A full day of school lasts seven hours and 50 minutes for a student at Troy High School. This is excluding the hours spent on sports, club meetings and the several other commitments that are practically a requirement for a student to prove their worth in the growing competitive school environment. This hectic schedule has prompted many students to suggest a study hall to be incorporated into the school day. I believe there are both advantages and many disadvantages to this idea.

A study hall can allow students to complete assignments early, or time to study for upcoming exams. However, Troy High School’s teachers are pretty accommodating when it comes to class time set aside to catch up on assignments or work days. Usually, the day before a test is allotted as an hour to complete homework or an opportunity to ask questions before test day. Although, many students do not use this time effectively, taking them as free days rather than work days, which is what could end up happening if a study hall is put in place.

The middle schools in the Troy School District have implemented a new system called Student Advisory. Student Advisory lasts one hour every Tuesday after first hour only during a full week of school. Each month the middle schoolers learn about a new topic such as goals, perseverance, kindness and empathy, allowing them to connect with other students through activities. However, several students have complained about the effect it has on their schedule; pushing their lunch times even later and shortening classes by seven to ten minutes.

If a similar system is incorporated into high school schedules, replacing the learning with a time for students to complete homework, study for tests and ask for help, it would cause an unnecessary disruption in schedule timings. Teachers already offer students time to ask them questions before or after school, or even during lunch times and provide work hours. In my experience, several Troy High School teachers are also very generous with allowing students to take a test at a later date if the student has several commitments that cannot be adjusted as long as the teachers are notified prior.

Study hall should not be a mandatory part of every students’ schedule but rather an optional time for students who would like a little more support or time to complete their work. The school already has a similar concept called Academic Support, where students can get tutored for specific subjects whenever they sign up.