The students at Melissa High School chose which bell schedule they liked better in terms of convenience and efficiency.

For the 2021-2022 school year, Melissa High School used a modified A-B block schedule with classes lasting an hour and a half, separating 2nd-4th periods and 5th-7th into two days, Red vs White days. Many found this more efficient as teachers and students had more time to accomplish more in different classes.

However, the administration made the decision to return to an eight-period schedule this year, with every class lasting 45 minutes and meeting five days a week.

With these two schedules, it seems like a love-hate relationship the students are having. Some people love the block scheduling and hate the eight periods and vice versa. While one might be more efficient and convenient in learning productivity, that doesn’t stop people from having a preference.

“There’s, like, eight periods,” freshman Josue Arizpe said. “That’s too complicated.”

Although some make it clear that they have a specific preference, some don’t mind either.

“I have mixed feelings,” News and yearbook adviser Rachel Nelson said. “The 90-minute class periods had the advantage of more time; we could get more accomplished, which was especially good for the yearbook, but then it was a disadvantage to not see the kids on a daily basis.”

A significant difference between a blocked schedule and eight periods is that in the blocked schedule, if students had homework for a class, it gave them more time to complete it instead of turning it in the next day.

“I don’t really like eight periods just because of homework, and it gives me less time,” sophomore Dylan Leszka said.

While the most heavily preferred seems to be the A/B schedule, some prefer eight periods.

“I like eight periods because I don’t really like keeping track of what days I have what class,” junior Frankie Gonzalez said. “I have the same things every day, and it’s simpler.”

Whether or not the school considers student opinions when choosing next year’s schedule, students will have to deal with what they’re given at the moment.

Even so, the student’s opinions aren’t the only thing deciding the schedule. The school population is also an essential factor because a blocked schedule needs more staff support, which can be hard to acquire with the exponentially growing student population. Until MHS gets the financial support needed for the growing numbers, it is hard to know what schedule will end up sticking.