With the beginning of second semester comes the annual visit to the counselor’s office.

Choosing next year’s classes can be incredibly stressful. Students must add up credits, balance out flex and blocked classes and for some,  finally face the classes they have been avoiding all their high school years.

Class sign ups will start on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 a.m. and end on Monday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. If a student does not have online access, the computers in the library will be available till 4 p.m. Jan. 20-22.

Students must choose their classes online, print their list of classes and fill out the sign-up sheet given by the counselor. This sign-up sheet must be signed by a parent or guardian and then turned into the student’s language arts teacher by Jan. 27.

In a few weeks, students will be pulled out of their language arts classes to meet with their counselors about their schedules.

“We are going to really sit down and make sure we answer your questions more thoroughly,” Stephanie Mullins, guidance counselor, said.

Unfortunately, many students end up changing their schedules to switch to another class. Often times, there ends up being too many students and the classes they are trying to switch in are already full.

“There are not enough classes because we didn’t plan for it,” Mullins said.

Mullins stresses that the only way to really avoid this is for students to be sure their classes and their four extra alternates are classes they really want to take. After all, students can only change their schedule once.

Those four alternates must only be semester long classes and if students decide to take a flex class, they must take more than one. Advanced Placement (AP), Guidance Teacher Cadet, Cooperative Career Education (CCE) and Office Aide applications will be available in the guidance office and must be turned into the guidance office.

The master schedules will be entered in March, giving everyone enough time to plan and get classes organized for the new school year.