Students at Florida High are sharing different opinions about the school’s 8 a.m. start time, saying it affects their sleep, focus, mood and even their lives outside of school. While some students feel exhausted before the day even begins, others believe the current schedule works just fine.
“I think that it starts pretty early, so I’m usually pretty tired by the end of the day,” sophomore MacKenzie West said.
Many students feel that the early start leaves them drained.
“I think I am often very tired at the beginning of the day…I feel so lethargic in the morning,” junior Carson Broome said, adding that he is “never happy to get up in the morning.”
Because of this, some students believe starting school later could improve learning and attendance. Both West and Broome think a later start would give students more time to wake up and mentally prepare for class instead of rushing out the door half-asleep.
“I think [the benefits outweigh the drawbacks] because it’s better for mental health and it’s better for attendance,” West said. Broome also believes a later start “could enhance people’s focus,” though he admitted it might cause the school day to run later, which could interfere with after-school activities.
Not everyone agrees that changing the schedule is the best solution. Junior Haven Ottinger said she actually prefers the current start time. She considers herself an early morning person and feels productive at the beginning of the day.
“I feel like the time we have right now is a decently good time frame,” Ottinger said. Ottinger explained that even if school started later, extracurricular activities, homework and family time would all be pushed back. “There’s just not enough time in the day for us to do everything and keep ourselves restored,” Ottinger said. Instead of changing the schedule, she believes students should focus on improving their sleep habits.
Students also mentioned other challenges that could come with a later start time, including traffic and parents’ work schedules. West pointed out that if parents have to be at work early, a later school start could make transportation more difficult. Ottinger briefly added that traffic could possibly become an issue as well.
Waking up before 8 a.m. makes it difficult for many students to feel fully awake and ready to learn. When we begin the day already tired, it affects our focus, motivation and overall mood. A later start time could allow students to get more rest, arrive at school more alert and ultimately perform better in class. While there may be challenges in adjusting the schedule, the benefits to students’ mental health and academic success would make a later start time worthwhile.
Overall, students at Florida High have mixed feelings about the 8 a.m. start time. Some believe a later start would improve focus, attendance and mental health, while others think it would simply shift the same problems to later in the day. As Broome put it, “I think the benefits do outweigh the drawbacks as it could enhance people’s focus,” but the discussion shows that finding a schedule that works for everyone is not so simple.
