Though the 90-minute class periods are long, I appreciate the extra time of not having class two days in a row so there is time to complete homework. 

The downside to this aspect of the blocked schedule, however, has come with teachers’ use of same day deadlines on canvas for homework assignments.

Some teachers have their assignment due dates on Canvas scheduled for 11:59 p.m. that same day the work was assigned. This begs the question to many students: If I turn in my work after that time but before the next class, is it still considered late?

For students with difficult schedules, the work really begins to pile up. That assignment that had been put off to study the night before is suddenly competing for priority with work for a class that won’t be in session for another two days but is due that evening. 

Students shouldn’t be penalized for these “late” assignments as long as they are still turned in before the next class period. 

It is a common trend among high school students that homework is being completed at all hours of the night due to busy school schedules, extracurricular activities and part-time jobs. This deadline, however, does not allow for flexibility in the after school lives of students.

The shifts at my job run late in the evening, some days causing me to leave for work at 4:45 p.m. and not return any earlier than 11:45 p.m.

When making the choice of the homework to complete during my brief window of availability, studying for my AP classes or any test I have the next day always takes priority, even at the cost of a late homework grade in other classes. 

The idea of students setting their own schedule allows for them to stay up as late as necessary to finish their work, but that option is taken away with a same-day deadline. 

Not to mention there is a difference in learning and studying styles throughout all students.Some prefer to stay up late to complete their work while others function best when waking up early to complete assignments. This deadline restricts the availability for different methods of learning and is only conducive to those who have the time to complete assignments during daylight hours. 

The automatic syncing of grades from Canvas to Infinite Campus also causes issues as a result of this deadline. For those teachers who choose this as a default, late assignments often go into the gradebook automatically as a 0 percent.

I’ve had many a conversation with my parents about poor homework grades when the simple fact of the matter was the assignment was turned in a little after midnight. 

These deadlines only add a level of stress to the lives of students who already have many aspects of their high school experience to juggle.