Every Thursday Jefferson students have become used to spending their first hour in the building speaking to friends, playing basketball in the gym or cramming for their tests and doing homework for their classes. This week, however, due to Advanced Placement (AP) exams occurring at strict times during the day, this morning study session, known to the student population as Jefferson Learning Community (JLC) was cancelled.

Many students were depressed at the loss of their study or socializing time before school, especially during this stressful week filled with exams, final projects and a plethora of studying. They all seem to understand, however, that this decision is beyond the school’s control as the AP tests need to occur at a specific time in the day.

“I was disappointed when I remembered I wouldn’t have JLC this week,” junior Arielle Ampeh said. “I usually use this time to sleep or finish assignments and I especially needed it this week amidst the tests and stress we are all facing. I know that the school has to do it for the tests to count, but I wish there was some way around it.”

Even though there was a modified schedule for the AP exam occurring that morning, namely the AP English Literature exam, that made that caused fifth and seventh period to be roughly two hours each and sixth period to be much shorter after lunch, JLC could simply not fit into the schedule.

“I am usually always doing something during JLC – talking to friends, studying, sleeping – but this week I felt like I was missing something all day on Thursday because there was no time to do those things,” sophomore Debi Das said. “I wish we could still have JLC this week so that I could do those things before settling in to the stress of class. I don’t even have that many AP tests, but missing JLC seems almost unnatural after so many weeks of having it.”