Students are required to earn 24 credits in order to graduate. However, many seniors already meet or exceed this requirement before their final semester and may not need a full schedule.
Seniors should not be required to take six classes, especially if they will earn more than enough credits by the end of their senior year. Some students accumulate extra credits from taking advanced middle school classes or from Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Seniors can better use that time to spend more time with their family, friends or work.
“Depending on when my classes were, I would most likely fill the empty time with working,” senior Hailey Steele said.
Many seniors work part-time jobs, especially in fast food or retail. Seniors do this to pay for personal expenses like clothing, food or saving money for the future. Additionally, some students could take advantage of having more time to finish up classwork in their classes.
“Students should be given the option to only take the required classes they need to graduate after they have gotten all the required credits,” Steele said.
Furthermore, seniors who already have enough credits are forced to choose electives simply to fill up their schedule. The electives may include taking additional science, math, art, world language or CTE courses that are not required for graduation.
Lake Stevens High School requires full schedules because of the 24-credit requirement. Where students gain 0.5 credits per semester per class passed or six credits per year. Some exceptions in taking fewer classes exist, such as students enrolled in programs like Running Start or Sno-Isle.
On the other hand, some seniors have a more positive outlook on full schedules, rather than a negative one.
“I don’t really mind having a full schedule. I enjoy having six classes a day. It really helps me learn,” senior Joseph Shoemaker said.
A full schedule can maximize learning, by providing consistent daily engagement with academic material. In addition to helping students develop stronger time management and organizational skills.
While a full schedule may seem to maximize learning, it can lead to reducing the ability for students to focus in class. Instead of learning the material, students may rush through assignments just to keep up with work. A packed schedule can limit performance rather than improving those skills.
Overall, requiring seniors to maintain a full schedule is unnecessary when they already have met graduation requirements. Filling schedules with unessential electives can feel redundant. Unneeded classes can lead to burnout, decreased motivation and added stress due to a heavier increase in workload.
