# Why this stupid new fire drill method at school?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 14, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231 "2011-09-14T01:39:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2011, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-this-stupid-new-fire-drill-method-at-school/596231/101 "2011-09-18T20:15:49Z")

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> [@SciFiSam](#):
>
> Wouldn’t that mean you could only take 5 or 6 subjects a year? That’s a bit limiting. Or do the subjects change each semester?

Some are full year classes, others are half. My math, science, history, foreign language, and PE classes were full-year, five days a week. We took 2 half-year English classes each year from 10-12 grades (9th grade English was full-year) that we got to choose the subject of, from English or Brit lit to creative writing and journalism classes, so everyone ended up taking seven different English classes over 4 years.

Health, art, music, home ec, shop and so on were each half-year classes, and you took as many as required for graduation -some could be avoided as you had take art _or_ shop but could take both - and had study hall if you were finished the requirements and didn’t ask to take an extra elective.

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