I understand that studies have been done and show that early start times hurt some student performance. I’m not contesting that is true for many, but it didn’t seem to affect me or my friends.
We all played sports so we had 6:15 start times for morning practice or workouts. I lived about 3 miles from my high school (and even further from my middle school, which also had morning workouts), and was responsible for getting myself there. I rode my bike, or skated, with my sports equipment 4 or 5 days a week.
Class from 8 to 3:30, then afternoon practice or competitions until about 6:15. This required me to make and bring two meals to school. I was rarely home before 7:15, so that’s a 13 hour day at school Mon-Fri, then homework. On weekends I played club sports and found time to socialize. Thankfully I didn’t have to work during the school year until I found a internship at the end of my senior year.
I had all AP or honors classes, so academics weren’t exactly easy, but I got good grades, as did my friend group.
Was it easy? No. Did I have fun and enjoy my time? Hell yeah. My days were full, we didn’t have time for video games, and social media didn’t exist.
I’m lucky that I had supportive parents and a stable home life. They paid the bills and made sure there was food in the fridge, but I was expected to do everything else on my own.
I’m certain that experience made me who I am today, mostly responsible, productive, and confident I can handle whatever this crazy world comes up with. Stuff doesn’t always go my way, but I’m prepared mentally and emotionally to deal with it.
I remember having a similar schedule and falling asleep in virtually every after-lunch Calculus class. Just passed right out every day. Then pulled it together for my last class and extracurriculars.
Like, sure, I guess it worked out in the end. But I’d hardly call this good public policy, broadly speaking.
Agreed, we can certainly do better. I was hopeful that hybrid classes would eventually work well, but it seems post COVID we’ve figured out how to mess that up too.
Connectivity, teachers funded and equipped to handle an online class component, a home environment capable of being supportive for students, parents who aren’t in a situation that requires them to work 3 jobs to make rent so instead they can actively participate in their children’s education.
That’s pretty far, but I’m happy you had a bus. That wasn’t an option given how early I was going to school, so it was a bike or a skateboard for me. That makes for some very early mornings, but everything worked out, and somehow I made my way.
I understand not everyone is equipped for early mornings, and I certainly don’t look down on anyone for that. The downvotes on my post were entirely predictable, it just sucks that if your personal experience doesn’t align with whatever is popular among Lemmy users you get shat on.
Shit is hard, I get it, but with a little help some of us can navigate it and figure our lives out.
I remember having a similar schedule and falling asleep in virtually every after-lunch Calculus class. Just passed right out every day. Then pulled it together for my last class and extracurriculars.
Like, sure, I guess it worked out in the end. But I’d hardly call this good public policy, broadly speaking.
I understand that studies have been done and show that early start times hurt some student performance. I’m not contesting that is true for many, but it didn’t seem to affect me or my friends.
We all played sports so we had 6:15 start times for morning practice or workouts. I lived about 3 miles from my high school (and even further from my middle school, which also had morning workouts), and was responsible for getting myself there. I rode my bike, or skated, with my sports equipment 4 or 5 days a week.
Class from 8 to 3:30, then afternoon practice or competitions until about 6:15. This required me to make and bring two meals to school. I was rarely home before 7:15, so that’s a 13 hour day at school Mon-Fri, then homework. On weekends I played club sports and found time to socialize. Thankfully I didn’t have to work during the school year until I found a internship at the end of my senior year.
I had all AP or honors classes, so academics weren’t exactly easy, but I got good grades, as did my friend group.
Was it easy? No. Did I have fun and enjoy my time? Hell yeah. My days were full, we didn’t have time for video games, and social media didn’t exist.
I’m lucky that I had supportive parents and a stable home life. They paid the bills and made sure there was food in the fridge, but I was expected to do everything else on my own.
I’m certain that experience made me who I am today, mostly responsible, productive, and confident I can handle whatever this crazy world comes up with. Stuff doesn’t always go my way, but I’m prepared mentally and emotionally to deal with it.
I remember having a similar schedule and falling asleep in virtually every after-lunch Calculus class. Just passed right out every day. Then pulled it together for my last class and extracurriculars.
Like, sure, I guess it worked out in the end. But I’d hardly call this good public policy, broadly speaking.
Agreed, we can certainly do better. I was hopeful that hybrid classes would eventually work well, but it seems post COVID we’ve figured out how to mess that up too.
Connectivity, teachers funded and equipped to handle an online class component, a home environment capable of being supportive for students, parents who aren’t in a situation that requires them to work 3 jobs to make rent so instead they can actively participate in their children’s education.
We’ve got a long way to go and I’m pessimistic.
lol. I lived 9 miles away. I think the person who lived furthest away on my bus route was 11 miles. I don’t think my bus was the farthest away either.
That’s pretty far, but I’m happy you had a bus. That wasn’t an option given how early I was going to school, so it was a bike or a skateboard for me. That makes for some very early mornings, but everything worked out, and somehow I made my way.
I understand not everyone is equipped for early mornings, and I certainly don’t look down on anyone for that. The downvotes on my post were entirely predictable, it just sucks that if your personal experience doesn’t align with whatever is popular among Lemmy users you get shat on.
Shit is hard, I get it, but with a little help some of us can navigate it and figure our lives out.
I remember having a similar schedule and falling asleep in virtually every after-lunch Calculus class. Just passed right out every day. Then pulled it together for my last class and extracurriculars.
Like, sure, I guess it worked out in the end. But I’d hardly call this good public policy, broadly speaking.