Class Selection Begins Jan. 31

For some students, picking classes for the upcoming year is an easy task of listening to your counselor’s recommendations, picking an elective and moving on. For others, selecting classes that will define your next school year can bring on loads of stress, especially if you’re worried about not getting the classes you want. Some students get anxious about whether they’ll be able to balance the load of rigorous classes, while some worry about whether they’ll be able to get the classes they need to get them into their dream schools.

No matter how you feel about selecting classes, FCHS students need to be ready to discuss their course requests for the 2023 school year when counselors begin pulling them from classes starting Jan. 31. Students will be pulled out of class by their designated counselors to spend 5-10 minutes picking classes, listening to recommendations, and getting piece of mind. “Counselors will set up stations in locker bays around the school and pull students for their meetings, so that we may review their longer range plans and work with them on making course requests for the upcoming year that support those plans,” said FCHS Counselor Chris Roberson.

Students will be pulled from classes Tuesdays through Thursdays between Jan. 31 and at least the end of February, although some students won’t be pulled until some time in March. For those who have to wait a number of weeks, this can be nerve-wracking. Some students express frustration that they can’t see their counselors whenever they want. For example, a few years ago, some students didn’t meet with their counselor until about a month before the end of the year, despite the students reaching out multiple times.

However, what most students don’t realize is that the five counselors have to meet with over 1,200 counselors between them, so this takes time. Also, the counselors have many responsibilities in addition to making and changing course schedules, such as caring for the mental well-being of the students. Each of them get dozens of emails from students each day which they must respond to, all of which takes time.

]The counselors will begin with 11th graders, then 10th graders, and so on. Students do not need to worry about being too late in the sign up game to get the class they want because these course selection meetings are just so the counselors know their requests. The actual schedules will be decided over the summer.

If you need assistance with your schedule after meeting with your counselor, or if you need help with school or just need to talk about personal issues, email your counselor. “Some students are afraid to reach out, but we want to make it a norm to talk to us,” said counselor Kelly Fallavollita.

The best thing you can do while waiting to meet with your counselor is to check the FCHS Counseling website and get an idea of what classes you want to take. Also, if you haven’t already done so, review your diploma options, which include Advanced or Standard Diplomas, or Associate’s Degrees. If you want to take an online class, be aware of what Testing Coordinator Angie Blevins has to say: “Virtual Virginia classes may be more difficult to get this year. We will have a limited number of spots. So, if you think you want a Virtual Virginia class, you must let your counselor know as soon as possible,” she said.