Study Leave: For the Better?

Also known as “Effective Monday,” the last Monday of April declares the beginning of study leave every year for sophomores and seniors attending Seoul Foreign High School (SFS).

        With exam season soon approaching, the two grades receive a generous study leave for their respective curriculums. The sophomores who take the International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE) receive a full School-Related Absence (SRA) day sporadically, so they are exempt from coming to class both the day before and the day of the exam. However, if students do decide to attend classes, they receive a self-directed study hall.

        It is often noted that such a study leave is not used to the students’ benefit. It has also been debated whether Seoul Foreign students should be allowed to be exempt from so many days of school. Natalie Cho, a current senior taking the full diploma programme for IB, admitted that a downside to a study leave is “not receiving any direction” for it is completely independent. In addition, she explained that “with that much ‘free’ time, it is difficult to solely dedicate all that time to studying,” as people naturally become easily distracted. It is inevitable that high school students end up spending a portion of their time with friends or on social media.

        However, a multitude of students claimed that the study leave was the best thing a school could offer to those taking an exam worth two years of covered material. Daniel Hahm, a current sophomore taking the IGCSE exams, revealed that “those who use their study leaves to commit their time to purely academics [do] reap its advantages.” In addition, Natalie also explained that the study leave is especially beneficial because students can “divide [their] studying time based on individual needs.” She concluded by agreeing that “most students do allocate their time to studying. After all, these tests are the accumulation of two years of hard work and sleepless nights […] most of us wish to do well.”

        In all, it appears study leave does prove to be fruitful, for many students at SFS greatly appreciate the generosity of the administration in recognizing the need for a self-directed study period before exam season begins in full force.

Janet Lee

Janet Lee is a junior at Seoul Foreign School, who uses writing as her creative outlet. Janet enjoys being on the court playing basketball with her team, but also takes pleasure in listening to music and playing the flute. Although having been in the JSR program for only one semester in the past, she hopes to become an important asset and to make a great contribution to the program.

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