To say the least, commuting to school for the past three years has always been convenient for me. 

While almost everyone else battles traffic on Herriman Avenue, I lie in bed, sound asleep until my alarm goes off at 8:10 on Blue Days so that I can make it to second period on time.

On Red Days, it’s even better: I get the opportunity to sleep in until 10:20 a.m. due to my unscheduled first period, and take my time enjoying delicious scrambled eggs on a bacon-filled bagel. Only after I finish my relaxing breakfast do I have to worry about walking to school or cramming for tests (unfortunate for you unlucky individuals with a first period). This much-needed extra sleep and relaxation before school contributes to me being more productive during the morning, having a set schedule on occasionally working out and studying before school.

Even then, the walk to school takes at most seven minutes. On some occasions, I might wake up at 10 a.m. and opt for a trek to the 30-minute tutorial.

Interestingly enough, I’ve also been experimenting with how late I can leave and arrive on time for school to the chagrin of my morning teachers. On Red Days, my limit came in at 10:35, while on Blue Days I pushed it to 8:28 with a bit of running.

Furthermore, living this close to school has its perks when it comes to school-wide events. Since it only takes a few minutes to walk to school, I get to easily enjoy watching some of my favorite events like showing support to the home football games, attending the girls’ and boys’ volleyball matches and catching up with the tennis and swimming teams.

Also, if I ever forget something at home, whether it’s a textbook or my MacBook, I can quickly return and retrieve it without any significant delay. After all, there’s very little traffic during school hours.

And let us not forget the annual graduation ceremonies. From my location, I can hear all the air horn honks and joyful cheers from the gathering of proud parents and friends to commemorate the accomplishments of the seniors — it allows me to feel the celebratory atmosphere and share in the excitement of the event which fills me with excitement and walk over to the event.

But, of course, living this close to school certainly has some drawbacks, and the extent of these disadvantages often depends on how far into the school year we are. 

The marching band rehearsals can be rather cacophonous, with the music and droning metronome lasting for hours on end. At times, it is almost as if I can join in and march to the beat myself, which is suboptimal when I have unfinished assignments that are due. 

During home football games, the announcer’s voice (English teacher Erick Rector, in most cases), and the spirited crowd’s cheers echo through my open window, creating a sometimes annoying, sometimes relaxing ambiance, depending on my mood and what I am currently doing. 

Now, as the clock strikes 8:15, it is time for me to roll out of bed and prepare for another day of school. If you will excuse me, I need to get ready. See you on campus in a few minutes!