The bell rings at 8:10 a.m. everyday and by that time most of us are in our seats half asleep. We begin first period trying to stay awake, and some students sleep in their classes throughout the day.
To others this may seem like a reasonable time to start the schools day, 8 a.m. is not too early or late. However, so much happens before that. Some students wake up at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. to get ready and catch a bus, walk or get in a car.

The time we wake up can’t be changed. The only controllable factor students have is the time they fall asleep. Some students don’t sleep at all. Who is to blame for our lack of sleep? The students? The start time?

“I sleep around 11:30 because I’m personally a night owl,” junior Raymond Phan said. “In rare occasions where I don’t get enough sleep, I’m immensely tired for the rest of the day.”
The amount of sleep varies for each student. It could be argued that IB students or students with honors classes would be the ones lacking of sleep. The amount of assignments they receive is greater than non-honor students.

Additionally, the amount of time students have decreases if they are involved in extracurricular activities, especially sports.
Student athletes have to worry about spending six hours at school, followed by about two hours of practice immediately after school. Then they go home, shower and if they want to get the required eight hours of sleep, they should start their homework as soon as they get home.

Where in that time do they have time to relax? Also, they may have personal manners and responsibilities to deal with.
Throughout the year, there are major events that take place that require a large amount of effort and time from students.
For example, fall and spring plays, music concerts, field trips, tutoring hours, jobs and community service. These activities require a lot of hours that we either choose to voluntarily or as part of a grade. In addition to homework due next class period, students have to fit in long-term projects into their schedule.

Students are sleep deprived due to the massive amount of homework for the most part. Typically, each class gives out some sort of homework or assignment due the next class period. There is also the projects, essays and tests we have to study for on top of those homeworks.

Sometimes life can get in the way and we need time for ourselves, family and friends. The only time we feel free to sleep lates are Friday and Saturday nights. Sleeping late on a school night results in us drained of energy the next day.

“Last year because of current events I had 30 of minutes of sleep one night because I waited last minute. The next day, I felt like a zombie,” sophomore Hansol Yoon said. “I regret doing that because if I did it before hand I could have put more effort into the assignment and I would have gotten more time to sleep.”

Even if we do spend our time wisely on our homework, the time we are given still may not be enough. We have to sacrifice hours of sleep to maintain our grades and relieve stress.
How and when do we retrieve the hours of sleep lost? The next day after an all nighter, we are sleepy and droopy. Is there a point in going to school the next day when you sleep in class and can’t focus?

At the end of a school day, we are students but we are human. Having a massive quantity of homework may prepare us for college and our future, nevertheless we need a break.
If we are constantly working and stressing, how can we enjoy our youth ? Yes, we have to slowly develop strong work ethics and personality, but at the same time, this is the only time we can be a little reckless before we are become adults with a demanding job.