This is a question I answer a lot.
"How can I do choir if I want to take AP and Dual Credit Classes and Graduate with High Academic Honors? I just don't think I'll have time."
The answer to this question is YES. Yes you can do choir all 4 years, (Multiple Choirs) and still graduate at the top of your class. Several of our graduates have been the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of their classes, and a very high percentage also graduate Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude. Read below to know how they did it!!
"How can I do choir if I want to take AP and Dual Credit Classes and Graduate with High Academic Honors? I just don't think I'll have time."
The answer to this question is YES. Yes you can do choir all 4 years, (Multiple Choirs) and still graduate at the top of your class. Several of our graduates have been the Valedictorian and Salutatorian of their classes, and a very high percentage also graduate Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Cum Laude. Read below to know how they did it!!
Dylan Jones- CHS Class of 2017 High Honors Graduate
Through the course of high school, one of the hardest things to do between classes, work, show choir, and many more activities, was finding time for homework and studying that way I could keep on track with obtaining honors. 90% of the time I would come home completely worn out and I would just want to put off all my assignments until the night before and just watch Netflix, but looking back i'm proud that I took the time to finish my homework. When it comes down to it you're not going to remember the late nights where you stayed up until 1am perfecting a paper, or the days where you were tired at school because you had choir practice and then studied for a few hours afterwards. You're going to remember accomplishing something that almost 2/3rds of your class wont have the motivation to accomplish. My advice to keep on track with achieving honors would be to pace yourself. When you make your schedule, don't take a class if you know from the get go that you're not going to excel. Next I would say if you are struggling with a specific unit or topic ask for help. You can find it almost anywhere... from the internet, your friends, in Crigger's/ Hargrave's office at lunch, and even from your parents. Lastly make smart decisions, don't procrastinate if you know the assignment is worth a huge portion of your grade and should be thorough. Don't rely on other people to do the work for you, because that won't help you on the test you need to pass so you can compete 2nd semester. Reblocking the show takes away from time that could be spent getting even better!! Most importantly though when you are in class it is time to zone in, focus on what your teacher or director is trying to cover, and do your best to comprehend it. High school is an extremely long journey that will be over in just a blink. Cherish it, make lifelong friends, and be as successful as you possibly can. Most importantly though it's okay to have fun and be weird it will give you something to smile about later on down the road.
Rylee Parrish- CHS Class of 2017 High Honors Graduate
I think the hardest thing about being in show choir and trying to graduate with honors is deciding when you're going to hang out with your friends at show choir comps, in seminar etc.... and when you're going to ditch them and sit down and do homework! If you're in dual credit or AP classes or if you're just having trouble in a certain class, you have to set a time to study. Either make time to do it after school or make time in between performances... At show choir comps everyone wants to hang out and watch shows and take naps, but I cannot tell you how many times I brought my math homework into the auditorium or was writing a paper while everyone else slept. But once you finish that homework you can hang out with your friends and you have a free Sunday! It's hard and sometimes you'll cry and cry and cry but if you're determined to get honors go for it! Turning down your friends sometimes is worth the medal and them calling your name at graduation
Joseph Mitchell- CHS Class of 2017 High Honors Graduate
So as most of you know not only did I do choir, but I was also in band and I still graduated with honors! It may seem impossible and yes it is a hard thing to manage but it is doable, if you have the drive and the right mindset to accomplish the goal of graduating with honors. First of all summer school is your friend. I know it may sound like the last thing you'd want to do, but to get some of those required classes out of the way during the summer will free up so much time for choir and keeping up with other homework. (I wish I would have listened to my own advice here because I never went to summer school) The more you can get out of the way in the summer, the better. Next, you have to worry about getting all your homework done in time. Sadly this means sometimes staying up all night for several nights of the year, but if you truly want honors, you will be able to do it. Just stay motivated and give yourself a plan of attack for your homework. Give yourself a set number of problems to do or questions to answer and then take a short break to refresh your mind. Trust me, it will help on those long nights. And lastly on homework, don't be afraid to ask upperclassman for help! We have all gone through those classes and we survived and would be more than happy to help, so never be afraid to ask! Another big thing to remember is to be organized. Organizing your evenings and all the plans you are making into a calendar will make your life so much easier. You won't have to stress about remembering when things are due and you can just refer to your calendar and save yourself the trouble. The next big helper is advisory and trust me, I didn't enjoy it any more than the rest