Is a Study Hall Class Beneficial or Just Plain Bogus?

By Shreya Rohatgi

Students at Owasso High School have lately found themselves stressed with their current state of balancing an educational workload with their extracurriculars and personal lives. With the school’s curriculum growing more challenging every year, some students question whether the introduction of a study hall elective could ease the academic tension by offering a much needed relief.

In a recently conducted survey, 90% of on-level and advanced students said they had trouble getting their work done on time. Around 45% of students also admitted that they had skipped one or more classes because of unfinished homework. Though some opinions were divided in the survey, students unanimously agreed that a study hall class would be necessary to properly manage their homework and outside activities. From the student’s perspective, a study hall class is a great option to alleviate the everyday stress of high school. Another proponent for a study hall class was Owasso High School’s College and Career Advisor, Emily Drake. In an interview with Mrs. Drake, she explained,

“I have a lot of concurrent and non-concurrent students that feel really overwhelmed in their classes, and they feel like they don’t have enough time during the day to get the help they need.”

She recommends that it would be beneficial to have a study hall class for students to go and ask the questions or get support from their teachers. Mrs. Drake also mentioned that study hall could be combined with a college prep course, a class that focuses on the best ways to study for post-secondary education. She believes that the introduction of these courses would lower the number of freshmen that drop-out of college. Mrs. Drake stated,

“Having that class, they could come out of high school with a little bit more confidence and they know how to study, prepare myself, and succeed in college.” 

In light of the positive aspects, problems continually become present with the making of a study skills class. With all the students stating that study hall is beneficial, there would need to be a large enough classroom and teacher specifically assigned to that period. According to Mrs. Drake,

“The library would probably be the best place, but you wouldn’t want to push it onto the librarian or take up her library.”

Another location in the school that could fit such a large amount of students would be the cafeteria, however, it would be nearly impossible for only one teacher to make sure students weren’t abusing the privileges during study hall. Multiple teachers would have to sacrifice their planning periods to watch over the large groups of students. The other problem study halls pose is that they require a lot of trust on the students part. While there would be a basis for how students are selected into the class, many students might still use this class period to use their phones or talk with their friends. Moreover, students may choose the more exciting electives over the study hall option, giving a greater importance to enjoyment rather than the reality of managing their schoolwork.

A study hall course could produce major academic success, both in high school and in post-secondary education, but only if the students are willing to take this class seriously. In order to make study hall a productive period, administrators would have to create a solid plan and generate enough interest from dedicated students.