The time has come where every student has to plan for their next year of high school, even before the second semester has started. This process can be very stressful because their are so many components to think about.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors have received a pink slip about registration, and many are totally confused about where to start. We can start by brainstorming about the required courses we need to take. All options and required courses can be found on Naviance and the FCPS course guide. However, there are many different options for the required classes.

What are you interested in? Thankfully, FCPS offers many courses but there are countless options to decide between! This process would be a little easier if the LHS website was up to date with information for this school year as of January 2019. The website is not up to date. There should be a  schedule of upcoming events regarding schedule signup and information about the classes.

This process would also be a lot easier if we met more than once with our counselors to discuss what classes we need to take. The counselors could assist us. If they took the time to talk to us one on one, we could discuss the mandatory classes and the electives that best fit us. In defense of the counselors, they have a big load, and it’s our job to make an appointment, but there must be an easier way.

Teachers visit classes and share information about the courses they teach. While we can get some information about classes, it’s hard for the teacher to get coverage to leave their class. So only some courses are covered while others aren’t mentioned.

“It’s challenging knowing what courses are right for me and which to take which year,” said Lindsey Green, Class of 2021.

Linganore also offers a registration night on January 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.. This night is an opportunity for students to learn about the various offerings. Students can meet teachers that teach the class they are interested in and get information about the courses. Most students who do not attend are potentially missing a course where they could have thrived.

For the students who missed the registration night, there is also a course information assembly during PREP. This lasts six days, two days for each grade. This is where each department is allowed 3 or 4 minutes to give information about future courses. This is good for some students since PREP is the only time they might hear about possibilities. Unfortunately, many students pay little attention to the assembly.

“During the assembly, teachers give a good description of their courses which gives you an idea of the differences between them,” said Ethan Hart, Class of 2020.

After all the persuading and presenting, students have to decide what they are going to take. This year with the pink slip, it is easy to ask a teacher for advice. With that advice taken into consideration, you can fill out the back of the slip and list which 8 classes and 3 alternates you want to take for next year. Starting January 24th, this can make filling out this form on Naviance easier.

When registering on Naviance, you might become a little overwhelmed. The registration form is a drop-down menu for each possible course category, so students are required to choose the certain classes from the extensive lists.

Don’t forget to register for next year! All registrations are due by Friday, February 8. Remember, you can always change your schedule by seeing your counselors.