Marist High School has gone through many schedule changes in the past couple of years. We have had three different schedules in my first three years at the school. One thing I liked about my freshman year was having a study hall. I experienced a decrease in my stress levels and an improvement in my grades. I asked 32 students, eight from each level, the following questions:
1. What would you use study hall time for?
2. How would having a study hall affect your stress levels in school?
3. How would having a study hall affect your stress levels at home?
4. What benefits have you experienced from study halls at Marist? (Asked if students were seniors or juniors)
5. Would you like to have weekly study halls at Marist? Why?
Here is what I found out:
● 28 students would use a study hall primarily for doing homework, schoolwork, and studying.
● 24 students said having a study hall would be a de-stressing period because they would not have to take notes. They could watch a movie or play games if they had no work.
● 25 students said that their stress levels would be lower at home. They’d know they have some extra time in school to finish homework.
● 10 upperclassmen mentioned that their grades improved when they had study halls throughout the week.
● 13 upperclassmen mentioned that they experienced lower stress levels at home, school or both when they had study halls throughout the week.
● 24 students said they would like to have a few study hall periods each week, with the main reason being that it would give them extra time to get schoolwork and other important tasks done. The next most-popular reason is that it would be a time to de-stress and relax during a stressful school day.
● On the contrary, eight students said they would not like to have study halls throughout the week. These students were concerned about the period that would be taken up instead of their favorite classes or electives. They were also concerned about making the schedule more difficult to remember.
75% of the students I interviewed said they would like a study hall integrated into the Marist schedule a few times per week. This period would be a time to complete schoolwork and study, but it would also be a time for students to de- stress. This study hall would have benefits outside of school as well. 87.5% of kids said they would use a study hall primarily for doing schoolwork and if they do as they said, they would have 41 fewer minutes of homework each night. Less homework leads to a clearer conscience after school. Adding a study hall multiple times per week would have in-school and at-home benefits.
Mark Coffey (2026)- “If I had a study hall, my stress level at school and at home would drop immediately.”
Declan McNamara (2025)- “Having a study hall would give me a chance to get most of my U.S History homework done in school, and would let me spend more time on math.”
Ella Knapczyk (2025)- “I have missing work in some classes, and if I had study hall time to do my homework, I wouldn't have any missing work.
Colleen Dowd (2025)- “I would have less stress at home every day if I was able to study and finish up homework at school with a study hall.”
Harry Doyle- “I don’t want to do any homework when I get home, so a study hall would help me get work done in school.”
Molly Murphy (2025) – “Having a study hall would allow me to take a needed break from the stress of school and let me get ahead in classes where the work is published before the day of. On normal days, I would do schoolwork. On stressful days, I would watch a movie or play a game on my iPad.”
Mikey Rivera (2024) – “A study hall was a benefit to students not only in the classroom, but an overall benefit to their mental health by allowing us to finish homework, take a nap, or just take time to clear their head”
