Free: (adj): enjoying personal rights or liberty

With this definition, free time is a daunting prospect for many students, especially when you only get a limited amount of it. How can you make every second of that sweet hour count? You have so many things to do that fall under enjoyment of your own, uninterrupted time. Do you like to do homework and study and put yourself ahead of the game in terms of that night’s workload? Do you think more immediate and work on things for the next class? Or do you choose to spend this time relaxing: getting something to eat, spending time with friends, playing games at Reed, practicing for sports, or retreating back to your dorm room?

Every student at Williston has at least one free period. Ms. Evelti (Assistant Academic Dean) was one of the people who helped create the new academic schedule last year. “Free periods give students the opportunity to take care of a variety of needs and obligations during the academic day” she said. Ms. Evelti recommends using free periods for academic purposes such as “visiting the Writing or Math Resource Center, meeting a teacher for extra help, collaborating with group members on a project, or spending time completing homework”, although she understands that many students also need the time to relax and take a break. “While spending this time academically focused is an important component of managing a student’s workload, free periods can also provide some time to rejuvenate and prepare students to be at their best for later classes and commitments. Taking a walk, having a snack, or calling home are also great ways for students to take care of themselves and recharge”, she added.

A poll was sent asking upper school students to submit feedback about their free periods, and over 80 responses were collected. Students concluded that the lunch period from noon until 1:30 pm was the best time for a free period to occur. Both the first and last periods tied for second place. “First period (is best) because it allows you to study for tests before they happen” explains Teddy Wolfe, a sophomore. Another mentioned perk by students was coming in late and sleeping in before classes start. Last period was popular because of the long stretch it creates between classes and athletics.

What if you need to study? Williston offers many different options ranging from the dining hall, to the Reed Campus Center, to the Library. The most recommended was the library with over 50 votes. It offers a quiet, concentrated work space. The library also offers the Writing Center and is a great spot to conduct research. Going back to your dorm room for boarders has also been proven productive and recommended by the students.

The favorite place to spend free periods on campus was the library as well. Going back to your dorm and heading to the Stu Bop were close behind it. Freshman Cam Ward agrees with this. “Well, if you are planning on doing homework, probably the library” he decided. “If you are just planning on messing around, come here in Reed”.

“In the Stu Bop you can hang out with your friends and in your room it is comfy and you get to do whatever you want” added Ryan Jeong, sophomore. He judges which place to go like many other students—It is dependent on the amount of work you want to accomplish and how much time you have to get done.

No matter what you are doing, many people like to do it as a group. So where can you all go that will be comfortable and a focused space for more than one person? Although the Stu Bop reigned highest in this category, spending time outside on the quad or at the Dining Hall came in second and third. For a study group, Natalie Richard (freshman) recommends the Dining Hall. “You can study at a big table and they have food. Food is big for me.” She said. “It’s helpful to study”. She was not alone with this last remark. Other people mentioned Tandem, Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, or somewhere else in town as the ideal place.
Now that you have all these places to go, the question is down to what you want to do. Roughly a third of the students who responded said they get a head start on their homework for the night, while a quarter of the respondents take the time to finish homework due later that day they didn’t complete the previous night. Studying, spending time with friends, going someplace to eat, relaxing, sleeping, playing basketball, and heading to the photo lab made up a little less of half of the responses. “Sometimes I do homework, sometimes I just sit here, (and) sometimes I play games in Reed” shares Cam Ward, who spends his free periods in various ways.
When you have a free period, keep in mind what you want to accomplish during this hour and make sure to choose where and what accordingly, or even try many different places until you find one that works for you. Whatever and wherever you choose, enjoy your freedom. When in doubt, make a plan and stick to it. Or change it for tomorrow. Or just go with it and see what happens. There is no right answer.

Students take advantage of the nice weather outside during their free period.