Op-Ed: Day Half Full or Half Empty?

Charlotte Arzouian ’28

The post-break respite has led to a barrage of contemplation– mainly debating whether to wake up early in hopes of feeling “productive,” or to sleep in like a bear in hibernation. The former is often followed by a pep-talk and then a half-hearted jog fueled by caffeine, before a nap in the afternoon. BHSEC in all of its glory, already has a generous 9:00 am start time as opposed to other high schools, which begin almost an hour earlier. I benefit from the routine of school– having to roll out of bed in a timely fashion everyday can help invoke a sense of “productivity”. At the same time, plenty of students’ high school memories are tinged with exhaustion, homogenized into a blur of essays, tests, and other assignments. In my second semester, though– I was introduced to both morning and afternoon half days, the latter of which seem to be booed upon first mention. I find these get unnecessary hate; regardless if you are an early bird or a student who could use more sleep, afternoon half days (12:15pm-3:28pm) have benefits that everyone can reap.

The greatest benefit for me is that the 4th period start time aligns with my circadian rhythm and allows immense freedom over my sleep schedule. There are two ways to capitalize on half days—each their own win-win situation. You could grind away directly after school ends for the four classes in the afternoon and for the classes the day after that– all the while crashing in the wee hours of morning only to wake up as late as you want (with some constraints, of course). Don’t you just love the feeling of ending a school day not having to feel rushed to fall out of a sleep-deprived slump in the morning? Especially since half days are normally scattered in the middle of the week, the extra sleep is especially appreciated and can provide an adrenaline-induced boost for the rest of the week. 

Maybe you’re an early bird– you can similarly bang out your assignments for the next day and if you are an expert procrastinator (no judgement), you can complete your homework for your classes day-of. It’s the ultimate fusion: you arrive at school with virtually no work, and still have time to finish any other assignments at 3:28pm (as usual)– except you are already ahead– and hopefully more well-rested in the days to come.

I will make a few concessions to the people who swear by morning half days without vitriol. 12:15pm-3:28pm splits the day awkwardly– allowing for less leeway when scheduling outings after school. But to that I say, with whom are you actually making plans ? Probably just people from BHSEC— given our half days seem to operate on a different schedule than those from other schools. But if you theoretically completed your homework already, you could either adventure afterschool or switch around the homework and plans schedule. It’s all of the pros with none of the cons.

And maybe if you think I’m absolutely insane, we can focus on the common privilege of having a half day in the first place.