At the beginning of the year when everyone receives their schedule, one of the first things we do is desperately check to see what lunches we have. It becomes increasingly obvious that all lunch periods are not created equal. There’s a reason that no one wants B lunch.
1:19 pm doesn’t seem all that late for lunch at first glance, but over the course of the day, that time just seems to keep inching further and further away. B lunch is too late compared to the starting time of school. School starts at 8:30 am, and everyone’s commute time to school differs, but most students eat breakfast before 8:00 am.
For students with B lunch, this means that there is a 5 or more hour gap between breakfast and lunch, which is a fairly large gap. This is even worse for kids who don’t eat breakfast at all, who won’t eat anything for the day at all until the afternoon. Not eating for that long is uncomfortable, especially if you’re trying to get schoolwork done.
B lunch messes up the balance of the day. With A lunch, kids get to eat in the direct middle of the school day; two class periods before lunch and two class periods after lunch, perfectly split. However, with B lunch, kids have three class periods before lunch and only one class period after lunch. This is problematic for a couple of reasons.
First of all, students need a break. Anyone who has had B lunch knows that that last class period before going to lunch is painful. It’s extremely difficult to get work done and all you can focus on is how much time is left until lunch. Also, this uneven split of classes messes up the balance of the rest of your day, making it hard to have a full, productive day. I have B lunch on even days, and my even days always feel so unorganized and I feel like I don’t do anything valuable during them. There is a distinct difference between my odd and even days because of this change in lunch periods.
Having B lunch so late makes it feel more like the end of the day and less like a quick break, which makes the last period of the day almost impossible to trudge through. All you want to do at that point is go home which makes it difficult to focus.
Of course, B lunch does have its few benefits. Knowing that you only have one more class after lunch is a relieving feeling. Also, if you’re someone who likes to eat outside, it is warmer later in the day so B lunch is a good time to go outside. However, its downsides well outweigh its benefits. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who disagreed that B lunch is worse than A lunch, they simply can’t compare.
