A new semester comes with new classes, but is the forced adaptation to a new learning style halfway through the school year really beneficial to the individual student? Changing classes at the beginning of a new semester has been a system Paint Branch has utilized for several years to accommodate the courses offered for only one semester, but often friends are heard complaining that either they dislike their new teachers or are upset that their friends have different classes. Students form lines outside the Guidance Office, pink forms in hand the second day of the new semester, with every complaint possible to explain why they need a schedule change.

An article in USA Today reveals that a study conducted by Indiana University showed that “82 % of students said they planned to enroll in some form of post-secondary education, and most said they expected to earn at least a bachelor’s degree.” In addition, these ambitious students more than likely realize that college does not give students the option of picking and choosing the teachers and classes they wants to take because all of their friends are in them. College is what many claim to be the “real world,” and high school with its exams and AP courses is the only thing that can prepare those coming of age for the next four or more years of their life, assuming they want to earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition, exposing students to teachers and different environments teaches them the many ways of learning material and interacting with new people. Going through a whole year of seeing the same faces every day at the same exact time prevents an individual from socially reaching out beyond common comfort zones and increasing his/her experiences.

Granted students several teachers over others, and they want to switch out for the sake of grades and exam scores, so dealing with these obstacles is in itself a factor that preps a student for the harsh fact that not everyone is perfect and that hard work ultimately pays off. Some teachers are considered easier than others, but as the old proverb claims, “That which does not break me makes me stronger.” So, do what I do, take it for what it was meant to be. The truth is, high school is a time period that gives students the opportunities to learn new things, be exposed to new people, and get ready for college all while discovering the identities and the abilities that make each of us who we truly are.