As March commences, the frenzy of course registration does as well. As each student moves through high school year by year, the amount of options of classes to take and the freedom within that choice grows. With so much choice, students often choose to double up on a subject they are passionate about, add another free block in an effort to be more successful in the classes they take, or even add a seventh class, negating the option to have a free block. The choice to take seven classes might not be a choice at all, only occurring only to fill requirements. However, others might take seven classes due to sparked interests in a particular field of study.

Having taken seven classes in the past, I’ve gained appreciation for having only six. Lacking a block to decompress, catch up, or get ahead on homework for the night was hard. I also no longer had a free block to rely on after missing a day of school for travel or a sickness, so taking a missed test felt impossible at times.

However, taking seven classes also forces productive time management and good prioritization. My experience with a full schedule entailed motivational stress, and I accomplished a lot because of it.

Lainey Axell ‘18 came to Blake as Sophomore, and as a result she was forced to meet various requirements that a typical Blake student is not asked to do. Although a tough task, Axell has enjoyed her seven class day. “To me taking seven classes is something I actually enjoy because I feel like I am getting the most out of my day. I find myself less productive during times where I should be working, aka a free block, rather than when I know I need to get it together and just do the work.”  

Axell is currently doubled up on language, similarly to Addison Anderson ‘19. Anderson is in AP Latin and added on French 1 this year as a seventh class. Languages really interest Anderson and having a language that includes much more speaking like French, opposed to the dead language of Latin which has lots of reading was something that Anderson really wanted to try out.

Anderson does recognize the drawbacks of taking seven classes especially with missing school. With not having a free block it is much harder to make up tests and meet with teachers. She states, “One thing that is hard is getting sick, when you are sick and you don’t have time to make up work, it takes a lot more out of you to get caught up again.”
Despite having a free block, Jackson Saunders ‘18 chose to sign up for woodshop this summer to fill his art requirement in order to still have a free block during the year. Saunders takes advantage of his free block by allotting that time for one particular class. “Having a free block during the day allows me to put one subject and work on that.” Saunders’ choice to take woodshop in the summer was indeed to fill a requirement, but it is also a passion of his. Anderson adds, that this said passion must be prevalent to take on a seventh class by saying, “I definitely would recommend someone to take seven classes if they have a real interest in it.”