How to Balance Your High School Schedule
Start early., Familiarize yourself and meet school crediting requirements., Consider your aspirations for future colleges and careers., Find your strong and weak areas., Consider your interests., Be realistic: Give yourself plenty of breaks...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start early.
Give yourself plenty of time to think over your future schedule and make changes as needed.
Don't leave anything until the last minute. -
Step 2: Familiarize yourself and meet school crediting requirements.
Different high schools have different systems:
Some require four credit (one for each year) in core courses, others require only two or three credits in a certain subject.
Determine how many credits you need for electives (such as band, art, or computer tech) as well.
Most schools require you to take at least one course in fine or applied arts, and some make a music program mandatory.
Look into the lunch, study hall, and gym system.
Some schools require that you take a lunch, others encourage you to substitute lunch with another class.
You may have a maximum limit of study halls you can take.
You will probably have to take gym all four years, but various high schools offer summer gym or an after-school gym program.
You may take gym twice a week, alternating with a health or wellness class, or you might take gym every day.
Remember: these requirements are the bare minimum that you must meet.
There are very few, if any, ways to get around this. , This will help you focus the classes that you should load up on or take higher-level courses in.
For example, if you want to go to Harvard, you should expect to take harder courses than if you want to go to a more modest university.
The same goes for careers:
If you want to be a mathematician, take a lot of honors math courses; if you wish to be a teacher, it would be desirable to take a child development course.
Talk with others at that college or in that field, and ask what courses were most useful to them in high school.
Talk to your guidance counselor about courses that are good preparation for a certain major.
Some high schools offer a whole string of courses on engineering, architecture, or another focus area. , Most of this is common sense:
If you love algebra, and find it simple, that would be a strong point.
If you despise reading, and struggle in English class, that would be a weak point.
Consider taking a harder class in your strong areas:
Because you are good at it, it will seem easier, and you will enjoy it.
Slow down in the areas you struggle in.
I don't suggest taking honors Spanish III if you had a C in Spanish II. , These are classes that you can take as electives.
If you are musical, take band, chorus, or orchestra! If you doodle a lot, take art! If computers fascinate you, take an HTML or Java programming course! These are your 'fun' periods.
They should be more relaxed and have a lighter workload than regular core courses.
Take these classes in subjects that you enjoy.
The class will be a blast if you like the subject! Don't be afraid to learn something new.
If it won't stress you out, consider learning a new skill, whether it be playing an instrument or computer programming. , Take a lunch, and/or a study hall! Feel free to take these courses.
You are not superhuman, you need breathing room.
These offer you some time to de-stress and work through homework or assignments, they are valuable resources.
Do not overlook these.
Realize that you are not superhuman! , Your Spanish teacher will want you to continue Spanish, and your English teacher might tell you to take honors next year- but then you realize that you are already taking two other honors courses.
You don't need to listen to them.
Every teacher thinks that their subject is most important:
You don't have to take your teacher's recommendation.
If you are taking enough honors classes, you don't have to take that honors English as well. , Look at required courses, your strengths and weaknesses, your aspirations, and your breathing room.
From this, you should be able to go through each subject and decide what class to take at what level.
From this point, perfect and tweak it until you have a balanced schedule that you can definitely handle. -
Step 3: Consider your aspirations for future colleges and careers.
-
Step 4: Find your strong and weak areas.
-
Step 5: Consider your interests.
-
Step 6: Be realistic: Give yourself plenty of breaks.
-
Step 7: Realize that teachers will try to talk you into things.
-
Step 8: Compile everything.
Detailed Guide
Give yourself plenty of time to think over your future schedule and make changes as needed.
Don't leave anything until the last minute.
Different high schools have different systems:
Some require four credit (one for each year) in core courses, others require only two or three credits in a certain subject.
Determine how many credits you need for electives (such as band, art, or computer tech) as well.
Most schools require you to take at least one course in fine or applied arts, and some make a music program mandatory.
Look into the lunch, study hall, and gym system.
Some schools require that you take a lunch, others encourage you to substitute lunch with another class.
You may have a maximum limit of study halls you can take.
You will probably have to take gym all four years, but various high schools offer summer gym or an after-school gym program.
You may take gym twice a week, alternating with a health or wellness class, or you might take gym every day.
Remember: these requirements are the bare minimum that you must meet.
There are very few, if any, ways to get around this. , This will help you focus the classes that you should load up on or take higher-level courses in.
For example, if you want to go to Harvard, you should expect to take harder courses than if you want to go to a more modest university.
The same goes for careers:
If you want to be a mathematician, take a lot of honors math courses; if you wish to be a teacher, it would be desirable to take a child development course.
Talk with others at that college or in that field, and ask what courses were most useful to them in high school.
Talk to your guidance counselor about courses that are good preparation for a certain major.
Some high schools offer a whole string of courses on engineering, architecture, or another focus area. , Most of this is common sense:
If you love algebra, and find it simple, that would be a strong point.
If you despise reading, and struggle in English class, that would be a weak point.
Consider taking a harder class in your strong areas:
Because you are good at it, it will seem easier, and you will enjoy it.
Slow down in the areas you struggle in.
I don't suggest taking honors Spanish III if you had a C in Spanish II. , These are classes that you can take as electives.
If you are musical, take band, chorus, or orchestra! If you doodle a lot, take art! If computers fascinate you, take an HTML or Java programming course! These are your 'fun' periods.
They should be more relaxed and have a lighter workload than regular core courses.
Take these classes in subjects that you enjoy.
The class will be a blast if you like the subject! Don't be afraid to learn something new.
If it won't stress you out, consider learning a new skill, whether it be playing an instrument or computer programming. , Take a lunch, and/or a study hall! Feel free to take these courses.
You are not superhuman, you need breathing room.
These offer you some time to de-stress and work through homework or assignments, they are valuable resources.
Do not overlook these.
Realize that you are not superhuman! , Your Spanish teacher will want you to continue Spanish, and your English teacher might tell you to take honors next year- but then you realize that you are already taking two other honors courses.
You don't need to listen to them.
Every teacher thinks that their subject is most important:
You don't have to take your teacher's recommendation.
If you are taking enough honors classes, you don't have to take that honors English as well. , Look at required courses, your strengths and weaknesses, your aspirations, and your breathing room.
From this, you should be able to go through each subject and decide what class to take at what level.
From this point, perfect and tweak it until you have a balanced schedule that you can definitely handle.
About the Author
Jack King
Jack King specializes in technology and innovation and has been creating helpful content for over 4 years. Jack is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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