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Annika Peterson | Senior | May
With the school year soon coming to a close, a new class of graduates prepare to leave behind the high school halls in pursuit of the future. In the short four years these students spent here, they have gotten to experience the ups and downs of high school, discovering their interests and the paths they will follow. Although these seniors will soon no longer be present, the knowledge they have gained and decided to pass along will remain for those who need it.
Recommended Classes:
Throughout their time here, seniors have been able to take a variety of classes Mandan has to offer. Of these classes, most seniors recommend taking language, CTE, FACS, and dual credit courses. When asked what classes she would recommend underclassmen to take, senior Addyson Weldon said, “Definitely [AP US History] along with any of the art and food classes.” Sadie Watson, another senior, recommended, “Independent living. It teaches you most things you need to know after high school that other classes don’t teach you.” While some classes are recommended due to their practicality, another widely shared sentiment among seniors is to just take, “Everything required, then whatever you enjoy,” as said by senior Ian Brinkley.
Difficult Classes:
While some classes are recommended for the payoff and the enjoyment, others have found certain classes to be challenging, and ultimately only recommend taking them based on future field interests. One of these classes is chemistry. Chemistry is known to be a harder class, and an anonymous senior remarks, “If you aren’t going to college, I wouldn’t take Chemistry. I love Mr. Mack, though.” Other seniors mentioned Advanced Health Sciences, a block period where students study the medical field. This anonymous senior recommends that underclass men should only take it if they, “only take it if you’re very interested in health care.”
A photo of the school's M statue.
Photo taken from Canva.
Regrets:
Although seniors have got to experience much of high school, there are many things that they couldn’t, whether it be due to lack of time or issues with their schedules. A common class regret expressed by seniors is that they wished they would have taken more dual credit and art classes. These regrets can serve as advice for the underclassmen who read them. It is important to take dual credit classes and get college credits for cheaper, but it is also just as important to take a fun class every once in a while. There are just as many regrets of never having taken creative classes as there are of not taking enough dual credit, so, as senior Vincent Keller said, “Don’t stress about school and have fun.”
General advice:
As a form of a final goodbye, the class of 2027 has left some advice for underclassmen. This advice ranges from a variety of things from behavior in the classroom to how underclassmen will handle the world and relationships around them. The most prominent advice, as said perfectly by senior Addyson Weldon, “Do not procrastinate and go to as many events as possible.” Others have left advice on how to treat others in the school with Senior Sadie Watson saying, “Remember you are making an impact on other people’s lives, try to leave a good impression on them. Be the person that they remember for good.” Senior Kylan Doll gives advice on how to behave around teachers, saying, “Be respectful to your teachers. It’s not being a teacher's pet but it’s becoming somewhat friends with a teacher.” On the other hand, senior Gavin Fry leaves not advice, but a warning to the student body, “Do not flush the urinal three times in the lakes hallway, it WILL flood.”
Some of this advice is heard by underclassmen everyday, whether it be from counselors or their own parents. However, hearing it from seniors is different. These are the people who spent over a decade in school, and they had to learn and live through everything they talked about. As these seniors continue to prepare to leave high school behind them, it is the duty of those of us left to learn from our seniors and take their stories for all they’re worth.
Annika Peterson, News Editor
Annika Peterson is the editor of the News section for The Courier. This is her second year of writing for The Courier, and her first year as an editor.
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