90 Minutes of Freedom

Talking with your friends instead of studying for a biology test, going on a casual walk to 7-Eleven to get a Slurpee in the middle of your day, and talking to your favorite teacher to ask them random questions. Some would say these activities could be a waste of time, while others know it's the perfect way to recenter yourself during an off-block.

“I chose to have an off period because me and my family went on a trip to Korea and if I had one more class a semester, it likely wouldn't be feasible to catch up with my classes afterward since I was gone for so long,” said Landen Lee, a junior.

A lot of kids at Jefferson Academy have sports that they need to deal with which leads to students not being able to get home until late at night which makes it extremely difficult to get things done on time.

Audra Shields, a junior, says, “I feel like high school is already hard enough, like track and sports, especially with college classes. Having an off-block would just allow me to have a little bit more time in my day.”

One thing that off blocks are great for is studying for tests. With a lot of students taking college classes they need to take that break to study for those upper-level tests.

“I think my free period definitely helped me with my academic performance. It made sure that I had enough time to do my work thoroughly and check over my work,” shares River Meineke, a sophomore.

Off-blocks train students' time management skills and help prepare them for college and how to handle free time.

“I do think an off period teaches time management skills; it taught me when it was essential to focus on schoolwork and when I could be less focused. No one is there to tell you what you need to be doing, it's entirely your responsibility whether or not you want to do homework,” continues Meineke.

Most juniors and seniors have jobs and are not getting home until anywhere between five and midnight so it is really important that students are able to get that free time so they can finish their work before it is too late.

Kai Roth, a junior, shares, “Yes, when I have something after school I will use my off period to get ahead so I am not worried about it during that event.”

Off-blocks help prepare students for college and how to make time compared to procrastination.

Roth continues, “In college, you typically will have time off, you won't be in back-to-back classes like you are in high school.”

Having an off-block is very helpful and beneficial in making good relationships with friends while also being something that can be used as a tool to get ahead making it one of the best things at JA.

Claire Pillow, a junior, shared that, “I think it can depend if you already have classes together or you can just bond over those classes but you can be like ‘Oh man, that bio test sucked’ and you can just have those fun conversations.”