I’m a freshmen in high school. I have a few questions on about school. My teachers have not been the most helpful, and I have decided to reach out to see if I could get a helpful response.
I dropped orchestra my second semester because I realized it was something I was not passionate about and that it was wasting my time. I was interested in taking intro to business, but doing so would change all of my teachers, and I was afraid that that would affect how well I did in those classes. So instead, I took a study hall. However, reading online I read that colleges do not like study halls and would prefer an elective. At that time it was too late to change. Will this decision affect my chances at aiming at top colleges? I know that colleges will look at other things like my “spike” or other achievements, but I go to a competitive school and am scared that this will hurt me. Should I try to do something productive during study hall? Like get a pass and work with another teacher in learning Spanish or science? What does everyone think?
Something as formal as study hall is not part of the academic system in college. In college, students are enrolled in classes from early morning into the evening. Within the context of your schedule, you decide when and where you study. No credit or requirement is part of study time in college. If you are experiencing academic problems you seek help such as tutoring from the learning center. Your time is your own, except for class time in college.
Colleges don’t like study halls overall since indeed the time would be better spent learning something. (They may only make an exception if you have 4+AP’s ). See your gc if there’s any semester class you can switch into when second semester starts (sometimes classes such as sociology or current events are semester-long only.) Barring that, stay in your study hall and now on, stick with a class for the whole year. In the grand scheme of things one study hall freshman year will not bar you from applying anywhere competitive as long as everything else is good .
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately 2nd semester started yesterday I will still talk to my guidance counselor and see if I can switch back into Orchestra because it was a year long class that I had dropped.
Some high schools require you to have at least one study hall. Sometimes that is the only way they can work everyone into their core classes and an arts class.
One semester of study hall v one semester of orchestra during freshman year will not make a material difference to your application.
That said, in my state taking a full year of a fine arts or music course is required for HS graduation so be sure you check the requirements for graduation in your state.
You are best off handling these questions with your guidance counselor.
I will still talk to my guidance counselor and see if I can switch back into Orchestra because it was a year long class that I had dropped.