How Does the Bell Schedule Work at South? What Should I Know About Scheduling in General?
The bell schedule operates with seven-minute passing periods. The bell schedule is hung on the walls of most classrooms and also available on the Clypian. South also operates with block days.This means that on Mondays there will be all eight classes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays are A days (first four classes) and Wednesdays and Fridays are B days (last four classes). As for scheduling in general, the biggest piece of advice I can give is to establish a good relationship with your counselor. We have a great team of counselors at South who are very accommodating, especially for freshmen. You can request to change your schedule here, or talk to your counselor in person.
Can Freshmen Go Off Campus with the Upperclassmen at Lunch?
Unfortunately, freshmen are not able to go off campus for lunch. There are various places within the campus that are available for freshmen, such as any of the cafeterias, the courtyard, the bleachers or the Rose Auditorium.
How Long Does it Take to Learn Where Your Classes Are?
Once one learns their way around the campus, it only takes about a week or two to find where their classes are. I found it was helpful my freshman year to print a map and highlight my classroom numbers. There will also be plenty of Link Leaders and Associated Student Body, (ASB), members willing to help you out in case you need help finding a class.
How Difficult is the Curriculum?
South uses the Middle Years Program, (MYP), for freshman and sophomores. This rubric is used to help integrate students into International Baccalaureate, (IB), if they choose to take it. The MYP rubric evaluates on four main criteria points, these being Criterion A: Knowing and Understanding,
Criterion B: Inquiring and Designing, Criterion C: Processing and Evaluating, Criterion D: Reflecting and Thinking Critically. These will be explained further in your English classes. It can be a bigger challenge for some students but most teachers are very accommodating and will re-explain the curriculum if needed.
On a Scale of One to Ten How Difficult is Freshman Year? Ten Being Most Difficult.
I would say it depends on your middle school experience. The majority of the challenges my grade faced had nothing to do with academics or socials; it was just learning the new rules of South, like scheduling. If you are confident in your ability to adapt, the transition will likely only be hard for the first semester or so, so I would say a three.
How Hard is it Going to be Adjusting From 6 Classes to 8?
The transition was not particularly difficult for me going from six to eight classes. The four main classes (Math, English, Science and History) very rarely provide homework. Your workload could depend on your extracurriculars or electives, although it is usually pretty light, since some electives just act as filler classes.
Is it as Scary as People Say?
The transition from high school can be a little scary for some, but there are many resources for students like counselors or teachers. The best resource for freshmen are particularly Link Leaders. You will be paired with upperclassmen, who you can go to with any questions. They will check up on you in your homeroom class. All of the upperclassmen know what it is like to be a freshman, so they will likely not dog on you for being new.
Is it Hard to Pass a Class?
It is not hard to pass a class, as long as you allocate your time and focus wisely. In fact, for most freshman classes, teachers will say it is harder to fail the class than it is to pass it. The workload in freshman classes is very light, and there is very little homework. The teachers are sure to give you lots of class time for projects. There are also many resources for students, such as Saxon Tutoring. In your homeroom, you will also be given Saxon Enrichment Time, (SET), where you can get a pass from your homeroom teacher to meet up with another teacher.
