How Easy is It to Change Schedule in Hgih School

In high school, it isn't always easy to know which classes to take. It's not uncommon for a student to sign up for courses and later realize that their schedule does not suit their needs. Luckily, high school schedules can be changed if needed.

To change high school classes, meet with a guidance counselor first. Next, research available class offerings that fit your schedule and align with the standard graduation track. Then, obtain written permission from your teachers, parents, and guidance counselor to finalize the change.

Sometimes, changing classes in high school can be tricky because of the school structure and class availability. So, without further ado, here's everything you need to know about changing classes in high school.

Changing Your High School Class Schedule

Changing classes in high school is often more difficult than changing courses in college. This is because, in high school, the schedule is more strict. It is strict because classes have limited time availability. Unlike college, high schools do not offer early morning, late night, or weekend classes. Instead, students must fit all courses into a condensed six-and-a-half-hour timespan, with no extra leeway (source). These class restrictions are even more pronounced at smaller high schools since there are often fewer class offerings.

As a hypothetical example, let's say that you wanted to change your schedule for math class. High school students are required to take three years of math classes. If Algebra class is part of that requirement, but there is only one Algebra class offered, you will have to take it at that specific time. Under these circumstances, changing your math schedule will not be possible because there are no alternative options.

In short, your ability to change your class schedule is entirely dependent upon what alternatives are available to you. Unfortunately, if your high school only offers your preferred class at one specified time, you will have to take that class then. Often, the number of available class offerings directly correlates with the time of the school year.

Changing Classes Before School Starts

Changing classes before school starts can be considerably easier than changing them once school starts. Sometimes, schools may not even have schedules finalized until the first week of school. Consequently, students have far more scheduling flexibility because the class rosters are still in the works.

You can change your school schedule before the year in several different ways. Typically, it involves contacting the school through e-mail and submitting a request for a schedule change. Depending on the need to change classes, you may have to meet with a guidance counselor and collaborate to figure out a new schedule. In some cases, if you only need to change a single course, you may only need to fill out an electronic form signed by the parents and a school faculty member.

Changing Classes After School Starts

Occasionally, some students realize that a class is not for them within the first few days of attending. This feeling of discomfort could happen for a variety of reasons. For example, they may disagree with the instructor's teaching style, lack the confidence to perform well academically, or not enjoy the course material. Whatever the reason, these students want to change their schedule after school starts.

Changing your class schedule after school starts is usually feasible, but it can be tricky. Unfortunately, you may not end up with your preferred class schedule. If you wish to change classes after school starts, you will need to meet and discuss the steps needed with a guidance counselor.

At many schools, you must obtain permission from two faculty members. First, you must obtain written permission from the teacher of the course you are leaving. Second, you must obtain written permission from the teacher whose class you plan to add. I went through this process myself as a high school student when I switched out Contemporary Issues for Global Relations. Fortunately, the process was relatively straightforward, and obtaining signed approvals from both parties was not a hassle.

You may also need a parental signature, guidance counselor signature, and even a principal signature to change your schedule at certain schools. Keep in mind that if your new class schedule fails to meet the school's graduation requirement, you will not be allowed to change your current classes.

Why You Need Guidance Counselors for Class Schedule Changes

The school guidance counselor will be your best resource for changing classes. Some of the primary duties of the guidance counselor are to assist students in:

meeting graduation requirements on time
organizing their class schedule
transitioning to college or the work field

In short, your guidance counselor will help ensure that your schedule is on track for academic success. They will double-check to see that you have registered for all the required classes and there are no holes in your class schedule.

Your guidance counselor can also offer valuable advice on crafting your schedule to meet your post-graduation goals. From personal experience, my guidance counselor gave me worthwhile insight into what classes to take to become a more competitive college applicant. For example, my guidance counselor convinced me to register for advanced placement (AP) classes and ACT/SAT prep classes. If not for her, I likely would not have seen the value of such courses and prioritized them as I did.

Sadly, guidance counselors may not always be able to implement all of the schedule changes you prefer. But, of course, it is still worth your time to meet with them. However, it would be best if you remembered that they cannot always magically change your class schedule, as some external circumstances lie beyond their control.

Deadlines for Changing Classes

If you are trying to change your classes once school has already started, be wary of the schedule change deadline. High schools have a set date where students can no longer rearrange their classes. Most high schools set this deadline two weeks after the first day of school. The reason for this deadline is to prevent students from missing out on class instruction and falling too far behind.

Other schools have a deadline set before school even starts. This deadline may include a specific week where students have to confirm their classes in the summer to reserve their spot. After this week is over, students will be unable to add, drop, or change their schedules, except for certain extenuating circumstances.

These deadlines are also in place to help teachers properly coordinate the curriculum for their students. It isn't easy to prepare lessons while worrying about students missing or leaving class after the first week.

Practical Reasons to Change High School Classes

Before initiating the scheduling change process, you should first see if changing your class schedule is really in your best interest. After all, why go through all this hassle if it's not necessary?

Below, you will find several viable reasons high schoolers decide to change their high school classes.

