I love school. I honestly do. To me, learning is fun and interesting and completely worth all the time and effort. But I also resent it. Or maybe I just hate the constant lack of sleep. School often seems to be much more stressful than it has to be. And, unfortunately, this is the attitude of most students at Westminster.

Sometimes we assume that this is just the way school has to be. School and stress are fundamentally connected. Yet, many schools have switched to a new system that both eliminates stress and allows for more beneficial classes.

In this system, the day is comprised of four classes, each an hour and a half long, similar to our block classes. However, unlike our block days, we would take the same four classes all semester. At the end of the semester, we would then be assigned entirely new classes.

In this way, energy could be focused entirely on those four classes, allowing us to be attentive and ready to learn. It would also eliminate the overwhelming amount of homework that students struggle through each night. Without so much homework, study halls would be unnecessary and students’ schedules would be open to take more classes for credit. Slowing down and taking our time with each class will let our minds concentrate without distractions. We would be more relaxed, more attentive, and more excited to learn. School and stress would no longer go hand in hand as they do now.