New Year, New Classes

Midterms are over and we are now beginning a new semester. This also is the beginning of the process of choosing our courses for the upcoming school year. Many students, especially freshmen, are overwhelmed by the vast amount of courses and electives available to them. This can be a stressful process, but I am here with some great tips!

A primary concern of many students is whether or not to take Regents, AP, or Honors classes. First of all, you need to know your abilities, strengths, and study habits when making these decisions.

Let’s start with science; many of you have already taken Earth Science so you are going into either Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or AP Biology. Biology is more difficult than Earth Science, but I would recommend taking Honors if you are willing to study, as Biology is largely dependent on memorization.

This is not really applicable to math because you chose whether or not to take the advanced track in seventh grade.

English is time-consuming, but if you are willing to put in the time and effort, you should take Honors.

History is difficult because there is not simply an Honors option; there is only Regents and AP. In all AP classes, you should be expecting a lot of work because it is a college level course.

One benefit of AP courses is that you can receive college credit, saving you a lot of money in the future. I would highly recommend taking any required classes, such as Health and Economics, as early as possible, leaving time for electives that interest you.

Clearly, your strengths, weaknesses, and study habits are what is important in making these decisions. If you know yourself well enough, you will make the right decision. Another thing to keep in mind is that colleges look at the rigor of your high school classes; this can be a deciding factor in your admission. If you are willing to work hard, then you should be able to conquer any class that you wish to take. Happy studying!