Moving on is an emotional experience, but this is especially true for the transition from middle school to high school. CMS eighth graders will soon be finding out the teacher recommendations for classes next year at Staples, so here are some helpful tips to keep in mind for this process:
- Consult with your family. You shouldn’t feel overly pressured just because of their advice, but it can be nice to get a second opinion, especially if you are conflicted on what classes to take. Consider talking to a sibling or someone who went to Staples and compare their workload to the kind of work you are ready for.
- Be honest with yourself. Don’t choose an Honors class if you know you might struggle, instead pick something you will be able to understand and keep up with. Your freshman year is bound to be a little stressful since you are navigating a whole new school, so adding a lot of work from Honors classes that you are having trouble with can make it unnecessarily difficult.
- Actually consider your teacher recommendations. They can’t force you to be in a certain class, but they know what kind of student you are and where you would most likely thrive. These are the teachers who have been with you all year long, and they will be honest with their advice.
- Don’t choose too many challenging classes! Work ethic differs from person to person, but taking all Honors classes while also transitioning into high school would likely be very overwhelming. Many people take at least a few Honors courses, but you don’t have to.
- Think about taking a free period. At Staples you will get the option to take two electives, but you are also able to choose one elective and one free period. If you’re someone who typically needs extra time to think about and complete assignments, a free period might be a good idea. A free period gives you time to catch up on schoolwork you need to complete and meet with teachers to get help from them.
Social Studies, Math, Language Arts, Science, World Languages. These are the classes where you are able to choose which level you’re going to be on at Staples High School. If you don’t get recommended for an Honors course, but you think you are capable of handling it, or if you are recommended for Honors but think an A class is a better fit for you, there is the option to override their choices into the class you want.
When it comes to choosing classes for Staples, it’s important that you are honest with yourself about the kind of student you are. This isn’t a random survey your teachers are handing out for fun, and it sure isn’t for their benefit. Your teachers are going to try to assist you as much as possible, but it is ultimately your choice on what you want to do. The transition to Staples will be challenging for most, but hopefully eighth graders will be able to relieve some stress by choosing classes they are excited about, and have fun while doing it.
