Think carefully if you're changing your schedule

The first three days of each new semester are typically filled with countless students coming by to see if they can change their schedules.  I need to remind you to think twice before you try to make any changes.

Colleges frequently tell us the importance of seeing students maintain their challenging schedules - especially during their senior years!  A strong senior year schedule (and doing well in it) is one of the best predictors of a student's success in college.  Not only is it important to colleges because that is what they were expecting you to take, but it also shows them that you have the dedication to stick to your commitments when times get tough.  This is critical for colleges, but also a valuable life skill.  If you back away from any challenge, then you never really know what you can achieve. 

If you are a senior and you are considering changing your schedule, I want to make sure you are communicating with your college BEFORE you make any changes!  This is essential!  Colleges have the right to take away your acceptance if you make changes from what you had indicated on your application.  Two years ago I had a student who wanted to make a relatively minor change from one senior English class to a different one.  When she contacted her colleges of choice, she had two colleges that were not in favor of her making this change and after several discussions they indicated that if she wrote a letter outlining why she was making this adjustment to her schedule and how she anticipated it helping her in the future that they would take that into consideration.  Fortunately, for this individual she was still accepted to her first choice college and it all worked out well, but had she not communicated in advance and followed it up in writing, I am not confident that the outcome would have been the same.  Trust me, I am not making this up when I am telling you that I don't think you should be making changes - I am just trying to look out for you.

Now, please let me clarify, this is not true 100% of the time!  If you are struggling with your academic load, then you should make adjustments!  For students who are having a difficult time academically (F's, D's or even low C's), you need to make changes!  I don't know what those changes will be for you - hopefully it is an adjustment to your approach, time management and studying strategies, but if that is not a realistic option, then you need to change your course load.  Colleges want you to take appropriately challenging classes - in other words, classes that push you, but where you can still achieve success. 

A slightly different aspect of when I believe you need to think twice about the courses you are taking is for those students who are too overloaded.  You may be doing relatively well in all of your classes, but if you are struggling emotionally, are stressed 95% of the time (or in some of your cases even more than that), are not sleeping, or, are just barely managing to keep your head above water, then I believe you should consider adjusting your courses.  This is particularly true if you know that your second semester has commitments (such as a spring sport or a new job) that you haven't been juggling with the rest of your commitments so far this year.  Perhaps it doesn't mean you need to change your schedule, but something will need to change because your emotional and personal well being is of the utmost importance!

Good luck in your new semester classes!