This school year, many students have decided to take challenging classes to add to and enhance their resumes. However, with the new year comes changes to the school’s study hall policy. This includes limiting study hall hours to just periods one, two, six and seven, as well as denying incoming freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to take a study hall altogether.
Science teacher Mark Miller said when it comes to study halls, adjusting to less breaks and managing added coursework can be challenging at first. He said students will benefit in the long run and avoid issues like credit recovery that often result from misused study halls.
“I agree that (limiting study halls) is a bit of an adjustment as far as time management, but I think that once (students) get in the swing of things, it will benefit them in the end as long as they can handle the added coursework,” Miller said. “There is not as much downtime, but I think it will be a good thing in the end, and they don’t have to worry about the credit recovery that happens for juniors and seniors who have traditionally abused study halls.”
According to junior Evan Eitriem, having a study hall is helpful because it allows students with other commitments, such as sports, to find a time to complete their work. According to him, having a study hall means students can avoid staying up late after school to meet deadlines.
“I play a lot of sports, so having a study hall is useful to me. Not having a study hall can mean that you spend a lot more time at home (doing homework) when you should be relaxing and getting sleep,” Eitriem said. “A lot of people have to stay up late at night because they have to do homework, and if you have something like a study hall, you can spend more time getting work done.”
Freshman Pacey Angier said he has a study hall because he is participating in the University of Minnesota’s Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP). He said while freshman year isn’t too demanding, having a study hall is still helpful.
“I have a study hall, and it’s because I’m taking UMTYMP. I don’t think you get too much work in freshman year, but it can be nice too (due to added coursework),” Angiers said.
Miller said study halls can be used in different ways depending on the student. He said some use the time productively with teacher support, while others use it to relax and socialize. According to him, study halls can either help or hinder students academically, depending on the individual.
“I’ve seen study halls used in many ways. There are some students who thrive in a study hall setting and use the teacher as a resource,” Miller said. “Then there are some who prefer just to come, give themselves a mental break and connect with their friends. I’ve seen it benefits students and I’ve seen it not benefit students academically.”
According to Eitriem, he was not aware of the decision the school had made at all. He said students should be included in important decisions in the school and should be more open when informing students.
“I was not informed of the decision at all, so I feel like people like me aren’t even being told about it; that’s a big deal. People should be told more about this in their classes,” Eitriem said. “For example, students should be told in the first period, or at least the day before in a seventh period, when something big happening to the schedules,” Eitreim said.
According to Angier, the new study hall adjustments add unwanted pressure. He said he prefers having dedicated time to finish homework, separate from school hours.
“(The changes to the study hall schedule) add unnecessary stress. I personally like having a time when I can just get my work done, not in or not out of school,” Angier said.
According to Miller, for incoming freshmen and sophomores, not having a study hall can encourage them to use the school-based resources around them, like their counselor, when they have questions about classes and course changes. He said getting rid of the study halls also allows freshmen and sophomores to have enough credits to graduate without having to make up certain credits as a senior or junior.
“Especially in 9th grade and 10th grade, I think it’s really beneficial for students to use the resources of their counselor to help guide them, get them in the right classes, and get them on track for graduation,” Miller said.
Eitriem said that now, after the changes to study halls have been implemented, freshmen and sophomores could have a planner or calendar to better schedule time for getting schoolwork done.
“I would recommend creating a planner or using a calendar to make sure you know all of your due dates (for) homework, the days you should be studying, and test dates. Knowing (when) everything (is for school assignments) is super useful, (and) helps improve time management and getting all your work done on time,” Eitriem said.
