Best questions for high school freshman student survey about library and study spaces

Here are some of the best questions for a high school freshman student survey about library and study spaces, plus tips on designing them. If you need to quickly build your own survey, you can generate one with Specific in seconds.

The best open-ended questions for high school freshman students

Open-ended questions pull out deeper feedback—especially useful for understanding what students really think about their library and study spaces. When we want stories, detail, or want to dig into unknown issues, these questions shine. They let students share what's on their mind, not just choose from a list.

1. What do you usually do when you visit the school library?

2. Can you describe your favorite study space at school and what makes it work for you?

3. Tell us about a time you found the library especially helpful for a project or assignment.

4. If you could change one thing about your library, what would it be?

5. What do you wish was available in your library or study area that currently isn’t?

6. How do you feel about the noise levels in different parts of the library?

7. What challenges, if any, do you face when using digital resources provided by the library?

8. Describe how collaborative spaces in the library affect your ability to study or complete assignments.

9. Share any suggestions you have for making study spaces more welcoming for freshmen.

10. How do your experiences in the library compare with other places you study?

Open-ended questions can reveal what quantitative questions can’t: the “why” and “how.” With 80% of public high schools reporting that their students use the library at least once a week, this feedback is critical for evolving spaces to meet actual needs. [1]

The best multiple-choice questions for high school freshman student surveys

Single-select multiple-choice questions are perfect when we want to quantify feedback or quickly discover overall trends. They're also great conversation starters—a student may find it easier to choose from a list and then expand on their answer, especially with a follow-up question. This approach gives us both the “what” and an entry point for the “why.”

Question: How often do you visit the school library each week?

• Every day

• 2-3 times a week

• Once a week

• Rarely/Never

Question: Which type of study space do you prefer in the library?

• Quiet, individual areas

• Collaborative/group spaces

• Open/common areas

• Other

Question: Which library resources do you use most for your studies?

• Physical books

• Digital resources (ebooks, articles, databases)

• Computers and printers

• Other

When to follow up with "why?" Any time a respondent chooses an option that interests you (like “rarely/never” or “other”), it’s smart to ask “Why?” or “Can you tell us more about that?” For example, if a student selects “rarely/never” for library use, ask: “Why don’t you visit the library more often?” You’ll surface barriers you might otherwise miss.

When and why to add the "Other" choice? “Other” is a safety net. Students might have preferences you haven’t thought of. By letting them explain, you discover new needs or opportunities for improvement—often the most actionable insights come this way.

Keep in mind, 75% of high school students prefer quiet areas to study while 25% lean toward collaborative spaces. Still, there’s always a group that doesn’t fit the mold. [2]

Using an NPS question for library and study spaces

Net Promoter Score (NPS) isn’t just for businesses—it's a smart benchmark for gauging student satisfaction with library and study spaces. By asking, “How likely are you to recommend our library and study spaces to a friend?” on a 0-10 scale, we tap into advocacy. High scores show we’re doing something right; low scorers often provide the most helpful feedback through follow-up questions. If you want to try this, use this NPS survey generator.

This style of question, paired with open “why?” follow-ups, gives us both a number and the underlying story.

The power of follow-up questions

If you want truly actionable feedback, follow-ups are essential. We built automated followup questions into Specific so every reply can be explored in real time—no more chasing for clarification by email or missing out on nuance.

• Student: "I use the group area a lot, but sometimes it’s hard to focus."

• AI follow-up: "Can you tell me more about what makes it hard to focus in the group area?"

Without this second question, we only get a vague concern; with it, we get context and actionable ideas for improvement. If you ask no follow-ups, a lot of feedback will stay surface-level. Automated, context-aware follow-ups—not just generic prompts—get us the details that drive real change.

How many followups to ask? Usually, 2-3 per response will cover most angles, but it’s also important to know when to move on—after you get the info you need, jump to the next question. Specific lets you adjust this easily, so you get depth without fatiguing your respondents.

This makes it a conversational survey: Every answer feels like the start of a chat, not the end. That’s how you unlock richer stories and nuanced perspectives—it’s not just a form, it’s a conversation.

AI survey response analysis: If gathering pages of text feels overwhelming, don’t worry. With features like AI-powered response analysis, it’s easy to quickly spot patterns and themes in all those open answers.

These automated followups are a new way to supercharge feedback. Try generating a survey and see how the conversation unfolds.

Prompts for creating better survey questions with GPT

Curious about how to get great survey questions out of ChatGPT or similar AI? Simple prompts are a good start—try this:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for high school freshman student survey about library and study spaces.

But here’s a trick: AI always does better with more context. Explain your role, your goal, what you already know, and what you want to improve.

I am a school librarian designing a survey for high school freshmen using our library and study spaces. Our campus has quiet and collaborative areas, and we offer digital resources as well as physical books. Our goal is to learn how freshmen use the library, what helps them study best, and how we can improve the environment. Suggest 10 open-ended questions that will surface their real challenges and desires.

Once you have some questions, ask GPT to sort them into groups. This keeps your survey focused:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Then, pick your categories and ask GPT to suggest questions just for those themes:

Generate 10 questions for categories “resources used” and “study environment preferences”.

What is a conversational survey?

When we say “conversational survey,” we mean a digital survey that feels like a human conversation—not a static form. Instead of clicking through lists, students type answers and the AI interviewer asks natural followup questions on the spot, just like a good researcher.

Here’s a quick look at how manual and AI-generated surveys compare:

Why use AI for high school freshman student surveys? We know attention spans are short and schedules are packed. AI makes survey creation lightning fast, adapts questions in real time for better insights, and makes analysis painless. The result: better quality responses, happier students, and actionable feedback you can use now. This is the essence of an AI survey example—something you can try instantly and get results from immediately.

We’ve designed Specific’s conversational surveys to offer the best user experience out there for student feedback, making the whole process smooth and engaging for both survey creators and respondents. Learn how you can create a conversational survey like this in minutes.

See this library and study spaces survey example now

Get inspired—see how easy it is to generate powerful, conversational surveys for your students and uncover insights you’d otherwise miss. Start now and discover what high school freshmen really need from their library and study spaces!