I just...don't have a clue what classes I'm actually supposed to take...or if I have enough credits now.
These are questions which the school should be able to answer definitively.
In the meanwhile, does your school have a list of graduation requirements, prerequisites, etc, posted on the internet (such as on the school website, or district website)? Does your state department of education list high school graduation requirements on its website?
You could make a list of any requirements you find, then match the classes you've taken so far to this list, noting the semester or term in which you took each course. Your list could be handwritten on paper, created as a typed document (for example, Word) or it could be keyed into a spreadsheet (for example, Excel). Then make a copy, in case it becomes helpful to use your work as a discussion aid. (Keep your original. Do not give your original away or leave it with the school/teacher/guidance counselor/gifted coordinator, etc.)
You might also want to make a copy of other documents you may have:
- any list you found showing graduation requirements, prereqs, etc,
- the list of classes you originally requested or enrolled in (your paper schedule),
- your current class schedule (printout of your online schedule).
Having done the research and documented your findings may help you be prepared for your meeting/conversation/discussion: You will have something to compare with what the school tells you. Why is this important?
1) Most schedules are computer generated. It is possible that no person has looked at your schedule to ensure that it creates a path to graduating on time.
2) Some schools/teachers/guidance counselors/gifted coordinators may care about each individual student and take time to help a student optimize his/her schedule, while others just want to clear their "inbox" of tasks.
3) It shows you care and are willing to put in effort to increase your opportunities for success.
4) The earliest requests for schedule changes may be most likely to result in getting the desired class/section and/or getting the student on to the waitlist (to provide a seat in the class/section if another student drops that class/section from his/her schedule).
