Zero period courses: Useful or just tiring?

By EMMA CHANG

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

  Is zero period actually the solution to taking an additional class? 

  As many of our students can attest, zero period is not easy for anyone. Waking up almost an hour earlier every day only to end up rushing through the gates as the bell rings surely does not sound like the most conducive resolution to the need to take another academic course. 

  For the past two years, I have taken zero period courses, both academic and equally vigorous, meaning they required more effort than I could possibly muster at 7AM. If you take a look into any classroom at said time, you will notice that more than half of the students have dark circles under their eyes and yawn continuously throughout. 

  Despite this clear indication, zero period has been a longstanding option for students, not only at Wilson, but at schools across the country. Some classes have been recorded to start extremely early, even as early as 6:10AM, which to many students, is incredibly difficult to maintain. However, a necessity for zero period classes is often created due to the fact that courses offered fall into three categories: remedial courses, elective extracurriculars or advanced academic classes. 

  Easily, the concept of a zero period is far from an appropriate methodology for students. Any high schooler can argue the extra morning hour causes a multitude of problems such as a lack of sleep, an abundance of potential tardy marks,  lack of focus and even lack of purpose for such an important course so early in the morning. Not to mention, a normal adult’s workday does not begin at 7AM, which makes a parent’s job all the more difficult in getting their child to school on time before heading to work. 

  Although, this is not to say that I do not appreciate the opportunity for an additional course. Many students like myself who engage in extracurricular activities that occupy a class period such as Journalism, art or language find the extra class useful to fit in another academic class. 

  What administrators should take into consideration is the fact that zero period might be doing more harm than it does good.