Ah, February. It’s the month of love, friendship and, of course, scheduling classes for next school year. While students have been handing out Valentines and binging rom-coms, the THS counselors have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming scheduling season. The process of picking out courses is a stressful one for students, parents and counselors alike, but there are some ways to make this season run a bit more smoothly.

Students should begin the scheduling process by taking a look at the classes available to their grade level on the course selection sheet. Resources such as Trinity’s graduation requirements and course descriptions can be found here, and students should utilize these to guide their decisions. Final selections for next year should take up 16 semesters with at least two semesters selected from each required subject area. Students hoping to schedule for late entry or early release during their senior year should pay extra attention to their remaining graduation requirements, including fine arts and other electives, to ensure that they will be eligible for these opportunities. 

Underclassmen, you still have multiple years left at THS. When scheduling for next year, be sure to think about the classes you’d like to take throughout the rest of your time here. Some courses have prerequisites that must be completed before reaching higher levels, so make sure to factor those situations into course decisions. 

This brings us to another important point: don’t just take classes because your friends are taking them. Friends will not be able to help when it’s time to take a test in a class that isn’t the right fit for you. Every student’s journey and passions are different, so make sure to stay true to yourself throughout the process. You may even make some new friends in the process!

Speaking of passions, electives are the best resources here at THS to discover and kickstart those career goals. Could you see yourself reporting about breaking news? Try out Journalism or TV Broadcasting. Are you interested in the medical field? Take Animal Health and Nutrition or Intro to Medicine and Medical Terminology. Do you dream of being the CEO of a large company? Dive into the field through Accounting or Foundations of Management. Do you have absolutely no idea what you’d like to do after graduation? Take a look at the course selection sheet and try out anything that seems interesting. Electives are a unique window to the professional world outside of THS, so they provide students with a unique level of preparation for future endeavors. 

With a plethora of options for required and elective courses, it’s easy to bite off more than you can chew. Be honest with yourself about your workload and interests when it comes to making final selections. Talk to your teachers and counselors about the differences between CP, honors and AP courses to decide which will be the best fit. It is also important to consider the amount of time that goes into sports, clubs and work to avoid being stretched too thin. Choose courses that best reflect your abilities and available time to have the best chance at success. 

Scheduling sheets will be distributed to students during their English classes on February 21. Final selections using the online Google Form will be due March 3, and counselors will visit students during class from March 6 to March 13 to enter these choices into Skyward.

You’re one step closer to leaving THS, so make these selections count, Hillers!