For fifteen days in the entire school year, the daily ritual of hearing the alarm ring, hitting snooze and finally waking up an hour later is turned upside down. Finally, you can experience the satisfaction of turning off the alarm and going back to sleep, but only for another hour or so.

Collaboration days, which began as a block for teachers to plan curricula as a department or as a class, have had several positive effects for AHS students as well. For many who do not get the chance to catch up on that extra hour of sleep on a regular basis, school starting at 8:27 a.m. is the perfect chance to catch up. Here is a list of upcoming collaboration days.

“I usually end up sleeping in on Collaboration days, because I don’t have to be in school before 8:15,” said senior Andrew Lee, who is used to studying late into the night.

“I also sleep in during Collaboration days,” said sophomore Karen Nguyen. “It’s a welcome break from getting up at five everyday.”

But often, the students who need this hour the most are the people who never get to sleep in. Due to organizations such as the National Honor Society, which often hold their meetings during Collaboration, and the Freshman Transition Program, much of AHS does not get a chance to catch up.

“I honestly don’t mind NHS meetings, but I just don’t think there’s any point in being there for an hour,” said senior Jason Ngo. “I’d wake up at 6 a.m. anyway, but no one needs to be in the meetings that long,” he said.

The freshmen are mandated to sit through the Freshman Transition Program, which aims to bridge the gap between middle and high school. But this program, while very helpful for some teenagers, is very counter-productive for others.

“Many freshmen, myself included, believe [collaboration] to be a waste of valuable time that could be put to use by completing homework, or the much more favored option – sleeping,” said freshman Jenny Jessen. “Collaboration lesson times are supposed to be means by which you can get to know your counselor and have them get to know you. But the chances of almost any collaboration lesson being popular is exceptionally rare,” she added.

More and more teenagers are realizing that lack of sleep is a major problem. “Insomnia is definitely a major issue for teenagers today,” said junior Jessica Campanilla. “Not only will it cause you to be distracted during school, but it also adds on stress and ends up making you cranky. Insomnia causes people to be distracted and tired–how are people supposed to pay attention when they’re tired?” she asked.

“I have so much to do after school that when I start my homework I end up going to sleep really late. Its usually studying since most teacher give tests in the same week,” said sophomore Fardowsa Wyn. “Collaboration gives me a great chance to make up for all the sleep I’ve lost,” she said.

With only one late bus day and a multitude of sports and extra-curriculars to do, cutting down on all these activities is not an option for many AHS students. Many students feel that Collaboration, which was a time to relieve everyday stress and to sleep in, is slowly being taken away as well.

“Using Collaboration to do something else is just not worth it,” said Nguyen.