It’s almost the end of the first semester, and realizations are starting to set in. The current school schedule is a major downgrade from the 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM distance learning schedule. 

Back in the summer, I was curious to know what the school schedule would look like, and when I initially received the information, I was mostly joyous. I scanned the section that included the school schedule from top to bottom and I saw major changes. I mean, who wouldn’t love for school to start later at 8:30 AM instead of 8:00 AM? 

Well, that was short-lived. A slight frown was cast upon my face as I looked more towards the bottom of the page where it said school ended at 3:37 PM. The schedule was basically the same as the schedule before we went into distance learning, but we got out 30 minutes later, meaning we would have less free time at home. 

The new schedule wasn’t that bad in the beginning. It was nice having a bit of free time at school since I would get there around 8:00 AM, but I never woke up later than 7:00 AM, the same time I woke up for in-person learning before we started distance learning. 

After school, I get home around 4:15 PM and I have to shower right after to reduce any risk of COVID-19 spreading to my household. After I get all freshened up, I usually have some type of chores to do.

Around 5:00 PM I would actually have “free” time. I say “free” time, because I would immediately start my homework so I have time to work on my college applications afterward. Sometimes finishing homework takes a long time, and sometimes family obligations come up.

Sure, I take breaks from time to time, but it quickly turns to 10:00 PM. 

I get little to no free time. On average, I go to sleep a little after midnight each day, and as said above, I wake up at 7:00 AM. My sleep schedule is downright horrendous. 

I feel as if I’m getting more and more tired every day. I am currently a senior in high school and am dealing with the overbearing stress of college and scholarship applications being due. Staying at school for the majority of the day isn’t allowing me enough time to get them done. 

One day I stayed home partly because I was tired, and I felt extremely rejuvenated. I felt as if all the stress weighing on my shoulders was way easier to deal with. It was a mental health break.

Too much school can leak out into students’ daily lives. I sometimes stay up all night trying to get my assignments turned in on time. It’s getting to the point where academic stress is always in my mind, overwhelming and distracting me. 

I do more schoolwork outside of school than during the school day. And no, I’m not a bad student. 

Changing the schedule from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM would relieve the stress that many students have, so we can focus on other essential matters we may be facing in addition to our  academics. 

I understand that a school is a place where students can learn, but I don’t think an hour or two off of our current schedule will harm anyone. 

Sure, some people rely on getting out at specific times, which is why we should get their input too. Whether it be parents on their lunch break picking students up, or students who use buses trying to get home on time, there is always a possible work-around. 

A shorter schedule where everyone can benefit mentally would be excellent. More free time would allow students to grow both as a person and as a student.