Time flies. It’s already March, and on top of that, almost half-way through March. Once we wrap up this month in a few weeks, make it through rainy April and somehow survive AP tests in May, the school year is over. We only have two and a half months of school left, and we all know those months will fly by. 

Since the year is nearing its end, it’s time to start planning and preparing for next year. For current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, that means selecting classes for next year. When students met with counselors, they were shocked to hear that they would be required to take six classes if they were going to be sophomores or juniors and five classes if they were going to be seniors. 

This enraged many students, and for good reason. This new rule is insensitive towards students who have worked hard to take a class off during their schedule. For example, I am a sophomore. I took an extra class this year and took a one through seven period schedule with no open period. My hope was to eliminate a class that I would have to take during my upcoming junior year. I thought it was extremely insensitive for administrators to tell me after I put in the work that I would still have to take six classes my junior year.

Also, students were questioning what would happen if they took a class at COC over the summer. It would be useless for them to still have to take six classes. The rules should stay the same as previous years and taking a class over the summer at COC should count for credit that replaces a class required to take at Hart. 

Upon further investigation however, this new rule doesn’t seem as bad as we all think it is. 

After talking with my counselor, I learned that the reason behind this new rule was students claim they will take classes over the summer, never do and then they struggle to meet credit requirements as seniors. This new rule is being imposed to ensure that all students don’t struggle getting enough credits to graduate. 

Classes taken over the summer at COC still count for credit. When picking classes online with your counselor, pick six classes. If you want to take a class over the summer at COC, pick up the paperwork with your counselor and enroll in the class. At registration next year, bring proof of completion of the summer class to your counselor and your counselor will drop that class from your schedule. Now you only have five classes on your schedule while still fulfilling the class minimum requirements. 

If you are in the same position as me and you took an extra class this year to get ahead for next year, talk with your counselor. The class may eliminate a class from your schedule next year or it may not. It is all dependent on what class you took, what class you want to eliminate, and what classes you have already taken. 

Chances are, if you planned accordingly, the extra class should still take off a class from your schedule, as it did in my case. And if it does not take off a class from your schedule for next year, you just get the opportunity to try new electives. 

Freshmen, a piece of advice: it may be wise just to try not to get ahead. If you still are adamant on getting ahead, talk with your counselor before you take your extra class to ensure that your plan will work.

For now, just pick six classes when the counselors come visit your class and remember that you can remove some of these classes later. These new class minimum requirements don’t have nearly as big of an effect on us as we thought they did. Don’t worry about this new rule. Instead, focus on finishing out this year because as we all know, time flies.