At OHS, most students are familiar with the schedule of arriving at school for first hour and staying until the final bell rings. However, some juniors and seniors have the opportunity to alter the typical school schedule by taking on either online classes or a zero hour.
The appeal of signing up for these classes opposed to the default schedule is the prospect of having an early release. Although students who make the choice to enroll in online classes or a zero hour must be willing to put in extra work, for them, having an early release is worth it. Students often fill up their time after an early release by doing schoolwork or going to an after school job.
“The best part about having an early release is I go to work after school so it’ll push me ahead in life [by] having more money and having education,” said Jaren Anderson, junior.
One of the ways students can have early release is by signing up for online classes. By enrolling in these courses, students in a variety of grade levels have the opportunity to get an early release which permits them to have more control over their time.
“I honestly would recommend it because I get out of here so early. I could honestly just go to work and make money and do my classes on the side so it does give me more time. I really do enjoy it because I can focus more and perform better and I don’t get distracted as easily,” Anderson said.
Another way students may get an early release is by choosing to have a zero hour. By getting their school day started an hour early, many seniors have the opportunity to get out of school early even if it is by just one class.
“I have five classes and I start at zero hour and then end at fourth hour. I would say I like it because I have more classes than the average senior but I still get out with most of them,” Anabella Puentes, senior.
Arguably the biggest reason many seniors elect to have a zero hour is to have more time during their day. With many seniors being involved in extracurriculars, having an early release allows them extra time to complete work.
“Honestly [the best part is] that I get out earlier. I’m a swimmer so I start practice at three but it’s in Anthem so it’s a longer drive for me so it gives me time to go home and actually do my homework before I have to go to practice,” said Laleeta Pal, senior.
For some students who participate in sports, having a zero hour might assist them with finding more time in the day for themselves.
“Going into senior year I knew that I wanted a shorter schedule just because of sports and everything else and being a senior I wanted more time to myself so I knew that I was not going to take a full load. I wasn’t sure about a zero-hour but then I ended up just picking it anyways,” Pal said.
Though waking up early to go to class may seem like a drawback at first, it does have unexpected benefits.
“I think the best part is that I feel really productive waking up early in the morning and it kind of pushes me to get a head start in my day. By the time I get to first hour, I’m already awake and ready to do work,” Puentes said.
Since signing up to have a zero hour has its benefits, before choosing to have one, students should consider if it is the right decision for them.
“I feel like you have to be committed to it because if you’re not going to show up, then there is really no point to it but if you want to get up early and put in the work to have fun then I’d say it’s worth it,” Pal said.
