“BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!” You hear that beeping in your ears but still insist on rolling over and going back to sleep. Startled by the alarm clock, I knock it down. All I can think is “6 o’clock already? Man!” With a groan, I struggle to pull myself out of bed and, once again, unhappy about going to school. Because high schoolers go to bed late and wake up early, FCPS need to open school later than usual.

One major Problem that high schoolers face each day is getting up early for school. Delaying the starting time for teenagers would be a wise idea. Most kids get up and do not want to go to school because they feel as if they do not get enough sleep. Teenagers are half awake when they arrive to school. No teach like to see their students yawning and with their eyes drooping. If we wake up for school an hour later or so, most students would feel energetic and hyped up to go to school. That gives us a chance for our attitudes to improve and time to prepare ourselves. There are numerous benefits that help finding an obvious solution to waking up to late instead of waking up early. Teenagers would have more time to eat breakfast and time to complete homework. We could get enough sleep and most of our tiredness would disappear. School should be delightful and not a thing high schoolers dislike.

A Solution to this problem is changing school schedules for everybody. This includes transportation schedules and school activities. It is dangerous for kids to get up early when it is dark outside. High schoolers should go in an hour later, 9 o’clock, and end school around, possibly, 4 o’clock. After school activities make it more difficult for some parents. Fairfax County knows parents would be out of work by the time kids get out. Plus, there are after school programs available for the little one. But there are some problems pushing against this idea. One major issue would be that students and administration would leave later in the day. This could cause students to lose homework time and teachers to hit rush hour time.

If I, as a teenager, could solve this situation, I would start by sharing my thoughts with everybody. That would include, FCPS, teachers, my fellow peers, parents, and the entire Fairfax County. It is very important to get the word out. An example would be making a commercial or signing a petition. This action whether it works or not, would satisfy teenagers sleeping habits and improve their academic performance. Studies show that teenagers with better health and behavior improve their test results and grades. High schoolers have already reached puberty and their hormones start to kick in, making them need at least nine to eight hours of sleep. Having seven or maybe six hours of sleep is not enough. I feel really great when FCPS have a two hour delay because it is an eminent relief. What high schooler does not love to have extra time to sleep?

If all of Fairfax County contributed to the problem there could probably be a better understanding. Yes, school days would be longer, but the entire FCPS could benefit from it. If you add five to ten minutes to every school day, you could get out if school an entire week early. It is a win-win for everybody. We can all start taking action. But for now, us high schoolers, have to sit back realize what we can do. The purpose of high school is to educate and give teenagers a chance to learn. We, ourselves, have to put in effort as well. But for the long run, FCPS and high schoolers, have to wait and see.