Middlesex’s New Schedule: A Holistic Review

Join us as we navigate the impact of Middlesex’s new schedule

Come August, it was no surprise to Middlesex students that their freshly printed schedules would look somewhat foreign. What eventually surprised the Middlesex community, however, was just how beneficial the schedule change was in general. The new X-Block sleep-ins came as a welcome addition for sleep-deprived students, and the X-blocks during the day now serve as incredibly useful grading and planning periods for teachers. 

Advisors and advisees now have a relegated block to meet–Advisor Block–but X-Blocks scattered throughout the day also offer more opportunities for quick check-ins and updates, which were previously only possible via email. The long blocks, while tedious, help to expand the attention span of the average Middlesex student, many of whom will experience classes much longer than 65 minutes in college. Furthermore, the announcement block on Tuesday maximizes efficiency for allotted assembly times. In addition, it allows students a designated block to promote their announcements from all school emails to in-person speeches. 

However, despite my overall admiration of the new schedule, there are still possible improvements to be made. For example, both community time and advisor block should be reworked before the finalized schedule for next year. Community time–though often valuable and informative for Middlesex students when outside speakers come to give a lecture–can be draining, as it often leaves students tired and unprepared for their next classes. What should start to replace some unnecessary community times, I believe, are community events. Instead of community life meetings, Middlesex should incentivize bonding in these community events rather than simply forcing it. For instance, Middlesex could sponsor food trucks on the circle during community time, or host games to give students a break and motivate them to enjoy the campus we so often forsake to finish our work. 

Advisor block could also use some work. Since they fall at the very end of the academic day, off-campus teams like crew and golf are often pressed for time at practice. These teams cannot leave campus until 3:45 at the earliest, which means that students get back later, and subsequently stay up later finishing work. If advisor block could occur during the academic day like it does on Mondays, sports teams would have more time for practice, and students would have more time to get the sleep they need to complete Middlesex’s seven-day work week. 

While the schedule has already greatly improved the workload and efficiency of the Middlesex community, these small tweaks before next year could bring about even more positive changes; ultimately, change is a good thing, and we should look forward to seeing what the coming year’s schedule has in store.  

Sofia Senunas