This year will see the introduction of the CHS Senior Transition to College Program (senior schedule). This program requires seniors to take a minimum of four full-weight year-long courses in their schedules.

At first glance, this scheduling system seems like an appealing, school-authorized way to get out of class. But we should definitely take a deeper look at this new program before we decide if it’s just a cop-out or a helpful resource.

The senior schedule is meant to simulate a college experience where not all available class periods in a student’s schedule are occupied by classes. That’s a pretty valuable privilege, no matter how you look at it. According to a study published in March of this year by the University of Chicago on the effectiveness of high school scheduling, students work best when they can choose how to dedicate their time.

However, some might argue this free time might encourage laziness. Obviously it might be tempting for students taking the senior schedule to just rest during their off-periods. However, in some cases that’s perfectly fine; sometimes we need a break from all the homework, tests and college applications. There’s no shame in an occasional break.

At its core, the senior schedule is designed to discourage laziness. Like I mentioned earlier, participating students need to take at least four fully-weighted classes. That’s not an easy task, especially when the full-weight classes seniors typically take are harder than the ones students in younger years may pick up. Keeping up in these classes will necessitate the free periods for study and homework.

Furthermore, I’m sure many, if not most, of the students taking the senior schedule did so because they have outside activities such as internships or jobs and could greatly benefit from the extra time the new schedule system grants them.

Regardless of whether you take, don’t take, like or dislike the senior schedule, in the end you should choose the schedule that you find works best for your personal needs.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Melissa Yap at [email protected].

Read – Asim Dhungana: New senior schedule not for everyone