At 7:30 PM, the scheduled study routine begins promptly for all freshmen and new students in the dining hall. Sitting in assigned seats, working in silence or in a whisper, Webb students are expected to productively utilize the next 90 minutes for homework. 

The newly implemented mandatory study hall for all boarding freshmen and new boarding students in the 2025-2026 school year is a restoration of the original policies present prior to COVID-19 at Webb. This required work period aims to help students build and reinforce beneficial study habits, consequently easing students into the academic life at Webb. 

“[Study hall] is a way to acclimate [new students] to our community and to build good study habits, particularly our boarding students, because for some of them, this is the first time away from home,” said Nina Butler-Roberts, Webb’s director of studies and science faculty. “We want to make sure that we set everybody up for success early on.” 

To ensure students are equipped with the necessary organizational, skills, discipline, and work ethic, attendance for study hall is mandatory during the first semester for all boarding freshmen and the first quarter for all new transfer students. Those attending are expected to bring all necessary materials to work independently and silently from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM.   

“I find study hall to be productive,” said Brielle Stodghill (‘29), a day-student freshman. “My family can be kind of loud, so I focus better when I am in a quite space with other people who are also focused on their work.” 

Although the designated study hall time is meant to help new students get ahead with work and cultivate a focused environment, many students experience the opposite.  

“It is distracting when people walk by, look inside, and wave at me through the dining hall window,” said Quinton Chang (‘27), a new transfer student to the junior class. “There is always someone moving around, talking, or getting water, and that prevents me from focusing on my work.” 

The environment of the dining hall is, unfortunately, not air-conditioned and prone to frequent distractions. Nevertheless, this community space is one of the only areas capable of hosting so many students. 

“I will be studying in my room and locking in at my desk, but then I’ll have to pack up everything to move to the dining hall,” Madison Muhammad (‘29) said. “It’s hot and uncomfortable, and the dining hall can be hard to focus.” 

Beyond the distraction from the surroundings, students have also expressed dislike for the implemented seating and group work rules. When students arrive at study hall, they are assigned seating based on dorms. This way, students are encouraged to avoid talking with friends and actually focus on work.  

“It is actually intended to, in some ways, replicate what would occur in your own room,” Mrs. Butler-Roberts said. “You wouldn’t necessarily be hanging out with your best friends in your room; you’d be studying independently.”  

While study hall attempts to build a quiet, independent space for students to focus on work, some students still find ways to socialize. As a result, students are stuck in a predicament: those who want to socialize are not fully able to because of the discouraging environment while those who want to work independently are distracted by the conversations going on around them. 

“I think students will be more focused in their own rooms because in study hall, they’re with friends,” said Kevin Baeg (‘28), a new transfer student to the sophomore class who finds the study hall conversations around him to be distracting. “So, there might be some conversations, which are not helpful for their academics.” 

Additionally, many boarding students view study hall as unfair, especially as day students are only required to attend study hall if they are on campus past 7:30 PM. For this reason, most day students slip off campus to avoid the proctored time entirely. On most nights, only two or three day students attend study hall.  

New student transfers are especially discontented about these issues with study hall. 

“I’ve been [in] boarding school for three years,” Quinton said. “I think a lot of the juniors do not need help studying, and there’s no reason for us to be in study hall.” 

Transfer students often have already built study habits and would work better in an environment such as academic labs, where they can get help from their peers. These students also tend to have more group projects and collaborative work because of Webb’s academic model that are discouraged during study hall.  

The Dean’s Office responded to the junior transfers, open to accommodating students when they expressed their opinions with valid concerns.  

Two weeks later, all four boarding junior transfers were excused from study hall. The release was related to the students’ performance in class based on progress reports.  

“After emailing Dean Lantz and Ms. Butler-Roberts, we were told that we could be excused from study hall once progress reports come out,” Quinton said. “Now, since all of us did well academically [on this progress report], we are now free to use [study hall] time however we want, just like the other juniors.” 

Additionally, the Deans’ Office has expressed openness to other accommodations as well. This includes implementing possible opportunities for students in study hall to seek help from teachers and peers during academic labs and addressing concerns regarding environmental distractions.  

“We’re still trying to establish routines that don’t derail what we’re trying to accomplish,” Mrs. Butler-Roberts said. “It’s still a work in progress—that’s why we’re taking feedback from the kids to figure that out.” 

With the dismissal of junior transfers from study hall, Webb has demonstrated a true interest in creating an optimal learning environment through a willingness to accommodate student needs. Webb encourages students not to be afraid to communicate their concerns, especially when everyone shares the same end goal: creating a productive academic work environment.