Students are already preparing themselves for next school year, particularly for new classes. For some, signing up for classes is an exciting way to pursue their interests through the offered options. Nevertheless, class registration can still be a daunting task for many.

“I hate registration, because I feel like I’m confined into a box with not enough time to think it through.” sophomore Olivia Mcclard said.

In recent years, the district has incorporated the use of technology to make the process easier for students. In addition to continuing to use traditional ink and paper to sign up for classes, students are required to also sign up for classes virtually, using an interactive system called Career Cruising to plan their classes all the way up to their senior year.

Using this third party system has helped many students organize their high school years, forcing them to really think about their future.

“With Career Cruising I’ve already planned my classes up to my senior year,” sophomore Rylee Hamlin said. “It maps out my planned classes in an easy to read way, and you can also do a lot of other things too. You can build a résumé and explore different career options based on your interests.”

However, many students oppose the idea of being locked into classes without much turn around for the due-dates of registration materials.

“Next year registration materials were given on a Thursday, and they were expected to be turned in by Tuesday the next week,” Olivia said. “It’s an important decision, and I don’t think we really get enough time to really think it over. I didn’t have enough time to talk to my counselor about my classes, which makes me think they rushed the time frame for signing up for classes.”

Many other students find working with this program to be a frustrating experience.

“Sometimes there are classes on the printed sheet that you can’t find online, so signing up for classes you actually want to take can get confusing,” sophomore Julia Pamer said. “If they can work out all the kinks in the system, then I think I would start using the online version a lot more than I use it now.”

While reactions to class registration vary greatly, the general consensus is that online registration has the potential to be be more efficient, and environmentally friendly, than the traditional paper method. Ina district committed to excellence, helping to smooth the transition for class registration is agreeably a step towards positive change. Class confirmations won’t be ready for distribution until this spring, and while it isn’t a definite schedule,they will show what classes you are confirmed to have. For more information about class registration, stop by the counselors’ office to set up a time for an appointment.