By: Layla Khuri-Nasrallah and Ben Nelson
As Belmont High School is wrapping up its first semester, the buzz from midterms has finally settled down and it is officially time for students to start thinking about the courses they would like to take next year. Since trying to find the classes and electives that are ideal for each student may be cumbersome and time consuming, the course selection fair is the perfect way to guide students to find the right fit for them.
The course selection fair was located in the Field House where you could find tables neatly organized around the room. Every table had a sign for its designated class which made it much easier for students to find their way around.
The process goes like this: each teacher picks out a few students to represent their class at the event to discuss the course’s flow to others who may be interested in taking it next year. They answer questions about the homework load, the commitment, and describe how the class will go. Katarina Maldarelli, a sophomore who represented Spanish 3H, says: “I was able to give insight to the class and help people make a decision about whether the class would be a good fit for them, which I enjoyed.”
From a freshman’s perspective: it felt somewhat overwhelming the number of classes there were to choose from. The freshmen have tons of options for science, art, and music electives. Personally, I felt a bit intimidated by AP courses. I wasn’t sure how much of a leap they’d be from honors classes that I’ve taken this year. During the course selection fair, I had a chance to talk to somebody taking AP US History, and they said it was definitely a challenge, but if you put in the effort, you would be able to manage it. Thankfully, I know I always have our teachers to guide and help me select what I’ll be most comfortable in, and that goes for everyone in the high school too! There are many resources to aid you in selecting the right courses next year, and you should definitely put them to use so you can be as successful as possible next year.
From a sophomore’s perspective: I was more inclined toward visiting the AP Biology and AP Modern World History tables. I have heard that these classes are obviously going to be much more challenging since the College Board sets the curriculum, so I found it very helpful to hear feedback from those participating. Sophomore Chaivin Moon says: “I thought it was great because I was originally thinking about dropping French, but after talking with the French 4H representative I was more open minded about the course and actually looking forward to taking French 4H next year!” Talking to the representatives at the course fair positively helped impact our decisions for the classes we are eager to take our junior year!
What comes after the fair? Teachers will meet with students and discuss course recommendations from now until Feb 14. If you’re having trouble deciding which classes to choose from, there is a great site called BHS Course Information that helps you understand what each course is like in terms of material and workload expected. Each class has a detailed overview and even mentions what former students liked about taking the course. The final deadline for submitting course requests to PlusPortals is March 1st.
Overall, the Course Selection Fair was very beneficial to the Belmont High School community and was executed very nicely. It will help direct many students to find classes that will best help them pursue their academic goals and is a tradition we should continue to carry on!
Image courtesy of Belmont High School.