Starting school at 10 a.m. sounds like a dream to most students, but for those with an open first or second period, it’s their everyday routine. As bizarre as this schedule may seem, there are many ways to take advantage of early mornings unoccupied by a 90-minute class.
1. Completing homework assignments
This is the most obvious way to start your day. The quiet of the morning creates a pocket of focus, allowing students to manage their heavy workload of Shakespeare or 15-page readings for AP World History (speaking from experience).
“I’m usually more productive in the morning,” senior Lawson Kearney said. “To me, [an open first] is extra time to do my work. I usually do whatever work I have, and today it just happens to be calculus.”
While the rest of campus is shuffling through morning lectures, students with an open period can kickstart the day with a sense of accomplishment rather than stress, especially when they’re enrolled in challenging courses.
This habit stretches beyond just high school assignments. For example, junior Sisi Liu is taking an Environmental and Resource Economics course at Irvine Valley College and spends her mornings working on the course at Peet’s Coffee.
2. Recharging with sleep
Not everyone feels the urge to jump into productivity at dawn. Some students use their open period for the most sacred high school luxury: sleep.
Sleep is essential to maintain concentration throughout the day without feeling like a zombie by fifth or sixth period. Liu stresses how extra time in the morning can restore balance in her sleep schedule.
“I really enjoy having a later schedule because I feel more energized when I’m in class,” Liu said. “You have the opportunity to get your nine hours of sleep, but instead you choose seven or eight when you have too much homework.”
3. Light workout
Not every morning has to be buried in notes or textbooks—in fact, resting is one of the most important factors for a great day. An open period can double as a self-care routine before the school day starts.
Going for a walk, lifting weights or doing some light cardio at home for 15 minutes are great ways to wake the body and reset the brain. The goal isn’t to train for a marathon, but to get enough movement to boost focus and energy.
Knowing that you can spend your open period relaxing or working out, away from academics, creates space for balance. This kind of routine is a reminder that academics isn’t the only priority, so an open period gives students the freedom to listen to what their body needs that day.
“I feel like working out is a great morning activity, especially because you’re not in the mood when you come back from school,” junior Sonia Knot said. “It gives you more motivation to get things done within a certain time frame.”
4. Final review before an exam
There’s nothing sweeter than walking into a test with the answers still fresh in your brain. Instead of cramming the night before an exam, an open first period allows students to trade midnight stress for a calmer morning session.
Cognitive studies back it up: the brain processes and recalls information more sharply after rest, which is why early mornings are one of the most effective windows to review. However, this gap works best as reinforcement, not as a first attempt. Trying to learn an entire unit within an hour is simply cramming, whereas polishing notes you already made the night before actually sticks.
“Do things that you know you’re gonna procrastinate on later in the day,” Knot said. “There’s only a set time in the morning before you actually have to get on with your day, so it gives you more motivation to get things done within a certain time frame.”