As an underclassman, I always thought that being a senior essentially meant I would barely have to go to school, among other perks. But here I am in my senior year, with my full schedule and all six hours and 45 minutes of its glory- no bells or whistles. However, there is a group of seniors who took advantage of the strictly senior privileges, from abbreviated schedules to senior planning.
Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment provides a unique opportunity to take courses for college credit at the Universities at Shady Grove with a shortened schedule at school. Students enrolled have the option of taking classes such as Moral and Contemporary Law, Introduction to Abnormal Psychology and Communications. They have a 50-minute class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving to school by the beginning of fourth period. “I really like the Dual Enrollment program because it gives me experience taking a college class and I chose to take Introduction to Abnormal Psychology. Getting to sleep in and having an abbreviated schedule are added perks,” senior Nina Wagner said.
Internships
Having an internship provides students with an opportunity to obtain experience in their desired career path or simply an area of interest, with an abbreviated schedule. Internships can take up anywhere from one to three periods, sometimes including a travel period. The school offers wide variety of options, paid or unpaid, ranging from working with an elementary school class to working at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “I am an administrative assistant at a family law firm called Rismiller Law Group in Rockville. I file and categorize papers, go to court to get copies and files returned and, as a Spanish speaker, I listen to a hotline in which people call who are in need of legal assistance. I like my job because I’m getting hands-on experience in something I want to do in the future,” senior Micaela Pacheco said.
Senior Planning
Senior planning (also known as “Splanning”) is clearly distinguished from other class planning groups. Not only is it an actual class period, it requires an application and interview process for all potential members. Senior planners coordinate school-wide events such as Puttin’ on the Hitz (POTH) and Thursday Night Live (TNL), in addition to seniors-only events such as the senior breakfast, senior picnic and prom. Although they are given a class period to do work, being in Splanning also requires time and effort out of school, whether it be for fundraisers or the quickly approaching homecoming. “I dedicate a lot of time but it doesn’t feel like work because it’s fun,” senior Ashley Lobel said.
The group also works around people who have other extracurricular commitments. “Our senior planning class does a great job of dividing up work so that everyone’s after school activities are accommodated for, which really helps me because it can sometimes be difficult to balance my internship with senior planning,” senior class president Darren Bogart said.
Average Joes
That leaves everyone else who gets to school at 7:45 and is there through 2:30, or even later depending on extracurricular activities. Speaking for my fellow full schedulers, we are surviving, not thriving.

Sydney Cohen

Features Editor