As the end of the 2011-2012 school year neared, rumors started to surface about a new “8th period day”. Worry came to many of the students minds at the thought of having an extra class. Originally for seniors, if you got all your credits out of the way in the previous years, you could have early release and only five classes. Now since we added an extra class, all seniors have to have a minimum of six periods and everyone else has to have eight periods. Some saw this change as a way to slack off and fill their schedule with more electives, but for many of the top students, they added extra AP classes to keep up in the race. Opposite from what most people in the department expected, these students are increasing their work load and adding more stress to their day.

Senior Lindsey Taing has more to deal with this school year, especially if she wants to stay ranked as number one in her class. Her schedule is full with eight AP classes.

“Changing to the 8th period day hasn’t brought me any benefits,” Taing said. “This new schedule has brought me more homework, less sleep, and more stress.”

Taing has had to learn to juggle eight classes each day, but difficulties occur when she comes across a day with multiple tests involved.

“One day I had a six chapter biology test, anatomy and physiology test, and a physics test which I probably studied for over eight hours.”

Most expect that it is just the students who have had it rough with this change, but the teachers as well have been adjusting to the new eighth period day. English teacher Yvonne Kistler has taken on a great deal this year, teaching a zero hour, regular senior English, and AP senior English.

“I arrive at school at 6:30, and do not leave until 4 o’clock in the afternoon because of my zero hour, and all the grading,” Kistler said. “Even though it’s only one extra class, it’s still a lot of prep that has to be done.”

By taking on the AP classes from Mr. Kramer, Kistler has even had to make a new curriculum to best fit her classes.

“I would love to bring back the 7th period day, not because it’s that much harder for me, but because [the students] are taking seven and eight AP classes,” Kistler said. “It is way too much for them. They are having melt downs because they are not getting enough sleep, and they will have a day where the have four or five tests in one day.”

When WFISD increased the number of classes, they also increased the work load, stress, and the number of sleep deprived teens and teachers.