It’s the third to last week of school and the three-hour blocks have started. I come to school everyday and sit in my classrooms with nothing to do, no more work to complete. The only thing I have left to do is take my reading SOL and two finals, which are not until the last week of school. The one question I cannot stop thinking about is: What am I still doing in school?

It is frustrating to be sitting in a classroom for seven hours a day when it is completely unnecessary. I could be laying out at the beach, making money by working, or going on hikes in the area. I could be doing anything at all, but instead I am trapped inside this humid building all day instead of enjoying the beautiful sunny weather.

That lack of a normal school learning and work seem to come from the fact that my teachers are unsure what to do with us for three hours because in all honesty there is nothing to do. My AP exams are over, all my big assignments have been due, and all the content for the course has been taught. The only class that I am continuing to learn material in is dual enrollment history because that is the only class that I have a legitimate final in.

I do not understand why the administration expects me to be in school when we are doing nothing productive. Rather than sitting in class on my phone, it would be much more beneficial to be doing things like workshops, preparing juniors for the college application process. It would be so helpful if we could have a few courses at the end of the year that would explain the process of applying to colleges. But these classes and workshops are not taking place, so the only thing that there is to do is go on my phone.

It is becoming annoying having to sit in class all day when there is no purpose. Every student and teacher is checked out of school at this point and we are just passing the time until summer is here. It would make more sense for school to be over after the two weeks of AP exams. I would be fine with them mixing in finals between AP exams if it meant that school would be over sooner. As I spend the rest of my school day doing absolutely nothing the only thing I will be thinking about is why am I forced to be here.