Thomas Detlefsen
Staff Writer
Although New Hope-Solebury High School provides many courses for a variety of different interests, each individual is unique and combined, each student has more different niche hobbies than any one school could ever provide classes for. Something as specific as script-writing or jazz recording would not have enough students to qualify as a class on its own. This is where the idea of an independent study comes in.
An independent study is a course a student can take under the supervision of a teacher if their interest is not covered by a class in the school. It allows students to have a bit of freedom from the traditional class structure and tests their ability to work productively and meet deadlines on their own. Most importantly, the independent study allows students to explore a topic that is truly captivating to them.
Ryan Keating, a senior, is taking an independent study called Study of Screenwriting. This course requires him to write a full length screenplay to learn about good storytelling practices and what it takes to write a full story. On why he requested the independent study, Ryan said: “I like movies and I have always wanted to create one for myself.” He also said that he will probably continue to write in college, but it will not be his career choice.
Ryan’s experience provides a great example of the benefits of an independent study. He has explored something that he is interested in, but is not offered regularly. It is really important to encourage students to pursue things they are interested in, and that is what the independent study does.
