This year, the school year started, and everyone came to school for their first day on a Monday. When I was younger, school would either start on a Wednesday or a Thursday. Why did we change this?

One thing I loved about the first days of school was that we would only come for a few days to get the hang of getting back into the school setting and then having the weekend. As an upperclassman this year, it has been very difficult getting back into the school vibe. If you are an underclassman, having those few start days to get to know your classes and where they are is extremely helpful, too. Or if you are a new student, you have time to learn the way around Chapman and get the feel for it then get to go home for the weekend.

A little over 300 freshmen are starting at Chapman this year, and it would have made it easier on them if they just got the first few days to get settled in instead of jumping into a full week right away. 

I think it is also beneficial to teachers because it gives them a chance to get to know everyone and give the important information and papers in a few days before getting ready for a full week. Not only are students coming back to school after a long fun summer but so are teachers. They need to get adjusted, too. 

Midweek starts can give teachers time to give out syllabi and guidelines and then start school work the next week on Monday. Transitioning from summer is not easy for students or teachers so if the first days are just meant for getting the hang of it, it would be easier to start mid-week or later.