OPINION: With a Grain of Salt

BY: OWEN PHILLIPS

JANUARY 18, 2023

All returning students understand the stress that comes with choosing your schedule for the following year.  We sit down with our counselors, think about our career path, attempt to make our high school transcripts mirror such a profession, and we consult our more senior classmates about what various courses might entail. But how much can you truly trust what your friends have to say?

Have you ever heard the saying don’t shop for groceries on a hungry stomach? Well I say, don’t trust everything an angsty teen has to say during the most depressing month of the year. I’m not telling you to not ask your friend for advice about course choices, I’m just saying you might not want to trust everything they have to say. Every student is different in their academic ability, course recommendations, and even their fondness for various educators.

The happiest customers don’t leave reviews, but the angriest ones always do. The same thing goes for angry students. It may be very true that your classmate detested a course’s demand, its material, and even its instructor. But that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy or even tolerate all of those things.

It is extremely important for students to think for themselves in this process, because it is a very individual experience. You are not your classmate, nor are your experiences theirs.  When choosing your classes for next year, take into account your strengths, your career plan, and your friends’ advice (with a grain of salt). Whatever you do, don’t trust everything an angsty teen has to say in January.