It's not unusual at Miami University to witness students sprinting to class with their faces twisted in worry about being late.
Most students have gone through this adrenaline rush, holding onto their backpacks and purses for dear life as they dodge cars in intersections, trying to reach their destinations.
Now that some students only have 10 minute blocks of time to get from class to class, these experiences are becoming much more frequent and much more dreaded.
The new academic calendar that includes a winter term has now shortened semesters by a full week.
To compensate, they have increased class times and have reduced times in between classes from 15 minutes to a ten-minute time block.
The addition of a winter term has its obvious benefits, including providing students with the opportunity to graduate early, catch up on classes, study abroad and even gain internship experience, but how are students supposed to get to their next class that may be a 15-minute walk in 10 minutes?
Even though as students, we would love to be able to time travel or stop a clock, those abilities haven't been offered in classes yet.
Miami University trustees approved adding this extra three and a half weeks in the calendar in late September.
The Miami Student Editorial Board sees the opportunities that a new winter term will offer and understands why the trustees approved this term, but as students, we can't help but feel rushed and cornered into this new time block.
If the university tells students we only have 10 minutes between classes, then as students we have to abide by it because we don't have a choice.
Senior journalism and professional writing major Sally Stearns has been juggling the new time block all semester and is struggling to keep up with it.
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"I have 10 minutes to get from Williams Hall to Bachelor Hall, and then from Bachelor back to Williams. I couldn't switch sections or take these classes another semester because I needed these classes to graduate. I barely make it to class on time and I am usually out of breath from basically running there," Stearns said.
For most seniors, upper-level courses or specialized subjects are only offered once a semester with only one time block.
There are no other options for seniors to take this course, and if they need them to graduate, this can pose a huge problem.
With previous 15-minute blocks between classes, students could at least stop and grab a bite to eat while making their way to their next destination and have time to ask teachers questions after class about homework or class material.
Now, when students have questions for professors, they will either have to rely on email or office hours, which isn't always the most convenient.
The board is excited for the opportunities a winter term can offer, but we can't help but think if there is a way that this block of time can be extended.
Not everywhere on campus is a 10-minute walk, including a walk from the Farmer's School of Business to Phillips Hall located next to the Goggin.
According to Google Maps, this is a 15-minute walk, no matter what streets a student takes.
The board believes Miami needs to re-evaluate this change in the schedule and consider how it is affecting students on a day-to-day basis.
We try to do it all with a full course load, and we shouldn't have to race to each class due to a new time block.
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