By Anya Balderston
From a future graduate to the future sophomores and juniors at PLHS, I’m here to talk to you about the overlooked yet crucial part of school; class selection.
Ignore what your peers might say and do not take the “easy classes.” Think of high school as building up a resume for your dream job that, well, you’re most likely going to be stuck with for four years. Pick classes you’re interested in! Yes, it’s worth it to take the honors and AP classes. 10th and 11th grade are conceivably the most important years of your high school career, and this is the time for you to start that resume.
For the 10th graders: think of this year as preparation for the next, take the A.P. history class and take the more challenging classes that will build your strengths and feed your interests (e.g., Honors English or Advanced Math).
For the 11th graders: this is your chance to shine. It won’t be easy, but this is the year where you have the most opportunities for your future colleges to drool over. The best schedule I’ll give to you is here: (don’t feel too overwhelmed) AP U.S. History, A.P. English Language, A.P. or advanced biology OR A.P. Chemistry or Honors Chemistry, then choose or continue a world language course (e.g., Spanish/Portuguese/French 5-6) and finally, take the highest level of math that you personally find yourself being able to achieve in.
There’s no reason not to take classes you find interesting but aren’t necessarily the hardest, but I’m telling you to really push yourself because it will pay off! And yes, your social life is important, and within these classes you will find so many like-minded amazing people. As a senior, you will be thankful for all the hard work put into creating a solid resume and a background of different skills that you’ll be able to take with you into your life after high school.