Every new freshman that enters the Upper School at Hackley School gets to experience having free periods and study halls incorporated into their busy schedules.
Every student uses these advantages differently, but not everyone has the same opinions on the matter. Although many students have been thrilled to have a lot of extra free time in their daily school schedules, there are concerns about the extra time.
A few of the most popular activities students use their extra time to do are completing homework, studying for upcoming tests and quizzes, and playing games, and socializing with friends. Every student has about one to three study halls and two to seven free periods depending on the number of minors they enroll in.
According to one student, they preferred frees rather than study halls but still enjoyed having study halls to get work done. The first question asked was if study halls help them get their work done and if so, in what way? The student said, “They help me get a lot of work done because I’m allowed to do work during the day while I’m still in the learning and school mindset as opposed to when I’m at home trying to rest and recover.”
Students can use study halls to get ahead of their big workload with the focused environment of study halls as well as the resources students are available to such as teachers and asking classmates for help. Many students found that study halls helped them to have less homework to do on their often busy weekends.
Another key question directed to the students was about their preference to study halls rather than frees. The consensus on the topic was that students preferred frees rather than study halls as it allowed them to get work done, but also have the freedom to have fun and socialize with their friends.
One student said, “I prefer having frees because I still do my work, but it also allows me to have fun and communicate with my friends as well, instead of having to be in a quiet environment”. Students find having free time to be a positive and beneficial aspect of their schedule, but using them correctly is ultimately the key to success.
