Passing periods are supposed to be a time where students can complete various activities that they are usually not allowed to do in class, like talking to friends or taking a quick bathroom break before having to go to their next period. However, students are finding it difficult to even get to class on time, let alone complete these activities due to the short passing periods.  

Students need more time to get to class, especially if they are coming from the other side of the school or if the teachers have made last minute plans to have class in a different place than they usually do. There are some days when the teachers decide that they want to use the computer lab or have class in one of the lecture halls without warning the students. This ends up with the student having to hurry to another room, sometimes on the other side of the school, potentially causing them to be late or get caught in the tardy sweeps. 

Aside from needing time to get to class, students require time to socialize with friends or talk to a teacher. It is also shown that giving students a short amount of time to rest their minds and mentally prepare for their next subject can help them be more focused in class. It also gives them time to interact with people they might not otherwise get a chance to talk to. 

Many students do require a few minutes in between classes to do other activities, such as go to the bathroom or their locker, drop off an assignment to another teacher, check their phone, or get a snack at the bistro or a vending machine. If they have time to do these things during their passing periods, they could concentrate on what is happening in class without constantly thinking of all the things that they still have to do. 

There is the concern that some students will take advantage of this extra time and use it to goof off with their friends the whole time, still getting to class late. The administrators could try lengthening the time of passing periods for a semester and see how responsible students are about managing their time and getting to class when they are supposed to. If it doesn’t seem to be working out, then they can revert back to five-minute passing periods. 

With the passing periods that are in place now, students need a couple extra minutes to take a break, socialize, and still get to class on time. The administrators should consider the advantages that a few extra minutes between classes would bring and extend the passing periods.