opinions story

There are several ideas about changes in scheduling at Bowie High school for this upcoming 2016-2017 school year.

For Bowie students, there are two choices; one being that the bell schedule does not change and our ten late start days are no longer, or the first bell is changed to 8:50 and the last bell to 4:40 and we'll have FIT everyday.

Students and Staff have the option of going online and voting for which schedule alteration they think is best. I'm hoping that the voting doesn't turn into a high school political disaster.

Both options may seem equally less desirable than the schedule being practiced this year, but I have reason to disagree. The advantages that I can see are valuable.

Having ten late starts taken away is a way worse option than having to be at school for another 30 minutes with FIT everyday.

FIT is a wonderful time to do homework, socialize, and prepare for the rest of the day. Having FIT everyday and late start days is worth going to school for a ballpark of thirty minutes. Plus, the class periods would be close to the same time as they are now.

Not everyone thinks as positively as me about this option though. Some don't like FIT, its a short period of time and it may be hard for students to get focused. Late starts can be inconvenient for parents as well. Some have work and schedule their lives around ten weird days out of the year. On top of it all, students have to stay for, what they might think is a grueling, thirty more minutes.

There are many ups and downs of both options, so the schedule that eliminates the late starts and is shorter might also be a popular option.

Almost everything in life has a cost. Giving something up to get something else is what I'm choosing to side with to have FIT and late starts.

I just don't see how getting extra time for homework, as well as having a few fall back days to sleep in can be bad. The downsides of the option I'm going with are very minimal in comparison to the lack of advantages the other has to offer for Bowie students.

Its seems ungrateful to not appreciate FIT. Its about thirty minutes out of the day that we get to get things done. FIT has saved my grades multiple times.

Late starts are important when you have to cram the night before, or when there is a project that you forgot to do, or when you just want to plain stay up until 3 AM watching Buzzfeed videos. Those ten magical late starts are there to save you, to let you sleep in. Or, if you simply want to have breakfast with a few friends before being dropped off at jail.

In conclusion, the schedule at Bowie for the 2016-2017 school year should be changed in accordance to the option of FIT everyday, late starts, and a longer school day. The day may get longer, but this option presents more opportunities to get things done. As students, that should be our priority.