Illustrative High School Schedule Examples, Freshman to Senior Year

March 22, 2023

Though the high school class schedule examples below may seem familiar—with core courses in English, math, history, and social studies interspersed with vibrant arts and extracurriculars—like most facets of a Commonwealth School education, the “typical" schedule is anything but.

In our curious community, students pursue their unique interests with full force, whether via rigorous, college-level courses like Introduction to Wave Physics, Shakespeare and the Fairy Tale, Axiomatic Set Theory, The Theory of Computer Science, Mesoamerica, or Mandarin, or via diverse extracurriculars like Competitive Programming, Jazz Ensemble, Debate Team, Chess Club, or community service projects. Their schedules are punctuated by happenings that foster growth and connection, like daily “recess,” our all-school gathering; weekly one-on-one advisor meetings; assembly speakers each Thursday; and required athletics three days a week.

The rhythm of each day is both invigorating and comforting: you can depend on cheerful greetings every morning, classes electric with intellectual inquiry, afternoons bustling with extracurriculars—and teachers and peers cheering you on every step of the way.

Keep reading to get a better sense of what the typical day at Commonwealth entails, with schedule examples spanning all four years of high school, freshman to senior year.

High School Schedule, Freshman Year

Bianca

7:00 a.m.: I’m either woken up by my alarm or my cat. I prefer the latter.
7:20 a.m.: Brush teeth, shower, eat breakfast, grab my backpack, etc.
7:40 a.m.: I usually get into the car by this time.
8:00 a.m.: Arrive at school. I’ll begin by printing some of my homework in the computer lab and preparing for the day.
8:30 a.m.: Classes! Depending on the day, I have Ancient History, French, Biology, and/or Photography.
11:10 a.m.: Some days I have study hall at this time. I usually try to fill up study halls by getting some homework done.
11:55 a.m.: Back to class: English, Geometry, or Computer Science.
12:40 p.m.: Lunch time. The food at Commonwealth is amazing, thanks to our wonderful chefs!
1:15 p.m.: Back to class: City of Boston or Health and Community (which are just for first-year students).
2:05 p.m.: On some days I have a study hall at this time. This is nice, since all of my classes are over, so I can get a big head start on homework!
2:45 p.m.: Some days I walk to the T (Boston’s subway system) to get to fencing practice in Cambridge. Fencing is my fall and winter sport. Other days I end school a little later and go to play rehearsal.
3:45 p.m.: Fencing practice or play rehearsal. Right now we’re doing Macbeth!
5:00 p.m.: After fencing, I either go home or go to Homework Project. Homework Project is a proctored study hall from 6:00–9:00 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at Commonwealth. It's really helpful if you want to get some extra work done with your friends! When I have play rehearsals, I usually go home around at this time or a little later.
6:30 p.m.: Get home, shower, eat dinner.
7:00 p.m.: Homework, homework, homework! I usually use the Pomodoro method (twenty-five minute of intense focus, then a five-minute break). I also make sure to check my email during this time, as it might be important for tomorrow.
9:00 p.m.: Done with homework! I can relax a little bit by chatting with my family or curling up with my cat.
9:45 p.m.: I brush my teeth, get ready for bed, and pack my bag for the next day. This way, I can sleep soundly knowing everything is ready to go.
10:00 p.m.: Zzzzz…

High School Schedule, Sophomore Year

Lillian

6:45 a.m.: I slowly wake up and get ready for school.
7:30 a.m.: Head to the bus stop, then take the train.
8:15 a.m.: Arrive at school.
8:30–9:55 a.m.: Classes.
10:00–10:20 a.m.: Announcements/snack.
10:25 a.m.–12:35 p.m.: Classes.
12:40–1:15 p.m.: Lunch in the cafeteria (aka Cafegymnatorium).
1:20–2:45 p.m.: Classes.
3:15– 5:30 p.m.: Soccer or rock climbing, depending on the season.
5:45 p.m.: Get home, have a snack.
6:00–7:00 p.m.: Homework.
7:00–7:30 p.m.: Dinner.
7:30–9:30ish p.m.: More homework (this can differ every day depending on how many study halls I have).
9:30 p.m.: Hangout, play guitar, call with friends, or read.
10:30 p.m.: Pack my bag for the next day, then go to sleep!

Arjun

6:50 a.m.: My alarm goes off, and I snooze it twice to eventually get up by 7:00 a.m.
7:50 a.m.: I shower, eat a hearty breakfast, and leave the house for school.
8:00 a.m.: I reach school from my ten-minute walking commute. (I'm lucky to live so close to the school!)
8:30 a.m.: Classes start.
10:00 a.m.: Head off to recess, sometimes to make an announcement to the school, sometimes to play Ping-Pong with friends afterwards.
12:30 p.m.: I have lunch with my friends…and play more Ping-Pong.
2:45 p.m.: Classes finish up, I go back home, get changed, and head to the gym.
3:30 p.m.: Workout time; depending on the day I do upper body, leg day, or pad work for boxing.
5:00 p.m.: I get home, eat a snack, and get some homework done
6:30 p.m.: I take a break from homework and have some dinner.
7:00 p.m.: I get back to homework, usually staggering subjects based on how I'm feeling. Usually it's toward math and away from that pending English essay…
8:00 p.m.: I finish up homework and work on my coaching license. It's always been my dream to be a football (aka soccer) manager. Or I might work on my documentary.
9:00 p.m.: I start to relax, watch some TV with my mom, or play some FIFA with my brother.
10:15 p.m.: I head to bed after washing my face and brushing my teeth.

