There are two different types of students that may come to mind when thinking about class scheduling.  There is the student that signs up for classes based on the credits needed and leaves no room for fun—strictly business. While those students may stress about what classes to take, other students simply sign up for classes that interest them and look entertaining.

For juniors signing up for classes to take next year, is it more justified to carelessly jot down easy A classes, or meticulously plan every class and every credit being earned?

There is a common stereotype held by most seniors that their last year should be the easiest, but junior Aspen Grieshaber plans to combat that stigma with her course selection guide filled with AP classes.

“I feel that [AP courses] help me become more motivated for college, and it helps me to get college credits completed early for a cheaper price,” Grieshaber said.

Senior year means fewer credits to account for, which is why most students may want to sign up for the classes they need to graduate and then take general electives for the rest of the year, but that is not always the case.

While Grieshaber only needs 2.5 credits, she plans on taking other AP classes that she does not necessarily need but is interested in the curriculum.

“I am planning on taking AP Psychology even though I do not need the class to graduate, but I find it interesting, and I know Mr. Tenner is a good teacher,” Grieshaber said.

On the other side of the spectrum, junior Amanda Franklin believes senior year should be the year for less work and more time to focus on future career choices.

“Because of all the work freshman through junior year consisted of, it is nice to have a year where I don’t need that many credits and I can focus on out of school things,” Franklin said.

Just like Grieshaber, Franklin needs the same amount of credits in order to graduate, but chooses to take a break from her hard work in her previous years at De Soto High School.

Senior Aylin Rocha is currently a part-time student but still remains involved academically and socially at DHS.

“Although I am not a full-time student, I continue to keep up with my grades and stay involved in my extracurricular activities,” Rocha said. “Shortened schedule has really helped me be more productive with my classes as well as help me plan for my college career.”

Rocha explains the benefits of a shortened schedule during senior year to be convenient and helpful when it comes to time management.

While there may not be a specific answer as to how senior year should play out schedule-wise, Franklin believes as long as the credit limit is obtained and students enjoy their classes, it should not matter if certain students are taking more AP courses than another person.