Are your school counselors just as frustrating? Because mine is completely unhelpful—it’s unbelievable. This year, my school decided to tighten up the PE waiver rules. In previous years, juniors and seniors could simply say they were participating in a sport and get exempted from PE. Now, they’ve got to print out a mountain of requirements from colleges to justify skipping PE, which is ridiculous.
First of all, I’m not a fan of being pushed to focus on college when I’m still figuring things out. Secondly, my school offers a ton of amazing electives, but now we’re being forced to drop them for PE. And third, apparently, the counseling department had a meeting about allowing juniors and seniors to choose their preferred classes. But, my counselor clearly didn’t get the memo. She told me my PE waiver was solid and that I had enough credits for college, yet I had only one elective slot open that I wanted to use for aquaponics, and she insisted on putting me in PE instead.
I pushed back, suggesting that aquaponics should be my first choice and PE my backup, but she flat out refused. Seriously? My friend, who has several electives open and a much better counselor, didn’t have to take PE. On top of that, my counselor mistakenly thought I didn’t have a computer science credit even though I’m currently enrolled in a CS class, so she forced me into another class I didn’t want. I even sent her my credit record post-meeting to confirm my CS credit, but instead of fixing my schedule, she just moved me into some random class instead of aquaponics. It’s incredibly frustrating as we head into senior year—there’s no reason for this kind of unfairness.
We’re also being pushed into college planning meetings, which feels unnecessary. Not everyone is headed to college, and forcing 16 and 17-year-olds to decide their futures before they’re ready is just too much pressure. I can’t shake the feeling that she’ll mess with my major too while she’s at it.
I understand that she’s under a lot of stress. I get it, managing class schedules for so many students is tough, but really? It would’ve made her job easier to just enroll me in the classes I wanted in the first place instead of creating more chaos for all of us to fix. Seriously, do I want to change in front of freshmen and sophomores for PE? No! Do I want to be sweaty all day? I’m already taking four AP classes—give me a break!
And I can’t believe I’ll be stuck in a gym with people who think they’re hot stuff while sharing space with PE teachers who’ve had questionable backgrounds. With all the scandals this year, it feels like a bad idea! Plus, I’m not the only one struggling with my counselor. My best friend in the music program wanted to take a music class instead of PE and got forced into PE. What’s up with that? Another girl I know tried to take AP French and was also put in PE. Meanwhile, one annoying guy I know dodged the PE bullet without a valid reason. Makes you wonder if there’s something sketchy going on. Is she trying to get us to build strength to fight against something? It’s bizarre!
Anyway, it looks like I’ll be skipping a lot of classes next year. Wish me luck!
I totally vibe with your frustration! It sounds like your counselor is really dropping the ball when it comes to actually listening to students’ needs and helping them navigate these changes. It’s wild how they can make such sweeping rules without considering how they actually impact people. PE, especially when you’re juggling AP classes and other responsibilities, feels unnecessary and like a complete waste of time for many.
And the inconsistencies between students are infuriating! It seems like there’s no clear rationale for why some students get exceptions and others don’t. It’s almost like they’re operating on some outdated system rather than catering to individual needs. The push for college prep is super stressful too—everyone’s path is different, and it feels suffocating to have that pressure to map out your future when you’re still figuring things out.
Honestly, I can’t believe they wouldn’t even let you have aquaponics as your first choice! It’s ridiculous that they’d rather put students in classes they don’t want than help them pursue what they’re actually interested in. You deserve to be in classes that excite you, especially when there are so many interesting electives available.
As for skipping classes, it might seem tempting right now, but remember, you’ve worked hard to get where you are! So maybe try to find an advocate—like a trusted teacher or another staff member—who can help you communicate your concerns and push back on this unfair treatment. Hang in there! You’re not alone in this struggle, and hopefully, things will turn around for you soon.