Change In Interest

High school is a time for exploration and discovery. Many students take advantage of their class time to experiment with different classes and decide if the subject is something they might enjoy pursuing for the rest of their lives. This method of trial and error yields both positive and negative results. Students that realize early on that they do not enjoy a topic nearly as much as they thought are often better off switching classes and devoting their time elsewhere.

In some cases, students may not have any issues with a class. Instead, they may have just developed a sudden interest in something new and wish to pursue it in their formal education. As a result, they may want to switch their current classes to cater to their new interest.

Different Academic Skill Sets

Despite being placed in certain classes, some students may feel as if they are not at the skill level for that class. Typically, this can go one of two ways. First, a student may feel like the difficulty level of the course is too introductory for their current academic skill set. Under such circumstances, the student may grow bored quickly and think that they are not gaining anything from their experience.

On the other hand, a student may feel that a class is too advanced. In this case, the student may want to switch courses to avoid feeling overwhelmed by an excessive workload and preserve their current grade point standing.

High School Extracurriculars

In high school, the extracurricular activities that students participate in are a huge part of their lives. These activities can take up a considerable amount of a high schooler's free time, depending on the extracurricular.

Students who participate in high school athletics, for example, may have to carefully craft their school schedule to balance their free time between school, practices, and games. These time management skills also apply to school clubs and organizations. For instance, students with a passion for musical theatre and drama may benefit from incorporating more music electives into their class schedule compared to other students.

Teachers

As great as many teachers are, it's no secret that some teachers can make classroom learning somewhat tricky. Simply put, some high school students work exceptionally well with certain teaching styles, while others do not. If you end up in a class with an instructor whose teaching style is incompatible with your learning style, it may be in your best interest to switch out of the course.

Over-Scheduling

Sometimes, students overestimate their abilities and pack their schedules full. Unsurprisingly, they later become overwhelmed and unable to handle it. Consequently, they want to lighten their class schedules. They may want to do this by exchanging more challenging classes for more manageable courses or adding a free hour to their day.

Getting Parental Support to Change Your Classes

It can be hard to talk to your parent about switching classes, especially if you have parents who want you to take the advanced-level courses. To help ease this process, I have outlined a few practical approaches to try when communicating with your parents.

Don't Be Afraid to Express Your Views

If you believe you can improve your class schedule by implementing a few changes, do not hesitate to share this opinion with your parents. While talking to your parents about your classes can be an intimidating prospect, it's a necessary discussion to have if you genuinely feel you can make a positive difference in your education.

If your parents are unhappy with your decision, you can also offer alternative class options. Sometimes, your first-choice class is not always the best option. In truth, you may be pleasantly surprised by registering for another class that you had not seriously considered before. Again, though, you should do what's best for you, as it's your education that's at stake.

Get a Signed Letter from Your Parents

Many schools require parental permission to switch classes. After talking with your parents, remember to ask them to either sign a form approving of the schedule change or to ask them to write a letter to the school requesting a schedule change. Having parental permission will increase the likelihood of being able to switch classes.

Ask Your Parents for Help

This task seems like an obvious step, maybe even a suggestion that should have come first, but so many students are afraid to talk to their parents and ask them for help in classes because they do not want to seem like a failure. If you need help deciding which classes to take, reach out to your parents. Your parents will most likely be able to help you, and they may know more about what you need than you do.

Required High School Classes for Graduation

If you are planning on changing your class schedule, you must understand the requirements needed to graduate. Again, graduation requirements vary with the individual school. However, the standard high school graduation requirements typically go as follows:

Credit Requirements

Many high schools have a credit system that requires students to have a certain number of credits to graduate. However, the exact number of high school course credit requirements to earn a high school diploma varies by state. After crunching the numbers provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, I calculated that the national average for high school course credits is 21.5 credit hours (source). Remember, once you meet the core requirements, the rest of your classes count as elective credit.

Math

Most schools require three years of math classes, but the individual math classes depend on the person and what they want to take. Typically, schools offer Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Calculus classes, depending on the teachers and the chosen school curriculum.

Science

Schools generally require at least three years of science classes to graduate. These science classes often have specifications depending on the state or school, such as one year of life science and one year of physical science.

English

At most high schools, students must take English for all four years of high school. These English classes are not divided into different subcategories like other subjects.

History

Schools generally require three years of Social Studies classes, with a baseline class required for everyone and specialized courses after that.

Physical Education

Believe it or not, Physical Education classes are a requirement for graduation in many different states. However, most schools only require one year of Physical Education.

Electives

Typically, there are no set elective requirements other than to fill up the minimum credit limit. However, certain high schools may require students to fulfill specific elective categories, such as fine arts or applied arts. Additionally, scholarship requirements may request that students take at least two years of foreign language, which counts as an elective class.

Standardized Testing Requirements

Most schools require that students take some form of a National Standardized test. Generally, either the ACT or the SAT is required for graduation. Other schools have specialized testing that allows students to show proficiency in the class subjects they learned.

Other Requirements

Certain schools have other specialized requirements for students to graduate. For example, in Idaho, students are required to complete a senior project to graduate. Other schools require that you take specialized classes, such as classes in performing or visual arts.

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