More Time and More Opportunities Block Schedules at Lynn University

By: Ava Margolis

Position: Staff Writer

amargolis@email.lynn.edu

Jakob Friedman, a junior from Manhattan studying international business, enjoys the block schedule Lynn University put into place with the arrival of COVID-19.

Friedman came to Lynn in 2019 after visiting campus and falling in love with the weather and small class sizes. Then, COVID-19 hit the second semester of his freshman year, sending everyone home and into remote learning.

Block schedules began in Fall 2020 and consist of one course each month that lasts two and a half hours a day. Friedman has found great success in and outside of the classroom with this schedule.

“I’m thrilled with the block schedule, despite other people’s views about it,” said Friedman. “It works for me because I love the aspect of focusing on one class at a time.”

With the block schedule, Friedman can put all his focus into perfecting and understanding the material one class at a time. He also has time in the day for a job, helping bolster his resume. Friedman is learning how to make the most out of all hours in his days, which the block schedule helps facilitate.

“I just recently got a job at Walgreens,” said Friedman. “I would have never been able to take on a job with multiple classes in a day, so the block schedule is allowing me to do so much more with my days.”

Since the block schedule started, Friedman’s been earning higher grades, which helps him feel more motivated in his classes. He does miss getting to know professors on a personal level, though. With block schedule classes only lasting a month, there often isn’t time to create a relationship with faculty.

“The downfall of this schedule is not getting the opportunity to create friendships because of the limited time,”said Friedman. “I also find people dozing off often in class, probably because the classes last two and a half hours so people’s attention span can only last for so long.”

Friedman has been thankful for the addition of the block schedule since this new method has given him the opportunity to get a job and excel in his classes. He’s also learned to be better at time management and adapt to change.

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