Independent studies are lesser-known ways for students to study a subject of interest at Hastings High School. When someone says “independent studies,” you may be thinking of hyper-specific personalized topics, like the NYU Gallatin major “Keyboard Cat Sluts: the Study of YouTube Cat Videos with Concern to Gender Roles.” So, it may be surprising that at HHS independent studies are, in fact, an option.
To take an independent study at HHS, a student must request to study a topic that is not already offered as an HHS course and get a teacher as a “supervisor” (not to be confused with “mentor,” which applies to a science research project). Then, the teacher will assign work and help guide the student along their quest to look into a chosen topic.
Science teacher Mrs. Shandroff, who has advised multiple independent studies, says that she’s previously directed studies with very niche topics, such as the ecology of Hillside Woods. When asked about the risks of taking an independent study, Mrs. Shandroff said, “Usually the studies are pass/fail grades, so it’s up to [the students] to do their work.”
What was gathered from this interview with Mrs. Shandroff is that independent studies can be a great way to explore a niche topic, especially if a student is not enrolled in science research (another more self-directed study class), that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to study while enrolled in HHS.
Independent studies, however, are not just one-on-one explorations of unique topics. Mr. Riss teaches chorus as an independent study, and many students have experience taking this course, which meets before school and doesn’t take up after school time or block schedule time. Independent studies can grant experiences that vary from person to person- an anonymous junior, when asked about the chorus independent study, said, “I don’t like it because I don’t like waking up early.” However, an anonymous senior has a different experience with the chorus independent study, claiming, “I like that sometimes he gives us donuts and cake.”
Independent studies are an alternative way to expand academic and intellectual horizons but students get out of it what they put in, and if they aren’t up for the heavy coursework, an independent study may not be their best option.
