At the class meetings last week, it was revealed that Jan. 30 is Recommendation Day. This signifies the start of class scheduling for next year. With graduation requirements, it is necessary to choose the right classes to take.

The key is to not overstress or bore yourself.

“The question I get from lots of people is this: Is it better to take an easy class where I know I’ll get an A or a challenging one and get a B or C?” teacher Mr. Mark Torlone said.

“There is no set answer. I say do what you think is right. But, I recommend taking the more challenging class because then at least you’ll learn something new and different and are more prepared for college-level work.”

Your four years of high school can be split up into categories to help choose your courses.

Freshman year is the time to set a foundation. This is the chance to set the bar for your entire high school career. Taking a mixture of easy and hard classes is a good way to go.

Sophomore year is when you can start taking AP classes. Kick it up a notch, but make sure to consider any prerequisites for the following years. This will make it less stressful for your years as an upperclassman.

Your junior year is the last full year of grades that colleges will see. They are looking at both your grades and the rigor of your classes.

This is the time to really ratchet up your schedule with appropriate AP classes. Not only do they boost your GPA, but they show colleges that you are preparing for college-level work.

There is no such thing as “senioritis” anymore.

“Senior year is the time to keep up your grades because colleges may use these to ensure they have picked the right students to give admission or scholarships to. Make sure to keep working hard,” Torlone said.

The fundamental term is balance.

What colleges are looking for is that balance between academics and extracurricular activities, a well-rounded high school resume. You also do not want the exceeding stress that can come with an overly demanding workload.

How can you achieve that balance?

The key to juggling various activities in and out of school is in good time-management skills. You need to have a long-term commitment to your goals and plan ahead with your work. No procrastination.

“Stick with two to three activities throughout your high school years instead of a whole lot more,” counselor Vince Rahnfeld said.

If you ever need any help with deciding your courses for next year, feel free to ask your guidance counselor.