After three years of high school under their belts, there’s one thing going into senior year that sparks the attention of most—senior half day schedules. The opportunity to finally have slightly more control over their schedules is exciting, new, and a good preparation for life outside of high school. 

Seniors at Eleanor Roosevelt High have a few options in terms of what their senior year schedules could look like. With fewer required credits remaining, a full day schedule is not always necessary. A few of these options include AM release time (coming to school from fifth period to eighth period), PM release time (coming to school from first period to fourth period), and then everything in between (coming to school from first period and possibly leaving at a later period). 

ERHS seniors utilize their time after school in a variety of different ways, and each student appreciates their half day schedules for various reasons. 

When senior Jeremy Silver gets home from school he makes something to eat, and then goes to work after that. He explains, “I have two jobs so it’s beneficial for me to be able to make money and focus on what I want to do after school.” Many seniors found that they were able to pick up extra hours at work and weren’t limited to the constraints of a normal school day. 

As soon as senior Paige Lane gets home from school, she typically works on her college applications while also working on other homework. “I’m able to get much more done.” She specifies, “I’ve been able to go to the gym more often, look for jobs, and make other connections.” Self care is extremely important, especially during college application season. More and more seniors are able to prioritize their mental health and physical well-being, thanks to the extra time to do so.

Senior Tien Coney says that he feels “relieved because I get to go home and take care of the necessary things like chores and homework, while also getting more time to relax.” He explains that now that he’s taking an AP class, he needs more time to review the material, and his half day schedule allows him to do that. “Plus, I have less classes so I can focus more on the ones I have.” Half day students are only required to have four classes rather than the traditional seven plus one lunch period, which effectively decreases their workload. 

Students are also given the option to obtain a wider variety of opportunities outside of school that wouldn’t normally be accessible. Senior Abigail Lopez-Freire, a Science and Technology student, feels “really glad and grateful” for these opportunities. She adds, “I think most of it comes from being grateful that I have an internship. I can apply what I’ve learned in school into that, which is a great opportunity. I’m able to do something that I also want to do in the future, and that makes me happy.” She explained that her mom drives her home after school, and then she’s able to work from home since her internship is virtual. Many Science and Technology students have a similar option as Lopez-Freire, whereas they are able to leave school early for dual enrollment and/or internships. 

All in all, most seniors can agree that being at school for only half of a day is the perfect reward, as it’s given them much more time to be productive and start preparing for life outside of Eleanor Roosevelt High School.