It is summer, and you have been on break for about three months. You lay by the beach, soaking in the last bit of sun before you continue your rigorous school schedule. Now, the end of the summer break is around the corner, and you know you will be expected to pick up where you left off last year, required to memorize minuscule irrelevant facts. However, over the summer, you had time to do things the school does not allow—like interning, working a job, hanging out with friends and taking a mental break. There have been numerous debates about whether schools should follow a year-round or traditional schedule, but nowadays, the conventional schedule is the best option.
A traditional calendar requires students to attend nine months of school with two leaves, one during winter and one in the spring. Then, students have a three-month break. A year-round program would require students to be in school for six to nine weeks at two to four-week intervals.
Various debates claim that students would retain information better by following a year-round schedule. Although this is true, students would lose a crucial period of relaxation. As many students claim, summer is a time to rejuvenate after prolonged stress and work on their social lives. “I would rather have a traditional calendar because it is better for learning because students need breaks to function properly,” senior Maya Rickles said.
In addition, a traditional calendar allows students to pursue their passion. Especially in a metropolitan area like the DMV, the opportunities are endless. Some of these opportunities include internships, jobs and summer camps. For example, some students are going to pre-college programs. Junior Morgan Skibo is intrigued by architecture and is excited to pursue her career path at Columbia University this summer. “The summer has allowed me to learn about architecture and what the major entails. In school, we don’t learn about specific majors, so the summer allows me to learn about my specific career path,” Skibo said.
Furthermore, the traditional schedule allows for internships and gives students chances to amplify their resumes for college. Upcoming seniors often work through college applications and work through requirements. Upcoming senior Raphael Salamon explains that he is using the summer to intern at a startup insight interface, LLC, teach children at his church how to code, and work on game design. “The summer will allow me to build up my resume and add cushioning for any gaps in my application. I can’t do it without a traditional calendar,” Salamon said.
Moreover, the traditional schedule for school provides a specific distinction between each grade level and school year.
“I really like the traditional schooling schedule because you can tell the difference between the school years. I also have time to prepare for the upcoming school year, both mentally and physically,” freshman Abby Keonig said.
