By Nick Gallo

Westborough High students would benefit from the implementation of a study hall. As a WHS student I witness the kind of stress put on my friends, and everyone around me on a day to day basis. Between the time spent on sports or extracurriculars, and homework, students have little to no time to themselves. A one hour study hall would give students time to start their homework before school ends, and give them time to study for upcoming exams. It would also reduce the average workload a student receives each day because it would replace one class, similar to the seven day rotation.

Almost all of Westborough surrounding district high schools have a study hall, or something very similar. So why doesn’t Westborough? Implementing a study hall would have  positive effects on students’ mental health. It would make school less stressful, and give students a well deserved break during the school day. Students who participate in sports and other time demanding extracurriculars, such as theater, may spend several hours a day practicing or performing. On top of this they may have several hours of homework, leaving almost no time for themselves. For example when the WHS boys lacrosse team has a game in groton, they leave the school at around 2:30 p.m, and don’t return until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. If one of these athletes had say three hours of homework (highly possible), they would be up until 1:00 a.m. finishing school work. Only to have to wake up five hours later to repeat the process, this is not only grueling on their bodies, but on their minds. A one hour study hall would allow these athletes and others alike, to get a jumpstart on their homework. This would reduce the time they had to spend later, and allow them to go to bed earlier. Study halls would ultimately result in a happier student body. And for this reason, WHS needs to implement a study hall into the schedule.