Should USC keep the option for 8 a.m. classes?

Con by Blake Welch

As a senior at USC, I’ve had just about every type of class schedule possible. From stacked Tuesday and Thursdays to really spread out, with only two to three classes a day, I’ve tried them all. While I’m sure there are those that will oppose any university wide changes, consolidating class schedules and pushing back morning courses, should have a great impact on both our academic and outside lives.
1.) Not offering Friday classes creates a sort of balance between taking classes on MW or on TTh. There’s no doubt that parking on campus is worse on certain days compared to others and only having to come to campus for class twice a week instead of three times would mean a lot less parking lot jockeying. Increasing the amount of MW classes available would distribute the number of students coming to campus across every day of the school week instead of packing the majority in on Tuesday/Thursdays. Not to mention, erasing the anxiety of attempting to create a course schedule each semester without the dreaded Friday classes.
2.) For students that have jobs in addition to attending school, requiring certain types of classes to be held on specific days of the week or at a specific time of day will make it easier to create cohesive schedules. Instead of having to rearrange your work schedule, or in some cases find a new job altogether, you can more easily set aside those three or four days for work from the days you have class.
3.) Everyone hates 8 am classes. I don’t care if it’s a Tuesday or a Friday, it’s never fun. While pushing classes back thirty minutes may not be the best news I’ve ever heard, I certainly won’t complain about the new schedule. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned during my time at USC, it’s to take your time to rest whenever and however you can, and sometimes even thirty minutes can make a big difference.
While altering the system may not be the perfect answer for everyone, it will prove to be far more efficient for the student body as a whole. A system that makes parking easier, gives a more consistent schedule and the chance to go out with friends on Thursdays? If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Pro by Julia Heinz

At first thought, having classes start later across the board (from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.) and eliminating Friday classes seem like the best thing ever. But after giving it some thought, there are a multitude of complications that could result, making the proposition seem not at all attractive. Here are my top three reasons why USC should leave the current class scheduling system alone:
1.) 8:30 a.m. start times would throw off the entire class schedule.
Current 8 a.m.’s last for one hour and fifteen minutes, meaning new classes starting at 8:30 wouldn’t get out until 9:45. This would inhibit the ever popular 9:30 a.m. class from existing because everything would have to be pushed back 30 minutes. The result would be a confused student body and a later ending time for the last normal class (at 5:15 p.m.). No thank you!
2.) 30 extra minutes won’t make a big difference in attendance.    If USC thinks that college students will rejoice over 30 extra minutes of sleep and show up for a class they’d otherwise skip, they are surely mistaken. People who skip 8 a.m.’s will probably be just as unmotivated to get up for an 8:30 a.m. class. When it comes to waking up, 30 minutes seems like a drop in the bucket and that alarm clock will be just as annoying at 7:45 as it is at 7:15. Now, an extra hour is a different story...
3.) Cutting out Friday classes = jam packed days.
Sure, having consistent three day weekends seems like it would be relaxing, but that time off has to be made up somewhere else in the week. This means longer classes, tighter schedules and less time to study and do homework during the day. Consequently, Friday would be filled with catch-up work. This situation would also complicate schedules for anyone holding an evening job or lab, because packed days allow for very little flexibility.
Basically, a mess would ensue if USC changed start times and cut Friday classes. Instead of complaining about getting up early and having to go to school on a Friday (GASP), we should be thankful of the opportunity to be here, gaining an education.