As a freshman coming into a new environment, it’s important to have a place to feel safe and be surrounded by others who are going through the same thing. For students at Frederick High School, that place is your advisory classroom. Each student gets placed into an advisory classroom their freshman year. They meet in that classroom every Wednesday to talk about graduation requirements, learn about ways to help balance the factors that play a role in life, and talk about how school is going overall. The students are set with a teacher who will be the one to guide them through the next four years of their lives.

The only question is does it help or is it a waste of time?

According to Elias Ramu, a newcomer to Frederick High School, he believes that advisory does help freshmen at Frederick High School.

“Some students aren’t socially experienced with stuff like clubs and sports so it can also be a place of comfort where you can have your own group or family of students who you will know for the next three years of your high school experience,” he says.

When asked if he believes that it will continue for the following freshman, he undoubtedly agreed. “There are two different views on it. People can hate it and people can love it. It all depends on who they are” Elias said in conclusion.

To find separate views from Elias, we also talked to sophomore Krysta Cohernour. Krysta believes that advisory is a waste of time. When talking to her beforehand, she explained how advisory doesn’t really help the students but also gives them a time and place to mess around instead of learning.

“I don’t really care for advisory, mainly because we don’t do much. Since having advisory, I haven’t been given much of a reason to think it is important enough to have it. Also, the only grade we get is for attendance.” Krysta said. We continued to talk to Krysta about advisory and asked her about what Elias had said, as well as if it was helping freshmen throughout their first year in high school. Krysta did not agree with his statement, however.

“When I came to FHS, advisory didn’t really do anything. I didn’t see advisory as much help, we just sit there and talk to each other,” she said.

Although both Elias and Krysta have two completely different thoughts on advisory and how it does or doesn’t help students at FHS, the two of them together made some fair and good points. I can’t say which one I would agree with. At times, advisory will help and give a student an escape or just a little bit of time to relax and breathe. Maybe even getting some homework done for their next class. Other times it seems like a waste of time to be sitting in a classroom and doing absolutely nothing. Some people see it as helpful, others see it as a joke and will spend their time playing games.

Truth be told though,  Advisory is given to students to help them be ready for when it’s their time to graduate. From the day you’re a freshman walking into the school, to the day you’re a senior walking out of the school doors. Advisory is there to help you. All of the tests and quizzes that students take help them to figure out what they want to do in the future. It’s there to help students plan and have options for after high school. Students may not like it now or may not think it’s needed, but it may be proven helpful.

What are your thoughts on advisory? Is it worth it to have it or is it a waste of time?