It can feel overwhelming to pick courses that you feel will satisfy your academic wants and needs while also being something you think you’d enjoy. Fortunately, Green Level has compiled a number of resources to help guide you through the process.

Course registration for the 2021-2022 school year is currently only taking place for current 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students going to Green Level High School next year. The registration period for current high school students will end on Friday, March 12th, meaning if you are currently a Green Level Student, you must select your courses by this Friday.

If you haven’t already, you can sign up by logging into your own student Powerschool account, clicking “Class Registration”, and following the instructions provided on the screen. Dean of students, Hamilton Roberts, says counselors will be providing a FAQ session in Connectivity this Thursday, March 11th,  “Additionally, all students will have conferences coming up no matter what is chosen by Friday.”

Juniors can sign up with their academic counselor now, and one-on-one conferences will be starting Monday, March 15th. Sophomore and freshman will have their own conferences in April. During these sessions, students will also be able to discuss their four-year plans, post-secondary options, and make changes to their course registrations. Parents/guardians will also be invited to attend.

When selecting courses, “Start with the end in mind,” recommends Roberts, “Think about what courses you would like to get to in high school and the courses you need to get there.” She emphasizes balancing academic rigor with personal passions. “We always hear the worry of GPA impact – however, it is more important to pursue academic challenges in courses of interest and talent  and take advantage of the courses our school offers in electives too.” As an example, Roberts explains, “If you are interested in the medical field, you should consider science core courses and electives but also Health Science I or Sports Medicine could be considered too!”

Some students may also select or stay away from certain courses that they think will impress colleges, but Roberts says, “Colleges and any future plan after high school wants to know who you are and what you care about – or what you may have interest in for the future.  Sometimes it’s also just trying out lots of different courses to help find this path – all of these are options – and acceptable ones!”

As you select your courses in Powerschool, you will notice some classes like Chemistry or Horticulture will have different academic rigor levels (academic, honors, or AP). To help you in deciding which level may be best for you to take, teachers have given you recommendations for the next course in the sequence. Roberts says to pay close attention, “They know how you did this semester, and what is coming up in the next course – strongly consider the recommendation. If you don’t agree, ask the teacher for more information and tell them your interests – you can make the selection best for you – but you should consider and talk with teachers about next courses too.”

Lastly, Roberts wants you to take a deep breath, “We have time to make changes as needed – don’t overdo it!  Balance your academics with extra-curriculars, leadership, work, responsibilities – these are all aspects of the post-secondary plan too!  Make sure you don’t have so many commitments in your academics with rigor that you forget to have fun, learn new skills or try out new opportunities outside of school with work, clubs, etc.” There are many students, teachers, and staff at Green Level here to support you if needed as well.

For a more detailed look into the timeline of class schedules, course selections and requirements, and other opportunities for the next school year, more information can be found here.