Schedule cards for the 2016-17 school year have been turned in, but this is not where the process stops in setting up student schedules as there is more to come in preparing for next year’s classes and students.

“The first steps students need to take in getting their schedules ready for next year, is completing out their course request cards for next year,” counselor Ryan Kiefer said. “In conjunction with that, they need to be paying attention to looking at the course catalog to make sure they understand what the prerequisites are and the course description for that class.”

Although turning in schedule cards is a sign that the school year is nearing an end, counselors say students still need to finish the year strong.

“After they turn in their schedule, they just really need to pass their classes to make sure they maintain on schedule and are eligible for their classes that they want in next year,” Kiefer said. “They need to maintain currently.”

Although schedule cards are for next year classes, most changes and due dates occur this year.

“Once they’ve turned them in, if they would like to change it, they will be online around April 1,” Kiefer said. “Students can change them up to April 15. For any elective or alternate course changes, after April 15 students are no longer eligible to make schedule changes, unless they are dropping from Pre-ap/AP to regular or if they are doing a program change, such as dropping athletics or dropping orchestra.”

Although there is no real punishment for turning a schedule card in late, there are a few minor consequences.

“If they turn their cards in late, they run the risk of having their counselor pick all of their classes for next year,” Kiefer said. “I mean it’s imperative that students turn in on time, not only so that they don’t run the risk of having someone else pick their schedule, but also we use that to determine how many sections of each class that we need, how many teachers we need, if we need to hire any teachers for next year. It’s just for the overall planning for the master schedule resources for next year. That’s why we have to have them in so early.”

Although students have to get their schedule cards in early, some students think that they should be given more time to pick their classes for next year.

“I think students should be given more time to fill out their schedule for next year,” freshmen Kynlee Plantz said. “You can think about it all year, but some people don’t do that. They just wait until they get their schedule card and they have to do it really fast.”