Starting Feb. 11, students were able to begin registering for the classes they wish to take next year during their designated history course. They met with their counselors to get advice on their future courses.
“When meeting with my students, I always pull up the student’s transcript, talk about current successes and challenges…look at what the student still needs to take to fulfill graduation requirements, and discuss electives,”said counselor Lisa Sorenson. She and also discusses college preparation and what kinds of classes students will need going into each grade level with studemnts.
Counselor Dennis Reynolds looks at a student’s transcript to make sure their credits are being earned when helping students sign up for classes for next year. He then looks at grades and discusses what the student wants to take and what they would benefit from most.
Many students question whether it looks better for them to take more advanced classes and get below average grades or take easier classes and get better grades.
Reynolds believes that colleges want to see As, but also balance.
“Generally speaking, grades are most important. Students should push themselves, absolutely, but don’t push yourself over the top,” he said.
Sorenson would rather see a student earn higher grades in the appropriate course than overreach with their course selections and end up overwhelmed.
“For me, my goal is to encourage students to balance [their schedules] and course load with challenge, rigor and interest,” said Sorenson.
Reynolds says that deciding whether or not to take harder courses is challenging for students.
He suggests that when students are deciding the right level of difficulty should look back at their transcripts and how they’ve done.
“Generally speaking, if they earned an A or a B, the next level is usually a good option. Motivation more than anything is the key. Past history is usually a good predictor,” said Reynolds.
Sorenson feels that today’s busy students should focus most on time when choosing classes, since many are busy with other commitments outside of school. She recommends students review the weekly hours link on the WJ website at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/wjhs/coursebook/study_hours.pdf.
“[When choosing classes students should] look at how they’re doing this year, their interests, motivation level, and how it meshes with their post-secondary plan,” said Reynolds.
