OPINION: Why students at Catlin Gabel shouldn’t take 7 classes

By Grace Hu ‘28

Courtesy of rawpixel

During forecasting, a seventh class can seem like one more opportunity; another subject to explore, or another interest to pursue. Months later, at 12:30 AM after hours of homework, that same choice might feel different.

For junior Mia Yasukawa who takes seven classes, homework often begins around 8:30 PM after extracurricular activities, and continues until midnight or later. “The biggest challenge is that I just have no free time and I’m constantly tired,” she said.

Yasukawa chose seven classes because she wanted to explore her interests, a reason many students can relate to. With so many appealing courses available, narrowing down a schedule can be difficult. But before filling that last block during forecasting, students should consider how another class would fit into their daily lives.

“I think what I encourage students to do is look at it holistically,” Upper School Dean of Academics Shannon Rush said. “It’s not just the classes, right? It's your whole life.”

Forecasting makes it easy to focus on individual courses. Each description offers something interesting, and each choice might seem manageable on its own. The harder task is imagining those courses together, alongside practices, rehearsals, jobs, college applications, and responsibilities at home. 

According to Rush, a free block is already part of how the school plans students’ workloads. “Our upper school classes are designed thinking that folks would have a free block,” Rush explained. “So if you fill all seven [blocks], you not only have less time during the day to meet your teachers, to meet your peers, to have some downtime, but you also have more homework.” 

Choosing a seventh class creates two challenges at once; more work to complete, and less time available during the school day to complete it. As Upper School Counselor Charlie Grant pointed out, “It also means less time to work on other classes.”

Before giving up a free block, students should consider how they might use that time. Meeting with a teacher, doing homework, or reviewing material for a test can make the rest of a demanding schedule more manageable.

Senior Joshua Chun, who takes five classes, describes the difference that flexibility makes. “The biggest benefit of taking five classes is the extra breathing room I have in a day,” he said. “I almost never have a completely full day of classes, so I can go to the library to work on anything that’s coming up.”

Even with free blocks, Chun typically spends between one to two and a half hours on homework each night. His experience shows that having time to work during the school day does not necessarily eliminate homework altogether. Students’ workloads vary depending on their courses and assignments, making it important to consider how much work will extend beyond the school day when choosing classes.

Managing workload effectively also means having enough time to learn the material thoroughly. Students may be interested in every class they choose, but a full schedule can leave them struggling to give each subject the attention it requires.

“It’s hard to do them all super well,” Rush said. “So you end up doing just surface level work, or you’re doing it last minute, so the learning you’re doing doesn’t go into long term memory in the same way because you’re at capacity.”

When assignments pile up, the goal can become finishing the work before the deadline instead of taking the time to fully understand the material. Students may have fewer opportunities to ask questions, discuss ideas, or think further about something that interests them. During forecasting, it is worth considering whether an additional course would deepen your learning or stretch your attention too thin. 

In a survey conducted on Catlin Gabel (CGS) Upper School students in 2026, out of 27 responses, 48% stated that they take seven classes. Of that 48% of students, 38% disclosed feeling overwhelmed or stressed often or almost always, 54% said they felt that way sometimes, and 8% said rarely. Some reported choosing seven classes because they wanted to explore different subjects, while others mentioned graduation requirements.

Although the survey does not indicate that the seven classes were the only reason for students’ stress, it suggests that students should consider their reasoning for choosing a full schedule and think ahead on how manageable it might be for them.

Part of making that decision is considering how much time students will have to meet the demands of each class. Grant also observed that when students take seven classes, “Their time management skills become under pressure.” Even students who organize their time carefully have a limited number of hours available.

Chun’s experience also shows that taking fewer classes does not remove every challenge. “My course load does not affect my sleep or stress levels significantly, but when combined with college applications it definitely makes it harder for me to pursue activities for fun outside of my two main extracurriculars," he said. 

For rising seniors, it is especially important to consider the time needed for college applications when choosing classes for next year. Applications may not appear as a class on your schedule, but they still require significant time and attention. The same is true of other responsibilities that can be easy to overlook when choosing courses. 

Still, leaving a block open can feel uncomfortable for some when students compare schedules or worry about college admissions. Grant encourages students to reconsider how they define success. “Classes are one way to be successful. It’s true,” he said. “There’s a myriad of other ways that I hope colleges also look at when deciding whether to admit students or not.” 

Grant suggested being active in a club, volunteering, and pursuing something students care about as other meaningful commitments. His advice raises a useful question for forecasting: would that seventh class support your interests, or take time away from something equally important to you?

Students concerned about how their choices will affect college admissions should discuss their specific schedules with a college counselor. Comparing courses with friends cannot account for differences in workload, outside commitments, or personal goals.

Rush developed a sustainability tool last year to help students calculate how much time their planned commitments would leave. Students considering taking seven classes can ask their advisors about it and discuss what they would change if the schedule became overwhelming. 

“No one wants to drop something once you’ve started to invest in it, right?” Rush emphasized.

Making a plan beforehand can help students recognize their priorities before they feel overwhelmed. That might mean identifying a class or activity they would reconsider if they found themselves consistently sacrificing sleep or struggling to keep up.

However, seven classes can work for some students. Rush explained that workloads differ across subjects, and certain combinations may be manageable, particularly for students with fewer outside commitments. The decision should reflect the actual courses and the student’s circumstances. 

Before submitting course requests, picture an ordinary week in the middle of the year; homework after practice, overlapping deadlines, tests on the same day, and time with friends. Consider when you would rest and where you would turn for help. Then ask whether that seventh class fits into the week you realistically have.

During forecasting, every course represents an opportunity. Leaving space in your schedule can be an opportunity too.