By Maysen Marolda
Staff Writer
Costa students have an abundance of choices when it comes to selecting their courses for the upcoming school year. Through the use of the Mira Costa Course Description Handbook, four year planning sessions, Advanced Placement informational meetings and time management charts, it is clear that Costa does an excellent job in informing students about their options and ensuring that students don’t overload their schedule, however, improvements could always be made.
There are multiple forms of guidance available to assist students with the scheduling process. The Handbook lists all available courses that Costa has to offer as well as each class’s prerequisites, four year planning sessions outline a student’s class plan throughout all four years and AP meetings give prospective students a taste of what the AP curriculum and environment is like for their upcoming years.
Newly designed for this upcoming registration is a chart showing the estimated amount of time for homework that each class requires. According to Parent Night Presentation, the actual times and workloads will vary by teacher, but it shows students the estimated time so that they can have choose a balanced schedule. By showing how much time is demanded in each class, students can ensure that they do not pile too much onto their plate and can dedicate enough time to each of their classes.
Additionally constructed for the upcoming registration is a Time Management Activity. According to the Parent Night Presentation, there are 168 hours in a week. In the activity, students will map out how much time they spend towards school, extra-curricular activities, and daily activities. This will be useful to students so that they can choose their classes and extracurriculars appropriately so that they will have time for other essentials, such as spending time with family and friends.
According to Vice Principal Kristin Wolberg, the Course Description Handbook is the most helpful source for students to gain awareness of their perspective options and to narrow down their interests. The current Handbook is useful for students because they can become knowledgeable on the classes they want to take, what they entail and the requirements essential to take it, so they can then decide if the class is a suitable fit for them and whether it actually interests them. In addition, the Handbook is always easily and quickly accessible for students online which is useful because technology can be accessed by nearly all students.
As stated by Wolberg, students should still be proactive in seeking out multiple modes of information and not just rely on the Handbook. For example, planning for course selections early, weighing options, considering other personal commitments, and seeking input from teachers and counselors when needed are alternatives for additional help. Although the Handbook helps students narrow down their interests, the other component of scheduling is for students to make thoughtful, strategic decisions that are right for them individually, which is an aspect the Handbook cannot offer.
The most recent plan Costa has devised to help students explore their scheduling options in greater depth was created by Costa’s Curriculum Committee this year. According to Wolberg, they implemented a process where students who are considering taking an AP course can learn about course content, expectations, workload, grading and more by attending AP course presentations. These presentations are beneficial as they allow students to explore new topics and help students must make selections that work for their individual interests and balance with other commitments that they may have.
Although Costa has dramatically improved with helping students become more aware of their scheduling options, according to Vice Principal Karina Gerger, there are still plenty of ways that the administration can add to ensure that all students are aware of their options. For example, talking about new courses at Parent Night and making screencasts or slideshows on courses are more techniques that the administration hopes to implement this year to apprise all students of their individual choices. These methods will be valuable so that there are an abundance of plans to help each student decide their courses for the upcoming school year.
Costa acquires many resources that students can venture to for assistance in choosing their classes for the upcoming year such as the Course Description Handbook, four year planning sessions, and Advanced Placement informational meetings. Time management charts will also help students choose a balanced schedule so they do not become overloaded. These elements are beneficial as they alleviate the stress of students not knowing what courses to take based on their individual needs; instead they have multiple forms of assistance, which ensures all students feel confident in their decisions.
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