It is that time of that year again when students have to decide which courses to take for the following academic year. As a senior who has been through this process many times, I can understand just how difficult it is for juniors to develop a balanced schedule that takes so many different factors such as college and mental health into consideration. Consequently, I have outlined some advice for rising seniors struggling to figure out which courses they would like to take next year.

• Build a rigorous course schedule for next year. Don’t let anyone tell you that your senior year doesn’t matter, as colleges will still see your first-semester transcript. That being said, don’t take random AP and DE courses to boost your GPA and rank; make sure you have 1-2 electives in your schedule that demonstrate some sort of passion and tie in with an extracurricular.
• To current calculus students: continue taking calculus next year. AP Statistics is a great class, and I would recommend taking it as an elective if you have space but avoiding a calculus class after taking calculus AB or BC doesn’t look too good. If calculus REALLY isn’t your thing, then I understand, but don’t make poor decisions just because you are lazy.
• If you are in the fifth level of a world language, continue on to the AP level. Being proficient in a foreign language will open up so many doors and colleges LOVE to see a commitment to learning a new tongue.
• Start thinking about what your intended college major is going to be and make sure your coursework somewhat reflects that major
• Explore the fine arts if possible. Period
• Join Newsmag