Shifting Schedules and Struggling Students

After several tries of reloading Talos and finally opening their new schedules, students are met with their fate for the next six months. This chaotic change, often at the hands of luck, leads to both excitement from students who are happy with their changes and complaints from distraught students as they adapt to unfamiliar environments and routines. Students’ reactions to their schedules rely on many aspects of school-life, such as room numbers, class order, free periods, teachers, and classmates. Additionally, student reactions are subjective and dependent upon how they function as a student—making the process of formulating the right schedule for every individual even harder. Whether fate was on their side or not, all students not only dive into a new schedule come spring semester, but they also face new classes and classmates.

Chaos brews even before students view their new schedule because of the hectic process of checking schedules online. Talos, the website that Stuyvesant students use to check their schedules, is commonly known to have issues once it is announced that schedules are out for students. Hundreds of students try logging in at the same time, causing huge traffic at the expense of the website’s proper operation. “I was just trying to find out what classes I share with my friends, when Talos kept kicking me out, and I had to wait a few hours to hop into the website,” sophomore Elysia Chen complained. Students’ struggles to even check their schedules adds onto the anxiety they feel, knowing that their fate is one loading screen away.

In the second semester, it is uncommon for annualized teachers to change, but it is common for class periods to switch around. Many students’ classes are rearranged, resulting in moving to different floors at different times in the day. Timing of classes is a controversial issue amongst students, as having certain classes at specific periods could impact productivity within that subject, depending on how the student works. “I do find certain classes easier/harder depending on the time of day. My workload is heavier in the middle of the school day. It uses up more of my energy, which I think works well for me, as I have classes with lighter workloads at the end of my school day,” junior Milena Wu stated. Some students are also given one semester electives, which is usually a cause of excitement. “I was fortunately given Adv. Chem Lab, which was a class I was really looking forward to being able to take,” Wu added.

  Underclassmen express a similar sentiment regarding the significance of class times matching student preference. This was the case for sophomore Nusrat Jahan, who prefers to have classes in descending levels of difficulty. “I honestly like having my schedule, because all my annoying classes are in the morning, and my easier classes are spread throughout the day,” Jahan expressed.

On the contrary, moving classes proved to be a disadvantage for others. “When I got my schedule, I was really sad about first period gym, because it makes things so much harder; like the changing and stuff and the fact the teacher is really hard,” sophomore Anika Tapadar shared. 

Not only does switching class periods affect students’ routines at school, but it also impacts their lives beyond the classroom, as it determines their transportation if their earliest and latest periods changed. “Now that I have class first period, I have to wake up 30 minutes earlier than before. When I come out of my house, it’s pitch dark out and that just makes everything more depressing,” Chen expressed.

In addition, the timing of free periods determines when students have breaks throughout the day. “I think this schedule will help me be more productive, because I think my free periods break up my day really well, giving me time before classes to either catch up or study. I have the same number of frees and I usually spend that time doing work or catching up with friends,” Wu stated.

One of the most pressing concerns students have with their schedules is the proximity of consecutive classes, as this can determine whether a student gets to class on time every day. A prime example of this issue is the trouble many freshmen commonly go through with Art Appreciation, which is located on the 10th floor; oftentimes, students are forced to rush up the stairs to make it on time. Freshman Benjamin Xie, now without Art Appreciation in his schedule this semester, expressed satisfaction over not having to worry about getting to class on time anymore. “I no longer have to go from the 10th floor to the first floor during a four-minute passing time, and no longer need to rush to the 10th floor before first period,” he stated.  

This issue is not limited to Art Appreciation for freshmen, but for all grade levels who experienced unlucky consecutive room numbers for their classes. “Last semester I had to go from the second floor to ninth, and it was awful because I was always late. But this semester, all of my classes are near each other so I don’t have to climb up seven floors in four minutes anymore,” Chen explained. “My classes, their locations, are pretty linear this semester.” The change from having to worry about making it to class on time to freely taking her time was nice for Chen. 

Changing classes in the middle of the school year can be daunting for students who haven’t had enough experience in the school building yet; it can be difficult for students to break habits that they built in the first semester. Freshman Olivia Liu, for example, struggled with losing her third period free. “I think it makes my schedule feel longer, since I lost my third free. I had a third free (which was before my AP Bio period(s)) last semester, so I could study for AP Bio or take a nap to clear my head. Periods one to three is usually when the loss of sleep affects me the most, so it was refreshing to take a nap when I needed it,”  Liu shared. Therefore, seemingly trivial changes, such as changes in free periods, still create a large issue for students to adapt to.

Due to the complexity of every student’s schedule and the variety of courses offered at Stuyvesant, it is difficult for friends to keep the same free periods and classes like the first semester. “This schedule makes it slightly harder to stay connected with fall semester friends. For example, one of my fall period eight friends has a different schedule such that we only see each other during Thursday lunch. All other times, our hallway patterns don’t match,” Xie stated.

Though students try to adapt to these conditions, it can be very difficult to balance education and friends at school if their schedule does not tie them together. “It doesn’t affect how well I connect with my friends that much, but it has gotten a bit harder. Due to our new schedules and room assignments, I barely even see some of my closest friends from last semester’s periods in the hallways anymore,” Liu added.

Not being able to interact with previous friends is a struggle that many students go through due to the shifting in schedules. However, some students take their new schedules as an opportunity to interact with new people. “I got a new lab partner, as all of my classmates changed and I really enjoy meeting and talking with new people, and I think it’s one of the greatest things about the schedule change,” sophomore Emily Wong commented.

Generally, this mindset of being willing to adapt to a schedule and meet new people can impact how much a student enjoys their time in school. “All of my classes have been mixed with other sections, so I see many new faces in every period,” Liu stated. “It's okay because I’m very open to making new friends, and some of my friends still remain in the same periods that I am in.”

New experiences are not all bad, contrary to preceding beliefs. For many students, having new experiences due to scheduling helped them realize that they enjoy their day a certain way, though they have never thought of it before. “I didn’t expect to enjoy not having AP Biology last, but freshman composition is a nice break to ease the day out. My new schedule doesn’t really feel much shorter, but it distributes my energy throughout the day more evenly,” Xie described.

For many students, changing schedules is just a give-and-take relationship, with the positives and negatives ultimately balancing each other out. “I was not programmed with Music Appreciation, which really disappointed me,” Liu shared. “However, I’m really looking forward to having 10th free for sports, because I'll be able to attend other extracurriculars after practice,” she added.

Schedule changes mark the beginning of a new semester, and all students understandably want to start the year off with a good schedule that aligns with their personal preferences. Changes bring a mix of excitement, frustration, and adjustment for Stuyvesant students. While some students enjoy their class locations and light workloads, other students struggle with early classes, lost free periods, and separations from friends. Ultimately, whether students like their schedule or not, they must adapt to the shifts in routines, environments, and social circles. Students must look at these changes with an open mind, embrace it, and the hidden benefits of these changes will start to appear.