I've always been a good student, took Honors classes, and got mostly A's (the only B's I ever got were in weighted classes.) However I wouldn't consider myself a nerd and wasn't interested in going to medical or law school or anything like that.
During 11th grade I had 3 weighted classes (as opposed to 2 weighted classes each of the 2 years prior), an advanced math class, and 3rd year foreign language (plus PE.) Lots of homework! On top of that, I had seminary before school (scripture study class provided by my church), weekly piano lessons (plus practice), and worked part-time at Baskin Robbins. I also spent a couple months accompanying a second grade play (which meant skipping 6th period-then all class work had to be made-up), and I served as class President of the Laurels (church youth group.)
It was too much for me! In fact, after I was asked to be Laurel President, I sat in my car in the church parking lot and cried and cried and prayed. Also, I had to make the agonizing decision to discontinue piano lessons. (It helped a little that my teacher had been saying that I was reaching the limits of what she could teach me and I had no ambitions to become a concert pianist. A couple years later she convinced me to come back and learn how to play the organ.)
Twelfth grade was a breath of fresh air after burning myself out the year before! I still had seminary, part time work, church responsibilities, and the 2nd grade play, but here's my schedule for 1st semester:
- Honors English (I could have taken the AP class, but didn't feel it was worth the pressure.)
- Honors Physics (I'm not especially talented at science, but this teacher was legendary and it was such a fun class! I couldn't pass up this opportunity!)
- AP Calculus (Just like physics, I didn't "need" this class. But it was a matter of pride since I was capable of succeeding in it, my older brothers took it, and my dad is a math buff. Plus, I was lucky that this year the Calc teacher made a deal with a community college so we would get college credit at the same time as high school credit, no AP test required! Having assurance that I wouldn't have to take math classes in college was so worth it!)
- Government (Required. This class was kind of a joke...I calculated my grade before taking the final and found that I could get a D and still have an A in the class. I didn't study for that final at all!)
- Econ (Required. No big deal.)
- Elementary School Aide
That 6th period School Aide "class" was awesome! I literally got high school credit for leaving campus after 5th period to go help my favorite Kindergarten teacher for an hour! I got school credit for playing with 5 year olds and doing all the fun things that I wanted to do in my future career!
2nd semester was even better! I got to drop my 1st period English class and instead take English 300 after school twice per week. Since it was taught by one of the high school teachers, I got college and high school credit at the same time! I know some of the kids who took 300 kept their regular English class but I couldn't understand why? Such a waste of time! Instead, I would take that time to finish homework at the library or hop in my car after seminary and run over to the Elementary School and help out there for about half an hour before going to school.
I still had science and math, but that was ok. Government was only one semester so the second semester I took Psychology. That was an interesting class! And totally relate-able to my college path to become an Elementary School teacher. In fact, the next year I took a Childhood Development class at Community College and a lot of it was just a review of what I had already learned!
Ok, so here's the best part...Econ was a one semester class so second semester I had 5th period completely open! So I got the Elementary School Aide "class" expanded to 2 periods. I got even more credit for just doing what I loved (plus, it would have looked really nice on a resume if I had followed through and received my teaching credential)!
That's 3 regular classes, 2 or 3 classes spent in the Kindergarten, and then college English after school twice a week!
It was the perfect balance for me! I wasn't spending Senior year stressing out about classes that I really didn't care about or need for my future. I wasn't spending Senior year with "Senioritis" and an eagerness to graduate so I could "get on with my real life," either! I was doing things I loved, learning the things I wanted to learn, and working toward my future college degree all at the same time!
I hope I can help guide my kids on a school path in high school that will be the best use of their time, like I was able to do! I'm already working to convince them of the benefits of homeschooling through high school and taking Community College courses as soon as they turn 16. But we'll just have to wait and see what they want for their future!
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