High School Should Start Later

High School Should Start Later in the Morning:
Imagine you are back in your high school years, and your alarm goes off before the sun has risen because you have to be at school early in the morning to start your day. You get out of bed-- groggy and tired-- and you stay that way through the entire day. It is a long tradition for school to begin early, even though current studies have shown that . Although the change could be difficult and expensive, school for teenagers should begin later in the day because it will improve academic performance, physical and mental health issues will be greatly reduced, and participation and interest in classes and extracurricular activities could be boosted. Having teenagers begin school later in the day
With the recommended amount of sleep based on students’ sleep patterns, students will be more focused and have positive attitudes toward participation in classroom activities. “Later start times reduced tardiness, truancy and dropout rates […] starting the school day at a later time improved school attendance. When students slept adequately, they were […] more enthusiastic about going to school” (5 Pros and Cons of Later School Start Times n.pg.). Students are more interested and excited about things because they are not exhausted all the time. The more energy teenagers have from getting the correct amount of sleep, the more energy they can direct towards academic participation as well as clubs and sports, and although some argue that there will not be enough time in the day to participate in those extracurricular activities, they do not necessarily have to be after school. The schedule for activities could change around the new school day, starting before school, or meetings and practice could be held in places with good lighting. Overall improvement in participation and interest to school activities can boost a student’s overall academic success, as well as making their lives less