What time was the earliest you've ever had to begin the school year? If you can't remember what exact day you can be less specific than that. Did you think it was a good thing for you to start that early?

My earliest first day of school was on August 20th many years ago. I thought that was too early but now I know that isn't so bad. That's around the time I usually start which I think is a good thing. Because of it I finish my school year in the beginning of June!

I have always started in September. Instead of making the year longer,or inconveniencing people,scrap the system and start over.

Back in the day it was like always Sept we never started school earlier than that really. It was a set mind for the teachers to always have on for reasons I am not so sure about. All I know is that, we always had started going back to school in Sept. The dates changed like sometimes it was early we went back, but most of the time we started late can't remember the date though since this was so long ago. That's all I can remember sadly.

Oldschool777 : It makes sense for people in the U.S. to start school after Labor Day weekend, but I still don't want to do that because then my school year would be longer. I hope school years don't ever get longer, 180 days is about half a year which is quite a bit.

Believe it or not buddy,the US has one of the shortest school years out there. I remember seeing a chart in my youth and other countries have a far longer year than we do. And if you are attending school in Japan,you go half a day on Saturday.

Here in Canada school always starts the Tuesday after Labour Day, which is the first Monday of September. So the earliest school could start would be September 2.

That actually happened my first year of high school. The early start sucked for a lot of people, but the next year we started the latest we possibly could- September 8.

Eniitan : It's fine that it's all you remember. Yeah I've heard that it used to be that everyone started in September but I'm not sure why that changed. I'm OK with the way it is though

Oldschool777 : Oh wow! I didn't know other countries had it longer but I should have figured that. At least they have only half a day on Saturday but there are likely many students who don't show up that day.

IStillSeeTheX : Early starts to the school year are rough, same with starting school in general.

Pacman+Mariofan : Personally for me? I liked how it was I mean it wouldn't make sense to do it in august that's holiday period for everyone. So doing it in Sept was good way to show things and stopping at the right time for holidays. Like for instance Christmas time you don't go to school for most of the Dec and go in for half of the dec month. It would depend on when you would finish thought early or late.

Eniitan : I think schools are still doing the holiday breaks really well. Me and people I know from other schools get half a week off on Thanksgiving Break. That isn't much but the next break is a month after that and we shouldn't have too much time off or we might have to end the school year later. It also wouldn't be fun to cram even more assignments/projects in before break and after.

Usually I get a 2-week break for winter break which is the longest break I have, for the most important holiday in my family, Christmas.

Pacman+Mariofan : I can see things have changed in a way from how things were back in the day. Looks like its worked more to keep a better structure of things, and how holidays come and go. Which I think....is understandable in a way. But who am I to judge? I may have my own opinions about it, but people who work for the school boarders to make things more efficient do what they can to help. '-'

Actually in Japan,that is required for them. It is a 5 1/2 day school week for them. I think their school year is about 230 days.

For me, school always start on the last Monday of August. It never starts later, and it never starts earlier. It will always be the last Monday of August, so for me, the earliest I have started was August 25th.

Also, as far as complaining about 180 days being too much, there are countries that have longer school days. I recall when I was younger learning about a country that had school almost every day in the year (but then, the school day wasn't as long as a school day in the US, so yeah). Also, everything Oldschool has said about Japan, not to mention their school year starts in April and ends in March the following year (but they do have two or three breaks, so it isn't like they're going to school everyday).

Scotland's schools start in 2 weeks funnily enough. Primary and High school always start on August and the earliest I have started school was August 22nd. College and University (University is what you guys would consider college level. College here is lower than that) start in Early September (depending on the course you do). They are some courses in college that start in January as well.

Primary and High school
August-October-1st term (2 week break in October)
October-December-2nd term (2 week break that starts in December and ends in January)
January-April-3rd Term (2 week break in April before the exams start)
April-July-4th term (6 week break summer holidays however every four years we get an extra week off)


College and University is different as it really depends on what course and if it is part-time or full-time.

Personally I am fine with the way things are. Yeah it somewhat sucked that 2nd term didn't end until 23rd December but I really shouldn't complain as Japan,China and South Korea sounds more brutal from what I have seen (China and Korea is all rote learning and that is really boring).

I always start school in August. And get out of school in May. I think the earliest I've gone back to school is the 11th or something. I've stayed with the same district for my whole life so it never really changes that drastically :p.

Getting out at June sounds torturous to me DX. Maybe that's just me being spoiled, but I've just never really gone to school in June.

I think the earliest I've started school was August 5th. I don't know if our county/district has a certain day we start school each year, but we usually start sometime around the 10th of August. We usually get out for Winter Break around the 15th of December and then we get out of school for Summer Break around the 20th of May. 

AriaAngelDream : This year I start on the 25th. I think that's the latest I've ever started. I'd rather have longer school days than more school days so I'm glad I have it better.

ZeeTee : Many people I know don't like having to get out of school in June. It was kind of funny getting out of school on June 1st this year, immediately after Memorial Day weekend. Wow, beginning on the 11th is really early but it's worth getting out earlier.

RDay13 : I'd really like to be done with school that early or at least before Memorial Day weekend. This year I went on a trip for that weekend and came back for my last day of school, which was pretty weird.

I've never started school in August. I don't remember the exact day, but it should be mid September at its earliest. Of course, starting this late, we end in mid June, though people who don't pass exams have an even longer schedule, sometimes leading to July.

It's true that the last weeks of school are under conditions of high heat and it's hard to concentrate, but hey, the heat is at its worst in August so it would be very hard to start school at this time. I prefer hard conditions when we're almost done rather than when we're re-adapting to the scholar schedule.

It should be noted that the last year of school (I think it's 12th grade for the majority of you) ends in May, but only because the exams to access university are in June and thus we need some time off before those exams. We still started that year in September, with a totally different schedule (from 8 AM to 2 PM, when in earlier years we started at 9 AM and only had two days without afternoon classes), so the pace of this year was noticeably higher than the others. 

Oh gosh, I graduated back in 2012 so it's been a while since I've had to think of this. I believe when I was in school, we started around mid to late August. I guess that isn't to bad, now that I think about it.

   Well I leave school on the last day of June (For now, since it depends on what Year you are you in... why 12th year students!!!) since its mostly based on experience and I guess that our teachers miss us and care for us they said, (if you care for us, why are making us stay longer :/). So for that I start summer on the first day of July (woo), lasting about 2 months and I guess I start school on the last few days of August, in which to be honest feels kind of short in my opinion, however its really explanation/guide to the school for the first year students of my school so if you exclude that then the first of September I guess?

EX Palen : Good point, I'd rather have tough conditions at the end of the school year too.

Gothika : Yeah that isn't too bad, I think starting school at the beginning of August is crazy but the middle of August is fine.

VizzedGuy111 : That seems short for me too, I start school after mid-August after getting out of school on the first day of June.