Excerpt from AthletesLTD's Student-Athlete
Style Guide.
Chapter: Academics
Topic: Study Hall and How I Utilized It
By Adam Juratovac
Instagram: @JvacAttack
STUDY HALL:
Colleges and universities have study hall areas within their athletic department that grants student-athletes access to computers, tutors, academic advisors, and writing coaches. Study halls typically have hours that are more expansive than the normal athletic department hours to allow student-athlete access to tutors on the weekends,late at night, and after practice. This tool is one of the most underutilized by student-athletes because participation is often times seen as a punishment rather than a benefit. Many schools require that student-athletes perform a set amount of study hall hours. Typically, study hall is a requirement for incoming freshman, junior college transfers, and current student-athletes whose grade point average has dropped below the athletic department mandated mark. 10-hours a week is common, but as a student-athlete goes through his course study, fewer hours are required as solid study habits are formed.
The only seasoned student-athletes required to attend study hall are the ones who are close to becoming ineligible. This is a waste of a very important resource. Study hall environments are meant to foster education productivity and academic success. There are desks, computers, open spaces, and academic aides whose sole purpose is to assist student-athletes and provide them with a work environment that is conducive to learning. But although these tools are available, they are only useful if they are actually used. Much like a library, when you walk into a study hall you can feel the atmosphere change to one that is meant for learning and studying. This is a valuable feeling to be aware of because getting yourself mentally prepared to perform academically is just as important as physical preparedness athletically.
Time is money. With a travel and workout schedule of a student-athlete it’s important to utilize your time and take advantage of the opportunities you have to get ahead. In a last minute deadline situation, a traditional student may be able to pull an all-nighter and sleep the following day. That luxury is not afforded to a student-athlete who needs to follow her workout, training, and travel schedule. Use your time effectively. Utilizing the entire time scheduled for studying is important because it allows you to get ahead, prepare, and schedule out your week.
HOW I USED STUDY HALL:
When I was a freshman, I had to go to study hall for 10 hours a week which came out to 2 hours a day, Sunday through Thursday. I put myself in the mindset of “if I have to be here, I’ll get my work done.” With that focus, I found a quiet table, wrote down a list of things I had to complete, and started to power through my homework for the following day. That process lasted approximately 1.5 hours which allowed me 30 minutes to socialize. However, socializing only felt productive for so long before I realized that by having a two hour block allotted to study hall gave me an excuse to work on homework for 2 hours.
That realization allowed me to spend that last 30 minutes on homework I had due later on in the week, or to start researching potential projects and essays that I had in other classes. I quickly learned that spending that last 30 minutes on getting ahead saved me from a lot of stress trying to “catch up.”