Every February every WHS student receives a giant course selection book full of potential courses for students to could from for their next year’s schedule. Although the majority of a student’s schedule is filled with required classes, in every schedule there is usually room for an elective or two. And every year there are some electives that everyone wants more than others. And every year, the guidance counselors say they cannot guarantee students, especially freshmen and sophomores, their top electives. However, the hope is stated that upperclassmen will receive their chosen electives.
Now more often then not, I hear upperclassmen still saying they aren’t getting the electives they wanted. Sometimes there is a schedule conflict, but a lot of times there are underclassmen who are in the classes that the upperclassmen wanted.
Yes, there are a bunch of great electives offered just for seniors. One might think this is great! How cool, a senior doesn’t have to worry about being closed out of an elective because a freshman or sophomore somehow got the elective.
Well, there are three really popular classes in the Social Studies department that a lot of students like to take. I know a bunch of kids got into all three of those courses and then there are other students, such as myself, who signed up for all three of them and were not placed into any of them.
Now if someone tries to tell me that the course was filled up or it didn’t fit into my schedule, then I’d like to know how all three fit into so many students’ schedules. It just isn’t fair. It doesn’t make sense that some people get every elective they want, but then there are seniors who still get stuck taking an elective that they don’t want to be taking.
I know that the guidance department tries to be fair, but clearly the system isn’t working. There are so many unhappy students who never get to take electives that they want because of full class rosters. Some type of change has to occur. The electives are there so that students can try different classes and/or take some classes that they might really enjoy. So what happens to the students who don’t get placed in their top choices? They end up in a class that they really don’t want to be in and then the entire reason for having electives is completely lost. I would love to see our course scheduling changed to meet the needs of the upperclassmen’s electives
anonymous • Jan 4, 2010 at 10:07 am
I also agree with Jackie. I am a senior and last year during course selection I finally felt like I had power and could make a schedule I personally enjoy and that is conveinant. The schedule process is one of the few benefits of being an upperclassmen and I think there should be even more senioritity present when assigning kids to certain classes. It’s a rite of passage and should definately be recognized more by underclassmen and guidance but juniors and seniors should appreciate this power and not abuse it.
Anonymous • Dec 15, 2009 at 10:26 am
I agree with Jackie. As a junior, there are already electives that I have not been able to take due to either my schedule or the course being filled up. Due to this, I have been put into electives that weren’t necessarily ones that I chose. All throughout high school I have heard that there were electives mostly dedicated to seniors, and that seniors always get first choice. So next year, as a senior I would want to get into the electives I have put in my schedule and get preference over underclassmen, now that I have waited my turn for these courses. Thanks Jackie – great article!!
Kelly • Dec 2, 2009 at 12:31 pm
I don’t necessarily agree with this, most of my friends all got one if not all of their elective choices. Not everyone is going to be able to take the most vied for classes at WHS. Guidance has to be fair and probably picks at random who gets to join which class. As for lower classman bumping seniors out of classes, it has to happen sometime. You can’t have a class that’s offered to everyone have only seniors in it just because they get first pick. And if some seniors are mad they didn’t get all their electives it could be because they have a lot more electives than full year courses.