OPINION: Sleep deprivation

The cons for our new start times

OPINION%3A+Sleep+deprivation

Four days a week, I arrive at the restaurant at 3:40 to start my shift. Four days a week, I leave the restaurant at 9:30 to go home and start my homework.

With Boulder Valley School District’s adjusted high school schedule for the 2019 – 2020 school year, I won’t be able to get to work on time. At the restaurant, we have a set schedule. The lunch shift starts at 11:00 am and the dinner shift starts at 3:40 pm. If I can no longer get to work at 3:40 pm, I have to stop working during the school week.

 

As a student that has to work in order to afford gas to get to school each day and buy myself food for the week, I am opposed to this new schedule.

 

In order to thrive, I need to work the four shifts a week.

 

The other three days I am not working, I am at cheer practice. If this schedule is finalized, my practices will be pushed back an hour. Previously, I would’ve gotten out of practice by 6:00 pm at the latest. I would’ve gotten home and finished my homework by 9:30. My whole schedule will be pushed back an hour.

 

Many, if not most, high school students have the same concerns about the bell schedule as I do. As high schoolers, we are already extremely busy. This schedule takes time out of our afternoons that we could use to do homework, go to work, attend practices or even spend time with our families.

 

Despite the bad qualities of this schedule, there are some good such as the fact school would not be starting as early. Even though classes would start later, students will still be receiving the same amount of sleep each night. This won’t change.

 

As a high school student who is overwhelmed with homework and my job, I’d much rather start classes earlier in the morning to preserve the chunk of time in the afternoons I so heavily rely on.