Block that schedule

When we were high school seniors, we heard it day in and day out. “College is so different! You have much more free time to manage your own way and pursue your own interests.”

As I head into my fourth week as a Hoosier, most of what my older friends told me about distinct schedules, bigger blocks of free time and easier time management has been spot-on.

That already makes college better than high school, let alone all the other trappings of independence.

With two or three classes each day of the week, I find myself with time to finish homework sooner, get more involved in Bloomington culture and start having those experiences that, legend has it, make these four years the best of our lives.

But for some reason, schools, specifically public schools in Indiana, wait until college to adopt the block scheduling process.

In high school, I was busy 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as many students were.

I rarely had time for more than two or three extracurricular activities because the whole day was consumed by school, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., without pause.

Those seven hours were also intensely structured.

Each period — including lunch time — was designated for a specific task, whether or not that task was efficient for me.

In college, we have a couple of hours a day exclusively for class time, but how we spend the other 18-plus hours is entirely up to us.

For the first time, I have the opportunity to grab some coffee, hit the gym, take a quick nap or get a head start on my work throughout the day.

The time saved with this kind of independent efficiency is priceless and full of opportunity, especially in Bloomington.

Music, art, culture, football.

A 2002 study by Brown University revealed the positive results of block scheduling in secondary education include students’ increased ability to focus, reduced fragmentation of material, higher rates of teacher collaboration, improved attitudes and comprehension, increase in standardized test scores and improvement in discipline, among many others.

It’s no secret that primary and secondary public schools in Indiana are struggling.

With the recession came round after round of devastating budget cuts, and one of the most damaging consequences is that our generation is terribly unprepared for the transition to college life: independence, effective study habits and time management.

After four short weeks of college life, I can say without hesitation that I would have benefitted tremendously from a block schedule in high school.

According to the scientists at Brown, so would every other student in the country.

I find it more than a little crazy that the difference between high school and college life is so drastic due to an outdated, monotonous system. With the dawn of the 21st century, it’s been tried and found no longer true.

Make some noise, Hoosier fans! Block that schedule.

­— sbkissel@indiana.edu
Follow columnist Sarah Kissel on Twitter @QueSarahSarah_