Rise and shine, Wildcats! Millbrook and high schools across Wake County start bright and early at 7:25. Although some students complain about coming to school this early in the morning, it is overall more beneficial to have school remain at this early start time. This ensures that students can remain participants in their after school activities and still have time for after-school jobs or taking care of younger siblings, while also increasing productivity in classrooms.

 For many students, after school activities are the highlight of their weeks. With various clubs and sports, a day at Millbrook does not end when the bell rings at 2:20. Getting involved in high school sports or other activities is an imperative part of any student’s high school experience because it allows them to connect with other like-minded people and explore their different interests. Zoe Werner, sophomore class treasurer and a member of numerous additional clubs, stated, “You are not truly experiencing high school until you get involved in extracurriculars. This is where you find the people to surround yourself with and to discover what you are passionate about.” Besides extracurriculars, many students have responsibilities outside of school, such as a religious activities or a job. With later school start times, teens would be forced to come home later from their jobs in order to work the same amount of hours. For teens with parents who work, taking care of younger siblings may be necessary for their family, so coming home from school later in the afternoon would pose a problem.

 By waking up earlier, students increase their productivity throughout the day. According to an article published in TIME magazine, some of the world’s most successful people wake up early in the day, including Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Vogue’s Anna Wintour.

 Some people argue that students would benefit from later school start times because they would be getting more sleep. Trust me, I’m not a fan of those early Monday mornings either! However, pushing back the start of a student’s day also means pushing back the end. After-school activities and jobs would end much later, and with the large amount of homework students are faced with each night, sleep would remain an issue. Scientists have conducted numerous studies that have found that consistency of sleep times is just as important, if not more than the amount of sleep one gets. Researchers at Baylor University tested this theory by tracking college students who all got the same amount of sleep, but half slept on a regular schedule while the other half had irregular schedules. From this study, evaluators noticed that students with a regular sleep schedule were far more productive and successful in their classes.

 Overall, although keeping schools at our current start time may seem painful in the early mornings, we must so that students can continue to participate in afterschool activities, manage a job, or take care of family responsibilities. On the bright side, waking up early can make your day more efficient and productive. Don’t forget, the early bird gets the worm!