The difficulty of getting out of bed each morning is a struggle all students face, but to wake up as early as 5 or 6 a.m. to go to school is a challenge faced by students enrolled in Aragon’s various zero period classes.
Regarding the benefits of taking a zero period class, Chamber choir teacher John Chen says, “[Taking a zero period] means there are no class conflicts, usually. Besides AP [Biology], there are no conflicts with scheduling.”
He adds, “Students who take zero periods know the demands, so they are more committed to the class and its needs.”
Regarding the downsides, he says, “Punctuality is definitely a difficulty, and so is alertness in class. Posture is important and is only worse when people are barely awake.”
Band director Troy Davis, who teaches zero period jazz band, says, “[Students] don’t like the aspect of getting up early in the morning, but if they didn’t enjoy the zero period, they wouldn’t do it.”
Sophomore Justin Privitera balances both zero period classes for AP Biology and Chamber Choir. Privitera says, “[Zero periods] are worth it to get all the classes I need. AP Bio is important for the credit, and Chamber Choir is just cool stuff.”
Privitera adds, “I decided to take AP Biology in sophomore year because I thought it would be easier to do it then than in junior year with all the work,” Privitera says, “AP Bio is not relatively difficult, but it’s hard to stay awake because I’m sitting down for such a long time. In choir, we’re standing and singing so it’s much easier to stay awake.”
Sophomore Kevin Adams who takes AP Biology states the academic benefits of taking a “7 a.m.” He says, “The 7 a.m’s give us more time to learn things we couldn’t learn during the daytime, and to do the activities, like labs or case studies, that are necessary for the AP curriculum.”
Adams considers waking up to be one of the most difficult things about 7 a.m classes. He says, “If I’m lucky, I go to bed around 10 to 11 p.m., and I have to wake up at 6 a.m the next morning. All those hours lost affect your performance in school and sports.”
To circumvent this problem, Adams’ best solution is food. He says, “I’ll eat four eggs and toast and then I’ll be ready for school.”
Adams’ adds, “I want to understand the workings of living systems in order to truly enjoy life. I love seeing things and knowing how they work.”
The challenge to overcome heavy eyelids and frequent yawns may prove difficult for some, but many maintain that the academic benefits and general fun of taking these classes outweigh the cons.
