Because of learning-filled days and busy schedules for students at Wayland High School, most students don’t have time for a break between classes or during lunch. With WHS administrators recognizing this problem, advisory has been a component to students’ schedules for years.

Advisory is a seven minute period every day between second and third block during which students gather in their respective classrooms and receive announcements or relax before heading to their next class.

When there are extra announcements, schedules shift to accommodate for extended advisory. On these days, the advisory period becomes 25 minutes instead.

For some students, advisory creates a space for students to talk to classmates they normally would not talk to and take a break from their action-filled days.

“Usually in advisory, we play the Heardle and Wordle, and it’s just a chill environment where everyone talks about how their classes are going,” junior Abby Wrentmore said. “I’ve gotten some good advice from my classmates.”

However, some students believe that advisory is not beneficial. To some, it is even a waste of time they could be spending more productively.

“I don’t do much in advisory,” junior Katie Pralle said. “Everyone is usually just on their computers or their phones. Sometimes, when it’s nice out, we’ll go outside, but that’s pretty much it.”

With students taking honors and AP classes, they can have little free time in their schedules, like junior Abby Wrentmore.

“I don’t have a lot of frees in my schedule this year,” Wrentmore said. “So when I go to advisory, it feels like time that I could be using to catch up on work. Even though [it’s only] seven minutes, I feel like I’m wasting time just sitting there.”

Administrators have designated advisory as the place where students receive important information about upcoming school events.

“My advisor usually announces anything big happening at school during advisory,” Wrentmore said. “When we had Spirit Week, he told us all of the details that we didn’t know about previously.”

Some advisors enjoy the time set aside for advisory so that they can get to know students better.

“I like that advisory meets four days a week, with the same group for all four years, because I feel like that level of contact helps me get to know the students on a casual basis,” English teacher Peter Galalis said. “We fought for [the schedule change to allow] advisory years ago.”

Whether or not students find advisory useful, it allows for interactions between students that otherwise may not be possible.

“While it’s not the best use of my time, advisory creates an environment that allows me to regroup before continuing,” Wrentmore said. “I have made some good friends there that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”