As a cohort we have recognized that a 3-hour break between classes is too much of a demand on our lives not only as students but as wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, and as involved members of our respective communities. When classes are let out at 6pm we are tired and are forced to drive during the times of high stress traffic. By the time we get home and tend to our other responsibilities there is no time left for studying or preparing for our classes and clinical.
A study by Sievertsen, Gino, and Piovesan has shown cognitive fatigue increases as the time of the day goes on (2016). Knowing, we ask to have our mental health class begin at 1pm, instead of 3pm. Additionally for any future classes we ask that a break of no longer than one and a half hour be scheduled between classes. This would allow us to get home in a timely manner, take care of our other outside responsibilities and still have time to do homework and study for our classes.
References:
Sievertsen, H. H., Gino, F., & Piovesan, M. (2016). Cognitive fatigue influences students' performance on standardized tests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(10), 2621–2624. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516947113
