Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2019 law banning the majority of high schools from starting before 8 a.m. has taken full effect at University City High, and students are divided on the change.

   According to the Los Angeles Times, “The science shows that teenage students who start their day later increase their academic performance, attendance, and overall health” (latimes.com). 

   At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, students were given a glimpse of the new schedule through hybrid learning. Now that the schedule is in full swing, students have formed their own opinions about it. “I don’t like how we get out later than how we used to get out, which was just after  two o’clock,” said Senior Jocelyn Robledo. 

   “I preferred the early out because it gave us, the students, a lot more time to tend to activities that needed to be done outside of school. Especially since I and a lot of my peers have jobs and work, we get less time for that,” Robledo added.

   “I don’t like it,” said Senior Aurora Cervantes. “We have already gotten our bodies used to getting up early in the morning for school days. Having a later time doesn’t change anything. If anything, it is a hindrance to those students who wake up early anyways and now waste time at home in the morning.”

   Despite the late start not being liked by many upperclassmen, UC High’s younger students seem to be more welcoming of the new school hours. “I like this schedule a lot more because it allows you to sleep in. I feel much more ready for the day than I used to,” said Freshman Ash May. “It is true that getting out early did allow me to have more time to complete my homework, but I’d prefer sleeping longer while having to manage my homework a little more than I usually do.”

   “When I had first read about the new start and dismissal bells, I was hesitant about it, because I’ll always prefer starting and getting released early, rather than starting and ending late,” said Junior Tyson McRath. “I actually really like this new late start schedule, especially the modified Wednesday schedule, because it’s a little harder for me to get to school, so it’s nice to have that one day where it’s like, ‘Alright you’re definitely going to make it on time today.’ That makes it a whole lot easier for me.”

   “It was kind of weird at first, and I didn’t understand it until I saw the actual bell schedule and realized that they changed a lot to compensate for it,” said Junior Esteban Alavardo. “What I like the most about this change is how on most Wednesdays they pushed the start to nine o’clock. The only thing I dislike is how they moved the dismissal on Mondays through Fridays to 3:36 p.m. I think it was way better at 2:18.”