It’s 36 weeks. It’s 180 days from the first bell at 7:30 AM on Monday to the final bell at 1:55 PM on Friday. We are all familiar with the school week in the Oakmonitor, the school, the district, and the country. It doesn’t matter if you are in 2nd grade, 10th grade, or 12th grade, there will just be weekdays you like better than others. 

The 5 days of the school week were not created equally, and in fact, some days are objectively better than others. Almost everyone will say that going home on a Friday afternoon is leagues better than going to work / school on a Monday morning. Not to mention, the only thing that comes after a weekday is another weekday, eventually until the weekend. But for those 120 hours of the week that aren’t the weekend, are filled with work, school, and responsibilities.

To speak my feelings about the rankings of the weekdays, I would rank them as such (from worst to best):

• #5 Monday

I think everyone can agree that Monday is just the worst day of the week. It’s right after the end of the weekend and is the start of the long week. Think of all the vacations you had that were great until Monday. Why? Because that’s when they all end. Monday is the restart after a great week and weekend. And if you have a teacher who heinously assigns weekend homework, and you didn’t do it, it feels like a slap in the face, in addition to the many others of an average Monday. While I’m not trying to instigate you into hating on Monday, I’m just not a big fan. It’s the weekday manifestation of the phrase ‘All Things Must Pass’. And while it only is 4 more days until the weekend, Monday just starts everything. Worthy of last place.

• #4 Tuesday

Tuesday feels like a continuation of Monday. Start-of-the-week exhaustion is a Monday ordeal, yet you still know you are in for a long week. And since you were so tired on Monday and very very busy Monday night ( you were probably on your phone or your PC if you are like me), then you might or might not have forgotten to do your homework. I usually manage to get it done or luck out when the teacher forgets, but there have been times when I and many others have forgotten. And when you eventually hear the 1:55 PM bell go off, you get to realize just how much more time you have to spend, both at school and at home doing homework. For a day that just feels like an extension of the wrath Monday brings, I’ll put it in 4th place. It’s slightly above Monday.

• #3 Wednesday

Now we’re getting somewhere. Wednesday, or as many call it, “Hump Day”, is smack dab in the middle of the school week. It feels like the week is ending already, which is the reason why it’s somewhat good. However, the main reason why I nock it is because Wednesday is usually when you realize that you have to study for those Friday tests. For some reason, almost every teacher I’ve had puts their tests on Friday. And if you think like I do, it’ll take you about until Wednesday to realize you have to study. While many people say the week flies by after Wednesday, I disagree, especially when you have a bunch of Friday test teachers like I do. On the bright side, it only means 2 days between you and your well-deserved weekend freedom. And hey, the school food is pretty good on Wednesday. All this sums to the middle of the week, middle of the ranks.

• #2 Friday

Alright, here’s the big twist. Firstly, you might’ve noticed that all my previous rankings were in order of the days of the week. However, this is where it changes. While I’m not saying Friday is 10 times worse than Thursday, there is just a slight reason why I put it below. Tests. Without them, Friday and Thursday would be on par. Maybe Friday would even be better. But, tests are why I have to knock it. Friday is the definition of light at the end of the tunnel. Almost to freedom (for 2 days – then back to the grindstone). But then, the big roadblock in your way is tests. It doesn’t matter if it’s for Spanish, English, Math, Science, Tech Ed, or any other class, Friday tests feel like a Lead weight attached to your foot. It’s like saying “I’m almost free – but I have an English test next block”. To add, I, among many other students, have a job. And since I work on the weekends, the end of the school week means the start of the work week. I love my job. However, many other students might not like their jobs or their bosses. Despite this, I think we all can agree that days off are nice. I will also confess to occasionally (like a bunch of times) taking Fridays off from school, whether it be having a doctor’s appointment early in the morning and staying out the whole day, or just not even going to school and spending the whole day out and about (Leominster and Fitchburg).  In short, if it weren’t for the start of the workweek and the inevitable Friday tests, Friday would be #1. However, I will say that the school lunch on Fridays is great, and my free time on the weekends is also nice. It’s a close tie with Thursday.

• #1 Thursday

By now I think I’ve made my opinions and takes hotter than a sidewalk. The reason I put Thursday above Friday is because Thursday is like Friday. It’s almost the end of the week. You feel more excited at the thought of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (a metaphor for Friday) than once you actually get to it. After all, you are 80% through with the week by Thursday. It is like Friday, just minus the start of everything. This might be a me thing, but I feel more productive on a Thursday. Like I’m almost done with the week, so that’s my motivation to keep pushing forward. But unlike Fridays, I’m not tempted to slack off when the weekends are just hours away. Also, the school food is amazing on Thursdays. The Nashville Hot Sandwich is amazing, and the Alfredo with penne pasta is also pretty good. All those words collectively speak to why I think Thursday is #1.

By this point, I think many people might’ve stopped reading this article, especially when they saw Thursday above Friday. To those who kept reading, whether they called my opinions blasphemous, or simply wrong, I do not care. While this may be a trivial topic I am asserting my opinion on, I will always justify that the 5 days of the school week were not created equally and that Thursdays are objectively better than Fridays.