It’s a well known fact that the environment in which one studies must be one that is conducive to studying.  No doubt, this is why the school study hall was put into place.  As the name suggests, study hall is a time period devoted to studying.  Students bring in their books and homework and spend the allotted time studying and doing their homework.  Just how effective is study hall for the study habits of students? Are students really using this time to study or is it just another way for them to socialize with their friends?

Different people have different preferences when it comes to a study environment that is best for them.  Some people like to have complete quiet while others must have some kind of background noise. The setting has a lot to do with the effectiveness of study time.  Forcing students to conform to a single environment for studying might not be the most effective way of getting students to study.  Those students that are not able to study effectively in the study hall setting will not find the time beneficial for them.

When study hall is forced instead of chosen, it can have the opposite effect.  While it is good to have a study time, study habits should be enforced from an early age.  By the time children become teenagers they most likely have developed the habits that work best for them.  Putting them into an environment contrary to the one best for them could work against the purpose of study hall.  It could cause a disruption in the regular study process for some teenagers, as it is a deviation from how they are used to studying.

Study hall is known for becoming a time where students do very little studying and very much socializing.  This is especially true if friends have the same study hall time together.  It’s impossible for teenagers to get any studying done if they are spending time chatting with their friends.  Not only does study hall become ineffective for those who use the time to socialize, it also becomes in effective for those that are not able to study in the midst of distractions.

Attending study hall can be beneficial for some students.  There are those teenagers that are not able to study or complete their homework at home for various reasons.  Perhaps there are other children in the household that prevent a quiet study time.  Or maybe there is no place in the house where effective studying can be completed.  After school activities may not leave enough time for studying to be done at home. There are many reasons that teenagers are sometimes not able to study at home.  Any of these reasons makes study hall a good time for students to complete their homework and study at home.

When there are strictly enforced rules about the study hall environment, it can be an effective tool for teenagers’ study habits.  The rules should specify that each student bring sufficient work to be completed during the study hall time.  Silence comparable to that in a library is necessary so that each student can concentrate on his or her work.  In some instances, mp3 players might be allowed given headphones are used the volume does not disturb others.  Study hall monitors should try to keep the traffic going into and out of the room to a minimum.  It can become disruptive for students to shuffle and move around the room frequently.

Teachers should respect that not every student will be able to study effectively in study hall.  There are some students that will not need to study at all or have completed their homework at some other time.  These students should not be penalized for not studying or having homework during study hall period.  There will also be students that cannot study in the environment that study hall is held.  Since each student studies in a different way, everyone cannot be expected to benefit from the study hall environment.

The effectiveness of study hall for teenagers’ study habits will vary from student to student.  Some students will benefit greatly from study hall while others will find that the time is not beneficial at all.

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