Jensen Bush, staff reporter
School days can feel so long, especially when they start early and end late in the day; it does not make attending school easy.
Students have expressed that they want a shorter school day as opposed to a normal one; an hour-and-a-half class for 5 periods that stretch over the 8-hour school day, which can be very tiring. Instead, having shorter class periods or fewer periods in a day within a 5 to 7-hour school day.
There are many benefits that come from a short school day; the Los Alamos Reporter says, “Shorter school days enforce healthier sleep schedules across many adolescents and boosts their ability to focus and learn in classes.”
Focusing in class is a big problem for students because when classes are long, their attention span runs out at some point. Freshman Alida Zavala argues for shorter school days.
“School days are so long, it feels like when you finally get to go home, you’re only there for a little until you have to go back,” Zavala said. “Having short school days will improve my mindset about school.” Students throughout high school feel that school days are too long. Getting the right amount of sleep is very challenging for students because school gets out later in the afternoon. Many students also have extracurricular activities, so the majority are getting home at 6 or later.
Freshman Ryeligh Bohen said, “I have volleyball after school, so most days I get home at 6:00, and I still have to eat dinner, shower, and do homework, so it is very tiring.”
Freshman Natalie Argo adds her thoughts about school ending at a later time.
“I hate going home after school and realizing I have so much to do in so little time. It’s very stressful.”
When students get home, they are going to want to have their me-time. Many believe there isn’t enough time in the day to get out of school so late and get everything done, leaving students feeling stressed.
Having shorter school days can have so many positive benefits for students. Students feeling successful about school should always be a big priority, and that can come from ending school later. School ending later should be taken into consideration because students’ mental health matters.
