As students start getting comfortable with the second semester, some may notice that many students are leaving and entering classes. The ability to switch a majority of classes has been a staple at Pine Creek. This gives students a sense of freedom in their choice, having the option to see if they will fit the class or not. Class of 2025 counselor, Mitchell Boyczuk, said, “Students’ minds are always changing and they want to take different classes. Some switch from Honors or AP to regular, want to add a partial, help finding a TA, etc.”

One common reason students switch classes is due to having a lack of friends present in their class. For difficult classes, Molly Masciullo (12) said, “With hard classes, it’s just nice having friends who can support you,” friends can not only support you but provide someone to bounce ideas off of. Further helping you succeed in the school environment, where sometimes the best option of support in a class is having a friend with you. 

Mental health is also another important factor for many students. Sometimes they take too many classes and feel too much academic pressure, leading students to be sleep deprived or over-stressed. Luke Wylie (11) said, “Sleep deprivation is a real problem, it turns out 7 AP classes is a little much,” after having to drop out of his AP Psychology class due to averaging only a couple hours of sleep every night. Instead of being forced to keep taking the classes at a risk for his health, he was able to switch out.

The ability to change classes provides students with more than just switching out of a class they don’t enjoy. Despite the fact that according to the course guide, these are inappropriate reasons to change classes. Students choose to change classes in ways that will support themselves both academically and emotionally.