Waking up on a Monday is never easy, and it’s even harder when you have to sit through four, hour and a half-long classes. However, this year, the notorious “C” day, where students go to all eight classes for 41 minutes each, has been moved to Monday. Instead of having to sit through long classes bright and early on a Monday, students now get to go to all of their classes, but only for a short time. This allows students to slowly ease into their week without fully diving into their classes immediately.

When asked about the move, students have mixed feelings. Some prefer C days on Wednesdays, while others like the move to Monday. Moving C days to Mondays has numerous benefits, such as giving students a smooth transition into the week. Having all eight classes on Mondays also allows students to get a better grasp on the work they will be doing in their classes for the week. If students start the week by going to all of their classes, they can organize and manage their time better, reducing stress. 

For teachers, C days are an opportunity to plan out their week. Having a short class period allows teachers to use this time to inform students about the expectations and assignments for the week. On the other hand, C days on Wednesdays caused a break in the school week, which forced teachers to have to plan around it. This day right in the middle of the week changed the dynamic and flow of the week. It took away focus from classes because students often treated it as a free day. Now, with the change, teachers can use their Mondays efficiently and won’t be troubled by a break midway through the week. 

Even people who don’t like C days can benefit from the move to Monday. C days require more energy because students have to go to so many classes, so starting the week with them when students are fresh from the weekend and at peak energy levels makes it easier. Last year, by the time students got to Wednesday, they were already exhausted. Then, they would have to go to all eight classes, further draining their already diminished energy levels for the rest of the week, which caused numerous problems such as worse school performance. This problem is solved by the move of C days from Wednesdays to Mondays so that students can start the week with the most energy. 

However, some students and teachers prefer C days on Wednesdays. When asked their thoughts about C days on Wednesdays, they argue that it is a nice break in their week that is not given when C days are on Mondays. In some ways, C days on Mondays are harder on students and teachers. Students need to finish all of their homework in preparation for all of their classes on Monday, instead of being able to finish homework for B Days on Monday night. Teachers need to plan for all of their classes and have time to ease into their week. 

Even with these alternate opinions, there are great benefits to having C days on Mondays. Starting the week off with quick, laid-back classes allows students to ease into their week and efficiently plan for the rest of it.

For the current school year, instead of Wednesday C days like they were previously, Midtown moved them to Mondays. While the decision was made with students in mind, the change will not benefit students as it will increase the weekend workloads for students and staff, while also making Mondays even more exhausting. 

When C days were on Wednesdays, students had A days on Monday and B days on Tuesday. Wednesday allowed for a break in the week, as classes were shortened to roughly 40 minutes rather than an hour and thirty minutes. Because of this, most teachers are unable to plan an in-depth lesson due to the time limitation. As a result, some teachers allow students to use their period to catch up on past assignments or to work on upcoming assignments. While many of the teachers still allow for students to do this on Mondays, it is not the same as before. Instead of being a catch up day, C day on Monday will just be a waste of time.

Most of the weekly assignments are assigned on Monday, meaning Monday C days cannot be used as catch up days. Instead, more work is piled onto students, all at the same time, creating more stress, especially if students are busy with extracurriculars during the week. Mondays are already difficult for both students and staff coming off the weekend. The addition of C days makes the school day feel even longer. 

For teachers who attempt short lessons on C days, the change to Monday means that they have to either plan their lesson during the weekend, or further in advance. Teachers are already responsible for grading assignments on the weekends, a task that can be tedious and time consuming. On top of that, teachers also have to manage grading missing assignments. The combination results in a lot of time spent after hours, including during the weekend. Teachers should not have to also worry about the lesson plans for all of their classes in addition to all of their normal tasks. 

For students, the change means that they will have to do more homework during the weekend. When teachers assign homework for the weekend, they typically assign it at the end of the week and make it due during their next period, which used to be Monday or Tuesday. While some students may have completed all of their homework for Monday and Tuesday, others might have only done the work due on Monday. This way, they only had to do the work for half of their classes over the weekend.

However, with Monday C days, students now have to complete all of their homework for Monday, eliminating the ability to complete homework Monday night. As a result, more time might be spent on academics rather than outside school activities. According to a study by the International Journal of English and Education, weekend homework can positively impact student performance. Students with homework over the weekend had a significantly higher midterm grade than the students who had no homework. However, for it to be effective, the value of the homework has to be considered. 

Coming out of a weekend after already spending time working on homework and being thrown into a long, grueling C day is not the best way to start the week. Mondays can feel slow and exhausting, but C days make them even more hectic. While having C days on Monday does get that schedule of eight classes over with, based on the amount of homework to complete, teacher lesson planning for the day and general Monday engagement, Wednesday is a better day to implement the dreaded C day.