First Day of School: One Day Down, Many More To Go

For anyone already keeping count, it is one down, 177 school days to go.

To the disappointment of many students (and some teachers), Monday was the dreaded first day of classes in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, and the quads and hallways of local campuses were buzzing with students once again.

The chance to sleep in, stay-up late having fun, and sit in front of the television for hours without worry disappeared with the first ring of the school bell. It was back to the demanding schedules and heavy workloads.

Some students returned to their familiar routines and their recognizable campuses, while others stepped into a whole new school for the first time.

Making my way through Cal High today, I saw all students of all different kinds: Lost freshmen in need of direction, sleepy sophomores, apprehensive juniors and seniors already with severe cases of senioritis.

But for all students—whether they are new sixth graders at Pine Valley, experienced eighth graders at Iron Horse, or overconfident seniors at Dougherty Valley High—the first day of school spelled many changes.

From the end of August to the beginning of June, students will be at school for about six and a half hours every weekday, barring holidays. There will be homework and projects, essays and speeches, tests and quizzes.

School essentially takes over the lives of youth for the next nine months.

Sure, being able to see one's friends at school everyday is a definite plus. But many youth would rather do without the learning and working aspects that school entails.

It is because of this that most students dragged their feet onto campus Monday morning wishing they still had another month of vacation.

They plan to put their heads down and just try to get through the school year. Their only goal: making it to June 9, the date when they are once again temporarily set free.

But as a senior entering my final year at Cal High, I can honestly say that this is not the best approach to making it through school.

With only one year left before college, I am beginning to wish that I had taken a little more time to enjoy some of my previous school years.

Yes, there have been sleepless nights finishing homework. Yes, there have been more tests in the past four years than I care to remember. But there have also been football games and dances, sports teams and student clubs, food fights and pranks.

Every year I have wished June and the end of the school year would come faster, but now with those school years behind me, I find myself wishing for more time.

For the students that have thought of the coming school year simply as a daunting amount of work, that's probably exactly what the next nine months will feel like.

But for those students who came to the first day with the mindset that the coming year would bring many new, fun experiences, then the next nine months will probably be enjoyable.

Parents can also help their children to not despise school. They can encourage their kids to take part in school activities, go to school sporting events, and be a part of campus clubs and organization.

Yes, students still need to work hard. But the most successful students strive to have the full school experience—both the work and the fun.

Like it or not, school is back in session. Teachers will begin assigning work, schedules will begin to fill up, and students will begin to complain.

But no matter how much they gripe, the school year will still continue on one day at a time. And how fantastic or horrible the next 177 days at school turn out to be is up to the students.