Health Class: a Waste of Time?

Every prep and new lower has had to go through health class. Any time you bring it up to Exonians, they roll their eyes and sigh about how boring it is. Is health class really necessary? This question is surprisingly complex. On one hand health class is inarguably pertinent. It touches on a lot of important issues like drinking, drugs, anxiety and, of course, sex. But on the other hand, it often feels like a waste of time.Like any class, the quality of the health class depends heavily on the mix of students and the teacher. And like any other subject, a good teacher can make a huge difference, making the material more or less boring. But is the subject worth an entire year’s study?I believe that, as a prep nearing the end of her year of health class, everything I “learned” in health this year could have easily have been compacted into one term. Though Exeter’s health curriculum is definitely less conservative and more realistic then your average school’s abstinence-based, “don’t do drugs, don’t drink and don’t have sex” curriculum, I think it boils down to the same basic message. Even though Exeter health classes try to reflect the real situations dealing with these topics as they appear in Exonians’ lives it is still trying to convey the same message of education in order to prevent ignorant decisions that could dramatically alter our futures for the worse.Though this is a valiant and important cause, I don’t think most of what has filled the two periods a week of health class actually leaves a lasting effect on a student. Instead of going over “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs,” which seems like common sense, or listing all the different types of alcohol, I think it would be more beneficial to compress our curriculum. Instead of trying to pander to Exonians by trying to make health class more relatable, I would rather the general issues be laid on the table and then have more free time to be academically or socially productive. Depending on your prior health class experience, most people studied the negative influences of drugs, alcohol, and unprotected sex in middle school (or in some cases even earlier). Some people, of course, did not, but I think as Exonians we are intelligent enough to understand all the basics, most of which would be review, in one term.I believe that, in one term, Exonians can grasp the basic messages of “don’t make decisions regarding illicit substances and sex you will regret,” while still garnering studying specifics like types of drugs and alcohol. Spreading all this information out over three semesters doesn’t stop people from doing drugs, drinking, having sex or getting stressed. The amount of time you spend in health class does not correlate with the number of bad decisions you make. Compressing all the facts into one term would give students the same knowledge needed to make good decisions. Compressing health class into one trimester might also foster a more constructive and productive class environment because of the pressure to fit the entire curriculum into a shorter period of time.Half the time, my health class is either involved in side conversations or side-tracking the topic of discussion. While these tangents can sometimes be more informative than the class itself, I would rather cover the material and have time for pertinent questions and then have more free time later. Health does cover important information but spreading it out over such a long period of time also makes it seem even less important. Instead of hitting one or two key issues or lessons every class, it seems like one lesson is spread over several classes. Instead of facing it head on, discussing it, and being done with it, the issue seems to drag on with no real purpose and no new information being imparted.Compacting all this information would not only save time but also hold the students’ attention better. After a couple of classes concerning the same issue, no matter how important, no student will pay full attention. Already, health is taken as a pointless class, time to sit back and zone out, or even (for some people) to doze off. Overly discussing an issue only makes Exonians, in my opinion, less likely to actively follow the class discussion. Health class and its importance is a multifaceted issue. The information we learn in class (though sometimes incredibly obvious) is an integral part of leading a healthy life, but most classes feel like a waste of time. Condensing the class down to its essential lessons and creating a more structured class would benefit Exonians, as they could study and take the class more seriously, and then later have more free time for academic or other pursuits, rather than dragging through the class for an entire year.