Grade 8 and secondary school students select courses in February for the following school year. Here are some tips and reminders for students and families planning course selection.
For more tips and advice, listen to the latest podcast episode of Tune In YRDSB. YRDSB educators share their guidance and tips on course selection.
1. You do not need to make decisions alone.
Talk with your family. Teachers, guidance counselors, student success teachers, graduation coaches and other school staff are there to help.
2. Plan.
You can use My Pathway Planner to track your courses, find post-secondary pathway options and look up course descriptions and prerequisites. Learn how to create your plan.
3. Explore your options.
All York Region District School Board secondary schools offer a wide range of courses, programs and opportunities to help you gain skills, experience, credits and certifications in areas that interest you.
Learn more about all secondary school programs or search for opportunities by area of interest. There are also other ways to earn credits, including summer school, night school, online learning, Indigenous and International languages and more.
4. Check graduation requirements.
Make sure you select courses that meet diploma requirements.
5. Understand course types and prerequisites.
Choosing course types that meet your needs is important. Your guidance counselor can help you to choose appropriate courses throughout secondary school as you plan for post-secondary.
A prerequisite is a course that must be successfully completed before taking the course that follows. You can use My Pathway Planner to look up course descriptions and prerequisites.