Changing summers, more changes to come?

September 14, 2010 — by Dylan Jew

Did you notice the summer stretched a little longer this year?

This trend was common across high schools in California, and Saratoga was no exception. The summer of 2010 was indeed longer than usual; however, next year's summer will be noticeably shorter. These seemingly patternless schedules actually hold a worthy purpose—to make room for the first semester to end before winter break next year.

Did you notice the summer stretched a little longer this year?

This trend was common across high schools in California, and Saratoga was no exception. The summer of 2010 was indeed longer than usual; however, next year’s summer will be noticeably shorter. These seemingly patternless schedules actually hold a worthy purpose—to make room for the first semester to end before winter break next year.

This single change makes these turbulent summers tolerable. If the schedule works out, students will finally be able to enjoy their holidays instead of having the thought of finals lingering at the back of their minds.

Most students will agree that winter break is the most stressful break in school. Even when they are celebrating and eating on Christmas Day, students can find it hard to shake that annoying worry to study for finals.

“I don’t feel like it’s really a break because you have to be studying,” sophomore David Zarrin said. This “break” only serves to build up more anxiety and fear of the upcoming finals.

However, next year it seems likely that first semester finals will be before the Holiday Break. This will allow students to enjoy the break without the familiar stack of textbooks haunting them.

The change will be made possible by starting school earlier next year and having a shorter summer. A summer that is about two weeks shorter is a good trade off for a free conscience during the Holiday Break.

After going through the school schedule for a year, the summers will conform to a more standard length. A main reason for the shorter summer next year is simply that school started later this year. This means school is getting out later as well, decreasing the length of summer.

Many students fall victim to procrastination when the finals seem further away because of the break in between. In reality, if they wait until after break, they will only have one week to study. By giving students the break to look forward to, they will be compelled to study harder in the weeks before finals. A hard deadline and reward for achieving your goal can be truly great motivators.

Since the summers will regulate later on, the shorter summer next year is not really a problem. It is only a one-time sacrifice necessary to getting the worry-free break.

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