A Hard Decision for Schedule Conflicts

It's officially August! School years will start in no time. In fact, in some schools like mine are distributing schedules and hosting open houses. Schedule release can be nerve-wracking for students who aren't sure if their courses fit in together. For me, my schedule was not what I wanted.

A Conflict in 5th Hour

Every year, countless students have to change their schedules. From not being put in a class, being put in normal instead of AP classes (or the other way around), or being put in a class they didn't sign up for, there are so many ways scheduling can mess up. Personally, I have never had to deal with schedule changes. . . until this year.

I originally signed up for AP European History, Literary Magazine 2, and A Capella Choir as my electives. I was looking forward to all 3 of these classes—I've been in choir since 4th grade, and I was on the first Literary Magazine staff at my school last year. Those classes were meant to be my two fun classes, as all my other classes are AP or Pre-AP.

However, when I first saw my schedule, Literary Magazine 2 was missing. I texted the group chat for Lit Magazine 2 to see if anyone else was dealing with the same issue.

I found out that one of my favorite teachers, Ms. Hill, would no longer be teaching Literary Magazine 2. This year, Literary Magazine 2 would take place 5th hour. The same hour as my choir.

Choosing Classes: The Difficult Decision

There is only one class of Literary Magazine 2 and one class of choir. So, I was forced to choose between them. These were my two favorite classes, and I couldn't imagine a year without one of them. I had to think and think to decide which class I would drop.

I thought about the pros and cons of each class. Choir has always been a part of my life. While it's a blast, I also have to worry about competitions, practicing songs at home, and always performing perfectly. And with all my APs, that would have been a struggle for me. On the other hand, Literary Magazine helps me relax, have a bond with staff members, and create a stunning piece by the end of the year.

While I had fun in choir all these years, Literary Magazine 2 had more pros. After thinking day after night, I decided to stay in Literary Magazine.

When you have a course conflict, it's important to think about which class you would enjoy more. Next school year, I'm taking 4 AP classes and 1 Pre-AP class. So, it's important that I choose the class that would give me a break from the advanced classes.

I hope if you're faced with a similar struggle, you're able to find a way to peacefully solve the issue!