The current four-hour school day, a schedule designed to allow flexibility for both teachers and students, is dramatically shorter than what Brahmas are used to. While reducing class time may seem like an ineffective way to teach any curriculum, the benefits of such a schedule for students’ mental health make up for the lost educational time.

Upon first glance, the current schedule seems absurd. Many questioned whether teachers would be able to teach their lessons effectively in the span of 40 minutes, not to mention that delays caused by online learning could lessen that already-short time span as well. 

After a few weeks of attending classes with the new schedule, however, it has become clear that these presumptions were wrong. During each 40-minute period, most teachers are still able to cover most of the required content for the day by altering their lesson plans. There have rarely been any occasions in the past few weeks where my teachers continued lecturing into passing periods. In fact, many classes finish up to 10 minutes early.

As a result of all the extra time, I have had the flexibility to balance my schedule much better than I have been able to in previous years. Because the new school day ends by lunch time,  students can start working on–and finish–their homework much sooner. In addition, for those lessons that end early, students have an opportunity to get a head start on the day’s assignments between classes. 

Under this schedule, I’m able to finish all my homework just a few hours after school ends; often around 5 p.m.

Since students are spending less time in class, they have the opportunity to do other enjoyable activities for themselves outside of extracurriculars. This extra time allows students  to explore activities that alleviate stress and fatigue and improve the balance between their schoolwork and hobbies.

While many may think that a reduction to school hours negatively impacts our education, it actually has improved students’ productivity and wellbeing. Overall, students should make use of this shorter school day to make more time for their own rather than overwhelming themselves.