The night before school, you set your alarm in the hopes that you are giving yourself enough time to get ready for the next morning. Once the alarm goes off and you’re wiping the crust out of your eye, your body is still craving sleep. However, having to be at school by a certain time forces you to get up.
Once ready, students get to school in a variety of ways. Some walk, others get rides, while many take the light rail or bus. Unfortunately, with its unpredictable schedule, it’s bound to make students late. It seems like no matter how hard you try, being late is inescapable.
In a world where every second counts, Junior Sariah Vega states that convenience is key but being on time is completely out of her power.
“I think for the most part, it’s out of my control,” said Vega. “Say if the light rail isn’t working, my tardiness is unavoidable and there’s not much I can do about it.”
With that comes the persistent issue that plagues schools, attendance records. The constant weight on your shoulders to maintain a certain number of tardies or absences can cause a strain on one’s mental and physical health.
Lyani Reyes, attendance officer, wants everyone to understand that these rules are in place and must be followed.
“Traffic, waking up late, dropping off a sibling and taking the light rail is typically what the kids say,” said Reyes. “While I feel remorse, there’s not much I can do besides my job, but I typically will talk to them to find out if everything’s okay at home.”
Being late or not attending school affects your grades regardless of how hard you work to maintain them. Although there are many who don’t plan on being late there are those who don’t care about the impact of taking days off. However, this should not affect the people who have valid reasons and are trying.
Although tardiness at times feels like it is out of your control there are things that can be done on your end to avoid it. Go to sleep early, set an alarm, and make sure you do your best to make it on time, but if not, you always have tomorrow.
