Every day at school, I drink two to three 24-ounce bottles of water. This seems like it wouldn’t be an issue; in fact, it would be the opposite, because we all know that drinking water is good for our health.

Until I have to ask a teacher to go to the bathroom, and they say I can’t.

Teachers who do this, I ask you, how would you feel if you had to wait for over an hour to pee just because someone wouldn’t let you leave the room? Would you be able to focus on a worksheet while your bladder complains about how much it needs to be emptied? I think not. And bathroom passes? Ridiculous. Students should not get extra credit for drinking less water. Some students just like to stay hydrated, okay?

So when teachers tell me that I’m allowed to go to the bathroom whenever I need to, I welcome that change. It’s so nice to be able to take care of myself without needing to ask a teacher’s permission. I’m much more productive when I am able to use the restroom freely.

As a junior, I can tell you that most teachers allow upperclassmen more freedom to take care of their personal needs without having to ask. When teachers do this, it shows that they not only trust me to be responsible for myself and my needs, they expect that I have this responsibility.  Independence is important for sixteen-year-olds—even if it’s just the independence to go to the bathroom when we need to.

So thank you, teachers, for allowing us the freedom of using the bathroom. Thank you for trusting us to use that freedom wisely.  Thank you for giving us independence to take care of ourselves, and, above all, thank you for being reasonable and dropping the idea of bathroom passes.

Hey, I just like to stay hydrated.