For one professor, the idea of a classic study hall with some added incentives could hold a place as a weekly event on a college campus. Most high schools have time set aside for students specifically to study, and after the idea was brought up by a student, Mark Schmidl-Gagne went ahead in planning the event.
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Since the start of the KSC Study Nights four years ago,the number of students who attend the study nights on average is about fifteen, Schmidl-Gagne said. He claimed that while attendance fluctuates, there have been study nights that have had almost thirty students.
A wide variety of majors attend the study nights, as well as students from first-years to seniors. One first-year named Trevor who is an elementary education major started attending the events three weeks ago, and since then has been coming to them consistently. While he said it’s nice to get done what homework he has, he said it is far too early for him to say whether the event has impacted his grade or not.
On the subject of the student’s grade performances, Schmidl-Gagne wasn’t able to say with certainty that the study nights impact students grades directly. While he says that he hopes it helps, it is a hard thing to check up on their performances before and after they attend the events.
Schmidl-Gagne said he has been impressed with the way the students form friendships within the group as well. They form into a community he said, where they help each other form study habits and work together. The students at the study nights also mentioned the fact that they look forward to study nights to see the friends they’ve made there. Schmidl Gagne said there seems to be a correlation with students who get to know those in the school and even faculty, and those students who do tend to stick around and get better grades.
Senior Alexandra Sholtes has been coming to the events all year and said she enjoys the uninterrupted focus time. She is a psychology major and has enjoyed the opportunity to bounce ideas around with others at the study sessions.
Justin Mahan is a journalism major who has also been attending this year. He said he has benefitted from the scheduled time set aside for him to do his homework.
Above all else, students say they enjoy the food as well. Professor Schmidl-Gagne brings in food for them to eat while studying as well. There are even sometimes when others bring in homemade baked goods.
Additionally, there are breaks for trivia at 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. as a fun way to relax. While there may not be any exact or proven correlation to the KSC Study Nights and grade improvement, the event has been successful in people attending and studying.
KSC Study Nights are held once a week on either Monday or Tuesday, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the library.
Lyle Bellamy can be contacted at lbellamy@kscequinox.com
