By J1 Reporter Moira Harr

Between Jan. 31 and Feb. 5, many Marian freshmen, sophomores and juniors walked out of their counselor’s office feeling like they had planned out their entire future. This feeling can be attributed to registering for classes for the 2025-2026 school year. 

The topic of registration was brought up the week of Jan. 20 in classes, and a CAB regarding registration was held on Monday, Jan. 27. Students received a large, yellow envelope that contained information regarding classes, registration guides, and teacher recommendations. Students were also encouraged to refer to the curriculum guide on Marian’s website. 

This year, class registration occurred a few weeks earlier than in previous years. Counselor Mrs. Kathy DeWispelare explained that the early date for registration was due to calendar logistics. It was scheduled in relation to how events fell with planning Masses, holidays, and events for the current eighth graders. 

However, students immediately noticed how quickly registration appeared. “I was surprised that we were doing it in the winter, because before when we signed up for classes for freshman year, they were a lot later and I was not ready,” freshman Marielle Kolterman said. 

More than anything, the process felt rushed for students. “It felt very early because we had just gotten our packets that same week. Deciding what classes to take in a matter of two or three days felt very rushed, especially for senior year,” junior Clare Engel said. 

For sophomore Delaney Schmitz, it felt early in the sense that all of a sudden she had to register. “I mean, obviously you kind of know what classes are expected of you to take junior year, but you don’t have a lot of time to sit and think about what electives or extra classes you want to take more of, or if you want to take honors,” Schmitz said. 

Students agreed that registration made them feel stressed and anxious because they had little time to plan out their future and make decisions regarding classes, workload and activities. 

A factor that worries many students is what would happen if they wanted to change their schedule after they registered. Marian counselors do their best to accommodate schedules for everyone, even after students have already registered, though it can be harder to change a schedule the further up the grade level is.

Because Marian offers many courses at different levels, another stressful event for students is if they are not recommended for a class that they were hoping to take. “I always tell my students to go back to the teacher first. A lot of times, teachers don’t know what you all are thinking, so if there’s an internal desire to be challenged more or work at a higher level, let your teacher know, and then start that conversation there,” DeWispelare said. Marian teachers do their best to set students up on a path that will lead to success. 

Students were not alone in the registration process, though. Marian girls were encouraged to talk to their teachers and counselors about registration. Kolterman talked to a lot of people, such as upperclassmen in her study hall, her older sister and her mom. Engel also talked to a variety of people such as her counselor, friends and older sister. 

Schmitz said that the teachers did a good job of explaining the options for courses which she later discussed with her parents. “My counselor helped a lot. Mrs. Losee was there to break down what my schedule would look like, and kind of what I would be interested in,” Schmitz said. 

Students should follow their interests and passions when deciding classes. “The best thing to do is pick classes you want to take and not take what your friends are taking,” DeWispelare said. When picking classes, students took into consideration their interests, the level of difficulty of the classes, what their friends were deciding to take, and maintaining a balanced schedule.

The most prominent factor was individual interest. Engel, who enjoys English, made sure to register for more English classes.

Schmitz also used her interests to guide her. “I wanted to challenge myself in the areas where I was interested in, like math and science,” Schmitz said.

Kolterman decided to take choir, so she could be in the same class as her older sister.

Although the registration process feels stressful for many, there are many Marian girls and teachers willing to offer advice. DeWispelare, having been a part of the registration process many times before as a counselor, has lots of helpful advice to offer. “I say to the younger students, our freshmen and sophomores, work at getting your required credits completed, so that you have greater freedom as you get older,” DeWispelare said.

Taking the required credits exposes students to many different areas of the curriculum which helps students take more options into consideration. “There’s so many great classes here taught by amazing teachers. At Marian, you get exposed to classes you never knew that can develop into new passions and inspire different career paths,” DeWispelare said.

Kolterman advises that students talk to a lot of people to get different insights and to follow your interests.

Engel, having been through her last Marian registration experience, also offers advice. “Have an open mind. Things can change. Also, use your resources. People are here to help you and talking to people about registration will really help,” Engel said. 

Schmitz uses her own experiences to craft advice.  “It doesn’t have to be stressful. There’s a lot of people here at Marian that want to help you and make sure you’re in the right classes and you’re in what you like to do. Talking to the counselors really helps. And don’t do what your friends do, because you don’t have to do that,” Schmitz said. 

Although registration can be stressful, it can also be exciting to look to the future alongside those here to help.