Watch: A Day in the Life with Arjun ’24

Hanna

6:30 a.m.: Wake up to my alarm…but hit the snooze button.
7:00 a.m.: Jump out of bed and get ready.
7:45 a.m.: Eat breakfast.
8:00 a.m.: On the way to school.
8:30 a.m.: Classes start.
12:30 p.m.: I might go out for lunch with friends.
3:15 p.m.: Fitness at the YMCA!
4:30 p.m.: Walk home enjoying the sunset.
4:45 p.m.: Take my dog for a walk.
5:30 p.m.: Start homework.
7:00 p.m.: Dinner.
7:30 p.m.: Hangout with family.
9:00 p.m.: Finish up homework.
10:30 p.m.: Text friends and get ready for bed.
11:30 p.m.: Sleep!

High School Schedule, Junior Year

Kendall

7:00 a.m.(ish): My hungry cats wake me up, which gets me out of bed quickly!
7:10 a.m.: I look at my schedule and make sure that all the binders, homeworks, and various materials that I’ll need for the day are in my bag.
7:25 a.m.: Head to the kitchen to eat breakfast and hang out with my brother.
7:40 a.m.: I leave my house and take the Green Line into school. Most days I’ll run into other Commonwealth students on the T, which almost always leads to great conversations that take up the whole ride.
8:20 a.m.: Considering all the ways that public transportation can go astray, I usually get to school around 8:20, which gives me some time to chat with friends before classes start. Commonwealth follows a weekly schedule that differs for each day of the week, which is a really nice medium between being able to remember my classes and not be stuck in a monotonous routine every day!
8:30 a.m.: Off to Bio 2. We usually spend the first bit of class going over the homework before diving into a lecture on new topics.
9:15 a.m.: English is next and is always filled with lively discussion about the poems, short stories, or texts that we’ve been reading each night. Right now, that’s Hamlet.
10:00 a.m.: Recess announcements. Depending on my mood I’ll grab some oatmeal or a cup of tea and head to my recess room to hear about what’s happening in the community that day.
10:25 a.m.: On to one of my favorite classes, The Art and Science of Materials. This class is taught by our Chemistry teacher [Mr. Wolff] and our Ceramics/Sculpture teacher [Ms. Toomey], and investigates the dynamic intersection between art, science, and experimentation.
11:10 a.m.: Free period! During frees I’ll either hang out with friends in the building or around Boston, do homework that I want to get a head start on, or sit in on any class that seems interesting.
11:55 a.m.: Head to Spanish. In class, we’ve been discussing and analyzing Spanish literature from the fifteenth century to the seventeenth century while considering the historical context of each piece.
12:40 p.m.: Lunch! Depending on the day I’ll either find a room to hang out in with friends or check out one of the clubs that is meeting.
1:20 p.m.: Next is my Anatomy and Physiology class. Each week consists of lectures that set us up for either a lab or dissection during our double-block periods later on in the week.
2:05 p.m.: My last class of the day is Calculus, where we take the tools we’ve learned during lectures to solve complex problems. Lately we’ve been focusing on math that touches some aspect of our daily lives, which has turned problems that can occasionally feel somewhat distant into something much more tangible and exciting to solve.
2:45 p.m.: After classes end, I get ready for my Commonwealth sport; right now that’s Winter Running! After I get changed, I meet up with some other students, and we jog over to the Esplanade for a chill, social run.
4:30 p.m.: Finally home!
4:45 p.m.: After a quick shower it’s time to start working on my homework.
7:15 p.m.: Family dinner!
8:30 p.m.: Back up to work. The amount of homework I have each night can differ slightly depending on how much I was able to do during the day, which classes I had, and how much I procrastinated, but generally I don’t have too much left to do.
9:00 p.m.: Quick call with friends before reading for a bit and then going to sleep.

Related: Explore Student Life

High School Schedule, Senior Year

Hanming

6:30 a.m.: I’ll wake up, brush my teeth, eat breakfast, etc.
7:00 a.m.: Leave the house and get driven to the train station
7:13 a.m.: The scheduled time of my train. During the commute I’ll do some reading or just listen to music and relax
8:00 a.m.: Arrive at school. I have thirty minutes to do homework if needed, or I’ll just talk to friends in the Dartmouth Lobby or catch up on today’s news.
8:30 a.m.: Physics 2
9:15 a.m.: English 12
10:00 a.m.: Recess. Before announcements start, I'll grab a quick snack and chat with friends.
10:25 a.m.: I have two free periods in a row; if I have homework, I’ll work on that. Sometimes I’ll go on a run to Newbury Street to get some snacks or just use the time to relax (maybe even take a nap).
11:55 a.m.: Theoretical Calculus
12:40 p.m.: Lunch, which I typically eat at school. Our kitchen staff are great. Sometimes I’ll go to a club meeting as well, such as Math Team or Philosophy Club.
1:20 p.m.: French 4 Conversation or Senior Seminar
2:45 p.m.: School day ends, and I have a little grace period to relax and take everything in before I head off to sports.
3:30 p.m.: Sports if it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. Currently, my selected sport is badminton at the YMCA. In the fall, I chose to play on our soccer team.
4:30 p.m.: Sports end, and I’ll take the train back home with some friends, talking about what happened during the day or just catching up.
5:40 p.m.: Arrive home. I’ll shower, chill for a bit, and then it’ll be time for dinner.
7:00 p.m.: Start homework. The length depends on the day, but it’s usually two to three hours of homework each night.
9:00 p.m.: After I finish homework, I’ll relax, watch some Netflix, or play video games.
10:00 p.m.: Wash up, get ready for bed, and pack my bag for the next day.
10:30 p.m.: Sleep.

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