of you, but if you have homework, take the time you are given and go to your teachers and do your work so you don't have to worry about it later. The teachers are there to answer questions you have and help you through the work so you can understand it. My last point is to separate play time from work time. When you are at school, it's time to work so put your phones away for the hour and half you are in a class and really pay attention to the subject so that you understand it. When you know you have homework to do after school, don't go and sit at Sonic for three hours and then get home and sleep. Do your work and reward yourself with other things like hanging out with friends and watching TV. I know you probably don't want to hear any of what I just said and both Crigger and Hargrave have said these things at least a thousand times, but they know what they are talking about so listen close and you will definitely succeed. If I can do it, I know all of you are more than capable of graduating with honors so pay attention in class and get your homework in on time! I hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions! I'm always free to talk to anyone who needs it! Oh and don't forget to practice your choir music
Jonatan Reyes- CHS Class of 2017 High Honors Graduate
Graduating with honors, being in show choir/concert choir, and having a job all at the same time sounds like a tough time and I'm not going to lie, it is. You have to be able to manage your time and make some sacrifices you might not want to like not hanging out with some friends or not staying up playing games(me). Sleep is your friend and you want to get as much as possible! Take power naps and finish your homework as soon as you can! If possible finish before a competition but if you can't, take it, you have plenty of time to finish it there. Have a good support system of friends, I can't tell you how much I appreciate my classmates that were also in choir and helped me study and finish my work. Talk to your managers at work and see if they can work with your schedule to accommodate for all your activities, you might be surprised how understanding they are. Have the will to be a mature student and keep your priorities in line, it'll make life and Show Choir a whole lot more fun!
Natalie Gilliam- CHS Class of 2016 Valedictorian
You get what you work for. It's difficult to achieve highest honors and have choir along with other sports. But if you have homework, you do it. And the time you spend playing instead of working will hurt you, and you will make up that time at 2 am. There aren't any special tricks other than to choose work before play. What you give up now is worth it in the end. And peaking in high school instead of doing your homework is pretty lame if you ask me. Just surround yourself with hardworking kids who keep their eyes on the goal, and yours will follow
Molly Shannon-CHS Class of 2016 Salutatorian
Balancing an honors track, sports, and choir while also trying to occasionally sleep is a challenge (invest in a planner now). Personally, I would take a packed schedule over having nothing to do but some days you won't want to do any of it. It's those days that are so important to push through and not let yourself slip. I graduated as Salutatorian with high honors, played on the tennis team sophomore through senior year, was in Soundwave all four years, was FBLA chapter and district president and state VP of Communications senior year, was active in my church, and somehow still saw my friends, spent time with my family, and took several naps. It can be done. It takes work but some of my best friends and best memories came from being so involved. It's important to hold yourself accountable for finishing your work and making it to all of your responsibilities. Sometimes you will sacrifice seeing your friends because it's a choreography weekend, and sometimes you will put off your homework to go to sonic or the baseball game with your friends. I still finished my AP Bio homework, just at 1 am instead. You will find you can still function on 3 hours of sleep or a 30 minutes power nap (I only did that twice and I don't recommend it). Make time to take care of yourself (water, vitamin C, sleep) or you will burn out. Despite what they say, it is possible to do it all and it's kind of fun too! Remember to enjoy these years and make the most of your time at CHS! It's cliche, but it does fly so make sure that you enjoy what you're involved in! Good luck and have fun! It will be you writing this advice before you know it!
Lacey Godfrey- CHS Class of 2016 High Honors Graduate
Have a plan for your schedules before you make them. I planned out what classes I needed to take for all four years when I started because my goal was to graduate with high honors and it really helped. If you want to do choir all four years put it in your schedule and work around that. It really helped to write it down to sort of even out my work load. Sometimes it is stressful when you have a ton of homework and have practice or work but you just have to make homework a priority when you do have time. Staying up late or getting up early to get it done, you just have to do what you got to do. In the end it is rewarding to know you did your best and met your goals.
Colton Sprenkle- CHS Class of 2016 High Honors Graduate
The most important part is figuring out what your plan is. Spacing out difficult classes across your four years, and occasionally taking a summer school class lets you free up tons of space in your schedule for all kinds of electives. I maintained between 3-4 music ensembles all four years of high school and still took enough AP classes to graduate Suma Cum Laude. Also, overloading yourself with AP classes (all at once) isn't the best way to get that 4.0+ GPA, stick with a few and your electives will help you maintain that GPA