Study hall was made for students to work on homework, classwork, or even make up assignments. But what about students who have jobs, programs, or internships?
Juniors and seniors are more likely than lowerclassmen to attend after-school activities, but with mandatory study hall, some students may find this new schedule difficult. Those who have tried to switch out of study hall are told the only way is a free sixth and seventh period, which is unlikely for busy juniors and many rigorous seniors.
The lack of flexibility puts students juggling jobs, internships, or extracurricular activities in a difficult position, since some internships only offer certain hours and may not accommodate students’ busy schedules. Students who rely on extracurriculars could end up falling behind.
“I think it is completely unnecessary,” says Senior Emiliano Barrera. “It’s an extra 35 minutes at the end of school for a class that is completely ungraded.”
When asked what restrictions he faced from study hall, he explained, “I have a job that requires me to get there on time, and that time falls in the same time as the study hall schedule, so I can’t go because the school is stubborn about letting people drop it.”
The school also implemented a rule to prevent students from leaving their study hall to make up assignments in other classes. Therefore, students lose flexibility to use their time in study hall, even when they are trying to seek help from other teachers.
This new policy also makes it difficult for students with upper campus, since it takes about 15 minutes to get there. Because of how short the study hall period is, students may not finish all their assignments. Furthermore, with this “no leaving” rule, some students won’t be able to reach their classes on the other campus, making it hard to meet with teachers, advisors, and counselors. As a result, students end up missing their lunches or other class periods to make up these assignments.
Although study hall could be useful for underclassmen, it doesn’t seem like the staff and the school have been using it to its full potential. While study hall gives students the choice to study, do homework, or chat with friends, many upperclassmen see it differently: a burden that restricts the 35 minutes they could put toward after-school activities.