prior to taking their class, the students did not think they would drop out, and instead believed they would push through the “demanding” work and be able to handle it. Sophomore Payton Wright did believe at one point, before she took the class, that it could be a possibility she might not be able to get through the class after hearing former students state how challenging the class was and how it was not worth the strain.

“I thought it was a possibility, after hearing from former students of this class that it was hard, but I still wanted to try the class. I did drop another class this year, but it was because of this class that took up too much of my time and dedication,” Wright states. 

The teachers of each of the dropped classes reacted differently. One student was told that she would not get any “helpful knowledge” from other “easy A” classes, while another student was told that she was making a mistake. However, another student states her teacher reacted by attempting to persuade her to stay and questioning her future plans in her education. She gave her answer and the teacher was then “more understanding” of her reasoning to drop the class. 

In some instances, the students did not like the teachers’ teaching styles. Some students stated a teacher would only give them examples of what to do for assignments or essays, but wouldn’t actually teach them or show them how to do the work. Some students felt as if they had to teach themselves. 

Tests and certain “daily” assignments were difficult for the students. One student discusses that the preparation for tests alone was “nerve racking” and “its own different type of stress,” while another student replies that the certain assignments took up so much of their time that they at least had three, if not more, hours of homework a night from that class alone. 

Most students had no regrets dropping their class. They explain how they are much happier, stress-relieved, have a more open schedule and have more time for their other classes. 

Evans shares his response on the matter: “I feel like I will be graduating with so much less stress and better grades than I would have if I’d stayed in the class.”

Having no free time or time for other classes, along with the stress that followed it, seemed to rank as the number one reason a class was dropped. 

Sophomore Sydney Wahl gives her advice to students before scheduling for a class: “Really consider if you want to major for the [subject] before taking it. Consider if you have that kind of dedication in you before you are already in the class and then want to drop it.”