What class should I choose?
Choosing classes seems to be the word in the halls as students prepare for the 2010-2011 school year. Students go to friends, parents, teachers and counselors for suggestions for next year’s schedule. As the due date to turn in the schedule cards nears, students struggle to make their final decisions and choose the classes that will help them in their future and allow them to complete the required credits and graduate.
As rising juniors and seniors step into the period of college preparation – SAT’s, standardized tests, and applications to college – they find themselves trying to take more challenging classes. Upperclassmen find that it is important to take hard classes that will look good on their college application.
Junior Meghann Tilghman is currently taking child development. “I like to choose classes that I may want to pursue in the future,” said Tilghman. “For example, I may want to work with kids in the future.” She thinks that taking this course will help give her experience if she wants to someday work with children.
To graduate in MCPS, students must receive a minimum of 22 credits including four English credits, one fine arts credit, one semester of health education, four mathematics, one physical education credit, three science credits, three social studies credit and one technology education. It is also required that students get 75 Student Service Learning hours.
Sophomore Dina Yared is currently in the pre-IB program. “When I will take IB, I can take biology as an HL, or a higher level class that you take for two years,” said Yared. “I can use this to help me become stronger in science, and hopefully help me pursue a career in the field of medicine.”
The International Baccalaureate Program (IB) is a worldwide program that recognizes active students who value diversity and a challenge in their education. This program is implemented at eight MCPS high schools, RHS being one of them. Students in this program are required to take certain classes that honor or AP students would not be allowed to take. This makes choosing classes harder because often students are not able to fit in classes that interest them.
Many students choose to participate in the IB program because they feel that it is more rigorous and gives them an extra push. “ I decided to go into IB because I think it would be helpful to me in college,” said Yared. “This week, Mrs. Wilcheck is speaking to our class, and so I will get information from her. Also, my brother is in IB, so this helps me to make my decision.”