In these past few months, school administration has been discussing new scheduling ideas such as block scheduling, different start times and more. This conversation has led to them going on back and forth on whether or not to keep the choices for senior electives and student assistants open.
Senior electives and being a student assist are both choices given to seniors; they are both essentially a free period, the only difference being that if a student chooses a student assist position they can help out a teacher during that hour.
Students have many concerns regarding time for college applications. Seniors have a lot on their plate, especially with college applications; they have to plan for their future while still having the time to focus on finishing their high school years off strong.
Applying for college has many steps and is a lengthy process, which is why many seniors appreciate having the choice of a senior elect. It helps with their time management and in turn reduces stress and avoids burnout.
Personally I struggle so much getting my work done when I get home, and having an extra period to get that stuff done is really helpful for me.”
— Paige Van Duyne
“Personally I struggle so much getting my work done when I get home, and having an extra period to get that stuff done is really helpful for me,” senior Paige Van Duyne said.
Not only does the time help with getting college applications ready, but also the place. Having time in school to work on these is extremely beneficial for students who are confused, or need to meet with counselors. This will especially help because many people forget students, including seniors, have jobs, extracurriculars, etc., so they might not have any time other than during school hours to meet with counselors or get help with college apps.
“Having that much extra time in your day to go through and ask for stuff and get that done would probably be helpful,” junior Gavin Schuna said.
Many of the students disagree with restricting these choices, and think it will have a negative impact for seniors overall. For example, junior Madylyn Richert said if seniors are already on track to graduate they should be able to have the option and privilege of having a free period.
On the other hand, some people believe requiring seniors to keep a full schedule will help them prepare for college and withholds expectations. Another reason people may say that cutting down on senior electives will be beneficial is because requiring seniors to have a full schedule means they can fill their schedule up with electives if they choose to do so. That side of the conversation links back to how students have been asking for the opportunity for more time slots in the day for regular electives, yet seniors are not taking those electives.
While that is valid and true, requiring seniors to have a full schedule will not give them more open slots for electives, it will simply keep them busier and have them juggling a full schedule, which will not necessarily prepare them for college. Not only that, but they run the risk of being overworked which will cause burnout.
We can acknowledge the worries of both sides, but at the end of the day it is affecting the students more than anyone else. If so many students think having a full schedule would put too much strain and pressure on seniors then the changes should not be made.
