From a young age, kids are given the responsibility of homework. As a young child, doing homework gives children things to do after school, such as looking forward to the next day when they are given the chance to review, revise and check with peers about their work. As these kids get older, they have more and more responsibility with homework through hours and hours of it. Along with this homework, they are also finding interests of their own through sports, clubs, or any other extra curricular activity that splits their time between school and activities. As they excel into adolescence, more school is missed and shoved to the side, leaving it to be done as late as 9 at night. That, in turn, affects their performance the next day.

What if there was required time allotted in the day to work on the missing assignments, or other homework due throughout the week?

An answer to this question is having a study hall that is required for all students. Study halls have been proven to help student’s GPA, and relieve stress that is created inside of school.

According to an article titled, “I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Study Hall”, “A great way to eliminate stress is through adding a study hall period,” says Sophia Crowder, the writer of the article. “Study hall can improve GPA and eliminate stress levels in kids.”.

Not convinced yet? A study was done by ERIC.com, with students that have study halls, and ones that do not. The study was conducted with two groups: Group A, a study hall with five subjects, and Group B, a study hall with one subject. The conclusion of the experiment was that in having a period for study hall, homework completion was raised tremendously, with only 8% of the assignments not being completed.

“Results show with the presence of a study hall, students are more inclined to get their work done, which may increase the student’s understanding.” The article says, “Educators should consider study halls to be a beneficial time for students who frequently do not complete their homework.”

Many schools in the United States are starting to adopt this concept of having study halls, which are improving grades and homework turn in rates immensely. But, study halls are not just used for studying. Many students are using them as a mental health break, and it’s working.

“There aren’t many problems with allowing naps during study hall. Aside from the possibility of loud snoring disrupting other student studies,” Erik Warner says, the writer of the article, “Should Students Sleep in Study Hall?” “After all, a good nap can mean the difference between a snarling behemoth of a sleep deprived athlete, or a student who stayed up all night studying and a happy alert person.”

Lots of benefits come out from study halls. As an athlete all school year, missing school and staying up late catching up on assignments is a regular thing for me. Having a study hall would help not just me, but a lot of my peers and teammates that are also athletes and in clubs, who require lots of time out of school during the day and at night. Being able to recognize that many students need study halls and how to make them available for all students will help shape our student body as a whole to be better students, student athletes, as well as peers to the people around them.