For seven short days in November, the monotonous routine for every New Providence High School student changed. The trial of the new rotating drop bell schedule for next year’s 2018-2019 school year sparked a lot of varying opinions within the student body. Factors like having a new first period every day, longer class time, the professional period, and shorter time between classes affected students differently.

We asked a senior, Miriam Hyde, her opinion on the future bell schedule.

How did you feel about having your classes during different periods every day? How did you feel about dropping a class every day?

I really enjoyed having my classes at different times in the day because it helped me concentrate. Because my schedule was constantly changing, I did not find myself losing focus during the same class every day. I also liked dropping a class every day. The extra day to do homework for that class was very beneficial. In addition, it was nice to have a break from a class every day. This little break gave me more energy to jump back in the next day.

 Do you think the 3 minute interval between periods is enough time for you to get to your next class?

For most of my classes, 3 minutes is enough time to transition between classes. While I was never late to any of my classes, I did find myself having to move a little quicker during transition. I think that this will get more comfortable with time and will work fine.

Since you have had the current bell schedule at NPHS for 3 years, do you like the current bell schedule better than the trial? Why or why not?

 Although I am more comfortable with our current bell schedule, I think that with a little adjustment I would like the new rotating schedule more. I think that the longer periods are more effective and that rotating the classes makes my day more interesting. I can also see how students will have more options for classes next year which should fix some of the current scheduling problems. It is also fun to have something different. The same schedule every day can get a little too repetitive.

Overall, it seems Miriam found the new bell schedule to be very interesting and will be great for the students! The trial brought a lot of excitement and should be great for the future of NPHS.