Most students can feel drained during their classes, but is this due to the class work itself, or the time of day?
Morning classes at Marist start at 8 a.m during the normal bell schedule. At that time, some students may feel unprepared to begin their day.
“I have English first period; since it’s the morning, it’s rather less productive than usual because you would have just woken up,” says freshman Logan Liberadoy.
Teachers can see the differences as well, since they teach multiple periods throughout the day.
“During first period, students either don’t get enough sleep, or it’s the first class of the day, and they don’t even get time to warm up,” says math teacher Elizabeth Chlebek.
Not all students feel this fatigue. If their first period class is slower pace or requires group work, it helps them ease into the school day.
“I feel very productive because we all work together as a big group in band, trying to improve the one thing we are working on that day,” says freshman Samantha Raymond.
After students get through their morning classes, fourth period starts at 10:35 a.m. Most students have gotten into the swing of things by then.
“During the afternoon classes, students are more high energy, they’re more willing to learn and I feel like they even think faster,” says Chlebek.
Still, classes that require more attention may be harder to concentrate in, such as English, math, and sciences.
“My fourth period class, algebra, is a very fast paced class, so I’m usually very energetic or extremely tired,” says Raymond.
By the end of the school day, collectively everyone is ready to get out of school. Eighth period starts at 1:55 p.m, which leaves many students with almost no willingness to learn.
“At the end of the day, students are almost burnt out, so it’s hard for them to focus,” says Chlebek.
The subject last period can affect how the student works. Slower-paced classes allow students to ease through the final minutes of the day.
“I have religion for last period, so I still feel pretty productive because I’m in the final swing of things,” says Liberadoy.
Work doesn’t stop after the last bell rings. Students are expected to complete their homework, which can be affected by the time as well.
I usually try to start homework as soon as I get home,” says Raymond. “Usually, I’ll take an hour break beforehand to just rest and get through the day.”
Students see the benefits to getting to work right away, but it isn’t always possible. Sometimes after school activities delay homework.
“When you get out of school, and you go to an activity, you’re not gonna be as focused on school as you were at the end of eighth period,” says Liberadoy.
Starting homework later may not be the best for a student’s mental and energy levels, even if it’s necessary for some.
“If I started way later after school, I don’t know if I’d be less productive, but I’d be more stressed,” says Raymond.
