There is a major issue with the students of Charleston County’s schedules. It seems like school takes up such a large portion of their day, almost as if it’s the center of their lives. Charleston County School District seemed surprised to learn that students have lives outside of schoolwork. Many students have extracurricular activities that finish late, which leaves them with no time to complete homework, resulting in a lack of sleep and tiredness the next day. Adults preach that students must get a good night’s rest, but how can they do that when all they can think about is keeping up with their schoolwork alongside their after-school activities? My sister, Maggie DuRant, has dance almost every day of the week. I often see her working late at night on assignments. “My grades suffer because I have so much to do on top of schoolwork,” Maggie tells me. “My schedule is go to school, go to dance right after school, and don’t get home until around 9:30.” She chooses to dance because she loves it. Students should be able to prioritize extracurricular activities because they should be allowed to do things they enjoy and have the time to do them. Recently, Maggie has also been doing track which adds to all the work she has already been doing and makes her extra tired. All of these things she has to do cause her to struggle in school. Because people need sleep to function, and most people do things after school and have to push back their homework to do the things they love.
