I live in the middle of nowhere. Deep in the woods on a small gravel road in a town most people have never heard of. In fact I dont live in the same town as my school. A little bus picks me up at exactly 8:20 am and hustles down my pothole-filled road into the next town over, just in time for the bell. But not all kids live like I do. Many can walk to their school in 2 minuets tops. We both come to school for the same amount of time, and then go back to our homes. Now, who's to say that we both aren't busy? Homework, family, other hobbies and activities that take up the rest of daylight. Busy with something that won't always involve school. Now, the prinicple has decided that all students are required to participate in at least one extracirricular activity. Who has the time for that? Student's should not be required to participate in extracurricular activities.

One of my favorite hobbies is singing. I take lessons every week, and I preform in little shows in the spring and fall. I have lessons on Tuesday and Thursday, from 6 to 7pm. I get home about 7:30, and then I go to sleep. I use the couple of hours before hand to finish homework and eat dinner. My day is busy from sunrise to sunset. Now, there are other kids whos days end at 10:30pm. Some play a sport, and those practices last hours . Others are in theater, and I know from experience that play practice NEVER ends. We simply have no time in the day for an extracurricular activity. But not everyone is fortunate enough to have after school hobbies and play sports.

I live quite literally in the middle of nowhere. I can recall more times than not when my friends tell me that their parent's wont pick me up because of where I live. My mom travels a lot for her work, and my dad lives cities away. My brother's babysitter can barely get him into the car in time to drive me to singing lessons. His tantrums are a melody within itself. I am lucky that I am able to be driven to my lessons, but not everyone is given that luxury. Some teenagers are home alone until their parents get back late at night, others just aren't allowed to leave their house. One of my closest friends lives in the heart of her town, but her parents wont let her walk anywhere unless it is to or from school. Everyone's families are different. Not everyone has a stay-at-home mom to drive them places, or the gas money for it. Unless the school wants to send a bus or reimburse the families who have to pick their kids up from these required activities, we might just have to stay at home.

Speaking of home life, what about our families? I have two younger brothers, one with a disability. I have spent more weekends then i'd like to admit watching my brothers, and many evenings when the babysitter has to leave earlier than my mom get home. Other kids watch their siblings the minute they get home from school, becuase their parents can't afford or don't trust a babysitter. And not all of us get paid to do it. I sure don't. It's "part of my responsibility as the oldest." It sucks. But I know my mom works hard, and family is more important than an after school activity. I have friends who are the youngest, and do whatever they please. I know other people who cook dinner and clean the house for their parents and younger siblings. It's just how the cookie crumbles. Lots of kids just do not have the capabilities to participate in these extracirricular activites.

What about the kids who play video games, or do nothing but sleep when they get home? Some of them walk home from school everyday, and do as they please. I can think of one person in seconds who lives a life like that. I call them up after school and they're playing on their X box. I personally don't see the hype about video games, but then again, I prefer gardening and writing stories. Video games and the internet in general are a topic of controversy and speculation everyday, and it plays a major role in the modern generation. But who's to say it's all bad? Besides, us kids go to school 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 180 days per school year. We need a break! Homework bleeds into home life, and many of us are quite busy in the after school category. Kids who play video games or simply sleep after school need those little bursts of joy in their week. Some kids stay up late completing homework that is too overwhelming or difficult for them to finish quickly. We need more than 8 hours of sleep, and many teenagers get less than that everyday. The trend of 8 hours of sleep was actually created by a company in an advertisement, not by a study done by scientists. It was advertised to promote 9-5 jobs, and eventually became a lifestyle in the United States. We're still kids, and we still need as much sleep as infants. Our society hasn't seen the potential our generation has because we're constantly drained. Adding an extracurricular activity isn't going help.

Overall, students should not be required to participate in an extracurricular activity. Some adults may not realize it but us teenagers have our own lives too! I like hanging out with friends and sleeping in on weekends, and that doesn't make me lazy. Us students are too busy, too tired, and too involved in our families for more activities. Some of us don't have the facilities for it either. There is simply not enough time. Which is ironic considering we live with a calendar that has 365 days.

At the end of the day, every kid does their best, and it puts a lot of stress on teenagers. 14, 15, and 16 year old kids are being given work most adults can't handle. We're treated like little kids, yet expected to behave and act like adults. Everyday asks a lot from us, and we try. We deserve time away from school. We deserve time for ourselves. So let us have it.