As we approach mid-March, meetings with guidance counselors are underway regarding scheduling for next year. With dozens of elective opportunities, narrowing down your selection to just a few may seem daunting. With these queasy feelings in mind, upperclassmen have given their two cents into what classes you should consider taking next year. 

Interested in writing, telling a story, and publishing works for all to see? If so, Journalism 1 is the perfect course for you. Throughout Journalism 1, you will be given countless opportunities to report on stories you feel are relevant and engaging within our community. By interviewing individuals and creating surveys, you will be able to craft articles for the community to see in The Lamp Online. Mr. McHale is an amazing instructor who goes in-depth about everything you need to know about journalism and editing. He has first-hand experience in the field, which makes him a great resource for questions and nearly anything journalism-related! This course is recommended for anyone, especially if you are interested in going into the field or just want to get an introductory experience as to what goes into journalism; all are welcome and will unquestionably enjoy it.

Getting prepared for the real world is what many consider the true point of high school. In Personal Finance, you gain real life skills to help you achieve any future ambitions. The class is essentially one big project: you go through the journey of life by learning how to pay off student debt, purchase a house, pay taxes and even dabble in the stock market. Although you are not using real money, Personal Finance teaches you how to apply these finance skills in realistic scenarios. Despite being only a semester course, the knowledge learned is unmatched compared to many other courses and goes far beyond your high school years. Many students ask, “Why don’t we learn something useful?” and, “Why can’t we learn how to do our taxes?” If you are someone who asks these questions, then Personal Finance is a class that should be on your radar. By working with a budget and seeing money getting deducted from your paycheck to pay taxes and loans, you start to understand the value of a penny. Personal Finance even fulfills your Financial Literacy requirement, which makes this class even more appealing. This class is highly recommended to students who are eager to learn about how the real world works and to those who want a guarantee of using learned knowledge in the future.

Tired of writing boring essays and trying to meet impossible word counts? Interested in sharing your life’s story and using your imagination? If so, Creative Writing is the class for you. Creative writing is a half-year course and a relaxed environment full of both collaboration and fun. There are a lot of exciting topics to write about and projects to work on, which make this class intriguing from start to finish. This class is especially recommended if you are an imaginative thinker, as Creative Writing requires an open mind and the ability to think outside of the box. Ms. Malzone, the teacher who typically instructs this class, is full of energy, patience, and joy, which makes the class so much more engaging. Lastly, Creative Writing also fulfills English credit requirements, which is perfect for anyone looking to satisfy 2.5 more English credits. If any of these classes spark interest but you did not get the chance to enter them into Aspen, talk with your guidance counselor during your scheduling meeting. There is still time to make class changes. To learn more about the classes offered at Hunterdon Central, visit the school’s “Program of Studies” page. Happy scheduling!