Daylight savings time is the practice of adjusting clocks forward in the spring and backward in the fall to better use daylight during the summer. However, the process of daylight savings time messes with the student and the athlete’s schedules. This time change may feel similar to jet lag, without leaving your time zone. Daylight savings time disrupts students’ sleep patterns, creating fatigue and making concentrating difficult during class.
When going to school for months you have your sleep schedule in order. You do this so that you’re not late to the bus and have energy for your afterschool activities. Daylight savings time can play a big part in your life, when time gets messed up, so does your schedule and how you operate. When the circadian rhythm is thrown off, it can lower your academic performance in school.
The students at Olympia High School, particularly athletes, still need time to adjust to the new agenda they have due to daylight savings time. For example, sophomore Alexander Ballard stated, “Rowing is completely outside and it’s on a lake, so we have to go in earlier and we have to go in earlier so we don’t get as much time on the water. It can also be dangerous not being able to see in the middle of a lake in the dark.” Daylight savings time doesn’t allow the athletes to get in as much practice as usual because of how the time changes. Daylight savings time can be equally frustrating for students and teachers alike. Readjusting your schedule will take time, but eventually, it will feel like the new normal. At least until the time changes again!
