At Miami Palmetto Senior High, we are always told to challenge ourselves, get involved and make the most of our time here. But honestly, how can we do that when our schedule does not even give us enough room to take the classes we actually want? MPSH needs additional class periods in the school day. Right now, our schedule limits us so much that it hurts our GPAs, keeps us from exploring our interests and makes high school feel more like a checklist than a real learning experience.
Most of us can only take six classes, which might sound like plenty, but it is not. Between required core classes, magnet-specific Advanced Placement classes and electives needed for graduation, there is almost no space left for classes we are genuinely interested in. Every year, students end up dropping classes they are excited about just to fit everything in and create a more challenging course load. For example, if someone wants to take AP Chemistry and art, they might have to sacrifice one just to make the schedule work. That is not fair. High school is supposed to be about learning who you are and what you love, but our current six-block schedule makes that nearly impossible.
Having more class periods would also help students improve their GPAs by increasing the number of grades that contribute to their overall average. Many students are gifted in subjects outside of the core academic ones, such as art, music or marine science. However, many do not get to take those classes because of their limited schedule. If students could take more classes, especially in areas where they excel, they would have more chances to raise their grades and show their full potential. Colleges claim they want “well-rounded” students, but how can we be well-rounded if our school does not even give us room to be?
The current system does not just affect academics; it impacts our mental health, too. When our whole schedule is packed with tough core and AP classes, there is no time for creative or relaxing electives that make school more comforting. Having more periods would give us a better balance. We could take classes that give us a mental break between the stressful ones, like creative writing, drama or photography. It has been recognized that students perform better when they have an outlet for stress, and adding more class periods would give them that space.
Furthermore, MPSH should add additional class periods to help students better prepare themselves for college and future careers. Currently, students do not explore many electives or specialized subjects that could help them figure out what they want to pursue in life. If we had room to take additional classes like psychology, journalism or computer science, we could discover new interests or even possible career paths before graduation. Instead, we are forced to wait until college to figure that out, when we could have started earlier if we had more options in high school.
Some people might argue that adding more class periods would make the schedule too complicated or put more pressure on teachers. Yet, many other schools already have eight or nine periods, and it works just fine. MPSH consistently ranks high among all high schools in Florida, so we should be setting an example, not holding ourselves back. Having more class periods could also help decrease overcrowded classes because students would be more spread out throughout classes.
It is also unfair that the current schedule benefits some students more than others. For example, students who already know they want to focus on STEM or academics can easily fill their schedules with those classes. On the other hand, students who want to try different electives or are unsure of what they want to study yet cannot have that same flexibility. High school should be about exploration, not just checking off boxes to graduate.
Moreover, some worry that adding more periods could mean fewer job opportunities for teachers since classes might be more evenly spread out. However, the true goal of school should be to help students learn and grow, not to protect a system that limits us. Plus, with more class periods, there could be an increased need for elective teachers or support staff. Expanding the schedule could create new opportunities, not remove existing ones.
At the end of the day, students at MPSH deserve more options. We deserve the chance to take classes that interest us, raise our GPAs and make learning enjoyable. More class periods would give us the flexibility to build schedules that reflect who we are and what we want to do with our futures.
MPSH has always been known for its excellence, and offering students more class periods would be another step toward that. In order to prepare students for the real world, we need more opportunities that begin in the classroom. Adding more class periods is not just a scheduling change; it is a chance to make our school stronger, more flexible and more supportive of every student’s potential.
