kjStudy periods are a cornerstone of the senior experience at Hopkinton High School, something that current seniors have been looking forward to since freshman year. Seniors have the option of staying at school, going home, getting food and other activities.

“I love the break it gives us from the daily grind,” senior Ellie Micallef said. 

“Studies are nice. They give me the flexibility to do work or to do other tasks that I need to get done,” David Antaki said. “They also allow me to sleep in a little, which is nice.”

Senior year is stressful with college applications, school, and extracurriculars. So the added break of a study could be considered stress-relieving for some.

Sam McAuliffe said, “There can never be enough of them.”

A large component of senior studies includes privileges, leaving to get or bring back food or drinks with friends. When surveyed, 50% answered that they went to Dunkin’ Donuts, 25% said they went to Starbucks, and 35% of the sample went to Panera.

While studies are fun, they are not very cost effective.

“I’ve been looking forward to leaving school for a while now, but [I have] started to realize that you end up buying stuff for everyone, and sometimes don’t get paid back,” Hannah Murphy said, “Sometimes it’s best to stay and get work done, but having a break during the day is good.”

The following graph is how much during an average week students spend on food or drinks during studies.

Overall, there is a generally positive atmosphere regarding studies.

Senior Ben Nigrosh said “Being able to leave during my studies definitely helps me in different ways throughout my day. If I forget something at home I can go back to get it… It also makes me feel really trusted, like I have this responsibility that the school thinks that I can handle, and I really appreciate that.”