Editor’s note: This is the staff editorial from the January edition of the Tiger Print, with staff votes being 24 agreen and 0 disagreeing. 

If you tried to change your schedule this semester, you might have noticed the incredibly long lines, piles of paperwork and giant schedule blacked out in the counseling office.
If you are an upperclassman, you might have wondered why switching classes has been so much more difficult than previous years.
While the reasons vary — everything from budget cuts to optional courses like CAPS — there are only two things students can do: choose classes wisely, and choose them now.
The chances of an easy schedule change next year are highly unlikely, if not impossible.
So don’t select classes because your friends are taking them or because you can’t think of anything else to fill up your schedule.
No matter how much you heart your best friend, copying his or her schedule in an attempt to get in the same class won’t be worth it. Especially on your college transcript.
If you have no idea where to start, talk to your counselor, your current teachers or read the course description guide on the school website.
The guide shows all necessary prerequisites and might surprise you with a class you would have never thought of before.
Take the classes you know you will enjoy and classes that will challenge you without being overwhelming.
That means you are going to have to decide now whether you can handle the classes you want to take next year or whether you should aim for a lighter schedule.
Be honest with yourself.
Unless you are a super genius, don’t take all AP courses. You won’t be a happy camper, and it will be a headache to switch into the regular course come August.
And don’t assume that elective classes won’t adequately prepare you for your future.
Newspaper, yearbook and debate are examples of classes that will give you the real-world experience colleges and employers look for.
Colleges look at your schedule, and three years of drama or art (no matter how time-consuming they are) show the college admissions officers that you aren’t flighty and that you actually have a passion for what you do.
So don’t choose a random class just for the heck of it.
If you don’t love the particular area of study, it will be a nightmare.
Even if it only lasts for a semester.