The Counseling Department opened the Online Course Request (OCR) on Friday, Nov. 1, and students have until March 1 to change their schedule by messaging their counselor. During these four months, counselors will stop by the freshman classrooms to aid in explaining course requirements.

“For freshmen, the counselor goes to your class and a student comes out, one at a time, and they talk through their schedule,” director of counseling Rachel Cole said. “So it takes us longer, but it’s okay, because we want to make sure we get all the questions answered and you understand how you’re graduating. Tenth and eleventh (graders) actually come to the counseling office and they do their scheduling meeting.”

Freshman Elinor “Eli” Diehl has already placed her course requests in the OCR system. She is taking Personal Financial Responsibility in her sophomore year instead of waiting. “It’s a required credit and I’m getting it out of the way,” she said.

If students don’t have much of an idea for what they’d like to take specifically, Cole suggests that students at least know their career cluster. “What is difficult is when a student has not looked or become familiar with the courses available for their grade level,” she said. “We can’t possibly go through every course on that sheet. It’s just really hard when someone just hasn’t done anything. I can make you a schedule. But we want you to have input and be happy.” By Kaitlyn Aubrey