Most classes on campus last the full school year, but there are a handful of semester classes such as government, economics, health, and speech.

For speech teacher Nick dDon, semester classes provide a new chance and the right amount of time to cover all the material.

“I think half-semester classes are a great opportunity to challenge themselves in a different way. They spend a lot of time in core classes so it’s a great opportunity to learn something different. Some of these things are really applicable on top of what they’re learning,” Dion said. “So it’s a great time and a great opportunity. I think the pace is great personally. Typically spend about 1-2 weeks on each topic giving students the opportunity to really learn the material and then prove that they’ve learned the material.”

Year-long classes can seem like a grind for some students, but for freshman Sophie Paulk, a semester class is a faster way to check out a different subject.

“I think half-semester classes are cool because it’s an easy way to explore more topics and get your credits fast,” Paulk said.