A new year brings a whole new semester; another chance to start off fresh. All grades from the previous semester are washed away and everyone can start new. Not only are the grades washed away, but so are some students old schedules. Whatever the reason may be, a new class may be the change that some students needed.

“I took a lot of science classes this year, but I dropped some of them to take LTS and Culinary” Meg Putnam, 12, said. “I wanted to come in later and those classes weren’t offered in the afternoon, but I also wanted an easier schedule.”

Out of 137 students that changed their schedule this semester this year, 63 of them claimed they were discouraged after the first semester, or the class was too hard. When looking at the schedule changes, most students traded harder classes for less stressful ones.

Debra Woofter, Spring Hill High School guidance counselor, said, “I don’t think it is a bad thing [when students drop classes because they are too difficult], but it really depends on the student. Some students are maybe over their heads and took too rigorous of a schedule. But, I think many times they just need to put more effort into the class and give it more of a chance before they drop it and just say its too hard.”

Another reason students drop classes is to have a shortened schedule, as Meg said before. Seniors have the option in second semester to have less than seven classes in their schedule. Students involved in sports have to have at least five classes.

“I think [seniors having a shortened schedule] is beneficial if they go out and get a job and work more hours, or they can start school early and take a couple classes in the spring” Woofter said. 

Whether the class was too hard, too easy, a bad hour, or a number of other reasons; students have the freedom to change their schedules if they have a good reason for it.