Opinion: More zero hour classes are needed
Zero hour and ninth hour classes provide many benefits to students, so more classes are needed
Mia Wiginton
Students have many reasons for taking classes outisde of MCHS’s regular eight-hour class schedule. Whatever the reason, students benefit from having more options for credit before and after school.
February 23, 2023
This semester,a student sits in second period in a dark room taking notes, a recipe to fall asleep. Unfocused as most students in the class are. The following semester, their day now starts at 6:34, while it is early, there is no longer the second period struggles of being unfocused. Taking zero hours has helped increase mood and focus during not only second period, but throughout the day.
During zero hour at MCHS, students can currently take a Jazz band or Strength and Conditioning classes. Zero hour is at 6:34 a.m. While waking up that early in the morning can be a struggle for some students, there are many beneficial results of doing so. MCHS should begin to offer more zero hour classes, such as another gym option or adding an elective option, so students can experience these benefits through different classes in the morning.
Taking a zero hour gym class, strength and conditioning, will lead to students being able to workout early in the morning. When working out “happy molecules” are released in the brain, which can lead to a better mood throughout the day. According to Total Wellness, “Breaking an early morning sweat will reward you with a rush of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine – feel-good chemicals that will boost your mood and help zap stress.” By working out in the morning, these molecules will begin at the very start to your day rather than half way through during a regular gym class. 
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A student that is in a better mood, is more likely to focus during class. Oftentimes early morning classes feel slow and lifeless, but a student that has already had a class and is experiencing a release of “happy molecules” will be less tired. According to Healthline, “ A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improves attention, visual learning, and decision-making.” Paying attention and being alert is vital for most classes in order to get good grades. Every student takes classes, and those that succeed in the classes are the students that are alert and focused in the classroom.
Most students within MCHS often take six to seven classes throughout the day, however there are some students who need or want to take eight classes. However, it is not possible to drop lunch and pick up a class, so students can turn to zero hour classes. Taking a zero hour class produces more availability within a student’s schedule, according to Nicole Bacigalupo, an eleventh grade counselor at MCHS.
While taking a zero hour class can open up space in a students schedule, it can lead to students taking on too many classes. This can result in students becoming overwhelmed throughout the day by the amount of class work they take on. So it is important that students in this situation are willing to put in the extra work. They should also check with their counselor before taking zero hours as a way to take eight classes, to make sure they are able to handle it.
Zero hour classes can benefit students in many ways physically and mentally. MCHS should implement more zero hour classes so students are able to start their day earlier or take all the classes they would like to take.
