There has been a lot of argument about how much time students get during each passing period to walk to class. Some people believe the passing periods are too long, and some believe they should be longer. I think the passing periods are way too short and need to be made longer to consider the time it takes for students to use the restroom, walk to class, and socialize with friends.

I have a strong opinion about the length of time for the passing period. I think more time should be allotted for students to get to class. With a large campus, it may be hard for students to get to each class within the 5 minutes we are allowed. Yes, most students would be able to get to their classes on time, but would they have time to use the restroom?

To test how long it takes a student to use the restroom and then walk to their next class, I timed myself getting out of class, using the bathroom, and then getting to my next class, which took me well over 5 minutes. To be specific, close to 8 minutes. Then, I timed myself talking to friends and walking to class, and I got over 5 minutes again. Think about when people want to talk to friends and use the restroom and still have to get to class. So, we should get around 10 minutes. Socializing with friends throughout a 7-hour school day is important, same with using the restroom.

Students don’t want to risk being late to class, so instead of using the restroom during the passing period, they ask to go during class. When students ask to go during class, it interrupts the environment, and the teacher doesn’t allow them to go. So, the students either have a choice to receive a tardy or to wait almost an hour and a half to use the restroom during the next passing period.

I asked a few students at Faith what their opinions were on the passing periods. Kayla M. says, “I think we should get 10 minutes. We should be able to talk to friends, go to the restroom, and get to our next classes on time,” Lauren G. says, “the passing periods should be longer because I barely have enough time to use the restroom, talk to friends and get to my next class on time.” People agree they want longer passing periods.

We should have longer passing periods for many reasons, including going to the restroom, getting to class, and socializing with friends. We should have a 10-minute passing period instead of a 5-minute one since we are in school for 7 hours, and students must have enough time to do what they need.