After working hard for 3 years, spending countless late nights pouring over textbooks and writing essays, there must be some light at the end of the tunnel, right? Well, now there is. For seniors who’ve completed their thesis and don’t have too many absences, the long sought after early-out is finally an option. Taking place at 2:30 every A Day during 4th block, seniors who meet the qualifications are now allowed to leave school. The possibilities are truly endless. Maybe you head straight home to catch up on some lost hours of sleep or stop by your favorite restaurant on the way home. Even if you have athletics after school, the early out grants you precious time to swing over and grab a bite to eat before returning to practice. Most importantly, though, the early-out allows you to skip the parking lot traffic after school. What may usually be a 15 minute wait time in the carpool line is now a 2 minute loop around the parking lot and out of school.

While most seniors are thrilled with the early outs, the extra hour of freedom has left some students wanting more. Some seniors have expressed frustration at not being able to leave after 3rd block ends. While their complaints may be justified, they may be wise to bite their tongues and enjoy their early out. In fact, this is the first year that seniors have been allowed early outs, so there may be changes in the years to come. Keeping this in mind, seniors should be sure to cooperate with the early out guidelines so future grades can enjoy them as well.

Mason Bishop, a current senior who just completed his senior thesis, has relished his early outs. He says he enjoys the feeling of walking out early knowing that his school day is over. Mason’s typical early out consists of grabbing a bite to eat with some friends before making his way over to soccer practice.

As a piece of advice to current juniors, I would encourage you to make sure you complete your senior thesis before winter break. In addition, absences are usually what prevents seniors from getting their early out, so always make sure to bring a note in advance. If you accomplish these things, you can look forward to one less hour of school every other day.