My eight-hour job consists of tests, notes, GPAs, constant stress and now, no breaks in between.

Eagle Time is a 30-minute, daily study hall after first period where students can get help from teachers, finish homework or study. For the rest of the year, starting today, May 6, Eagle Time will no longer be offered, and the school is considering getting rid of it next school year.

This is a terrible idea for both students and teachers.

Prosper keeps their students in school from 8 a.m. to almost 4 p.m, the equivalent of a 9-to-5 job. The only difference is students get five more hours of work once they get home.

The philosophy of the high school, as counselors said at orientation, is that students have eight hours at school, eight hours to sleep, and eight hours at home with free time. However, I am still waiting for the “free time” part to kick in.

At the last school I attended in Massachusetts, we started school at 8 a.m. and got out at 2:15 p.m. While this sounds amazing at first, the loads of work we came home with took up all of my after-school time, making it impossible to do anything else except eat, sleep, go to school and do homework.

The problem is, I get the same amount of homework here that I got in Massachusetts, but I have two hours less to get it all done.

Furthermore, not only does Eagle Time give students time to work on assignments, but it also allows time in the day to make up tests and quizzes, pick up missing assignments or get extra help without taking up time before or after school. Teachers have more time to get home, and students can use their eight hours of free time effectively.

It’s true that a small percentage of students use Eagle Time to talk with friends and chill out, but that’s not the case for everyone. I see so many kids working on projects and studying every day. Even if some high schoolers use Eagle Time as 30 minutes to relax, that allows students to be more productive in class. According to research done by the University of Illinois and other colleges and reported by OnlineSchools, a small break to regroup and get organized can actually lower stress levels and raise the ability to pay attention in the classroom.

Students need Eagle Time in order to maintain at least a small balance between school work, homework and mental health. If the administration really wants to make time in school more effective, they should shorten the school day, regulate the amount of homework and projects that are given in each class, or just keep the 30-minute study hall.