When I was a student in elementary school, learning was not much of an issue. I loved school. I rarely dealt with stress. Overall, it was like paradise because I was able to have fun with my peers while learning. As school years started to go by, I realized a shift in perspective. More of my peers couldn’t wait for winter vacation, spring break, and holidays because it meant that there was no school. Of course, I thought the same way but something felt different. It seemed as if my peers wanted to avoid going to school.

I couldn’t fully get the picture until it hit me in high school. I was limited from doing extracurricular activities and found it difficult to keep a consistent bedtime routine due to the excess amount of homework I received from my classes. Overall, my interest in learning decreased, and I did not enjoy going to school. Now I understand why my peers are eager to run out the doors and escape. As homework shows its benefits, it drives students away from their personal activities outside of school causing stress and losing students' interest in learning.

Homework has its many benefits, as it helps to keep the students aware of the topic that was taught in class. Homework is also a great way for students to be more comfortable with the topic. Harris Cooper the author of “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” shared his story. He realized that homework is an adequate way to gain independent learning and develop responsible character traits.

While these points are logical, there are circumstances where homework has its disadvantages. Micheal Gonchar, author of  “Do Teachers Assign Too Much Homework” asked students this question. In response, a student recognized that doing homework is easier said than done. When it comes to doing homework there are times when the student is attempting to complete three essays in one night. On top of other responsibilities, adding an excess amount of homework that students need to be responsible for, leaves us feeling overwhelmed. Ultimately it will be another burden that we need to tackle to catch up in class. 

Imagine an active student who is transitioning from middle school to high school. This student is eager to explore what high school has to offer, so they choose to be dedicated to a sports team and join about one or two clubs. The first couple of months during the school year seems fine. Until the student is drowning with homework, essays, or quizzes they need to study. The student will likely drop days off from sports and miss a couple of club meetings to work on homework. But do you see how this interferes with their life outside of a learning environment? 

This is when homework doesn’t seem as beneficial as it was intended to be since it strips the student from their life outside of school. Rachel Basinger, writer of  “Giving Less Homework May Actually Produce Better Results” makes a good point when noticing that assigning less homework opens a doorway for students to have a life outside of school. Less homework opens more opportunities for students to be involved in other activities. 

There should be a balance between educational activities such as homework and our personal life. As the school year progresses, the aspect of “me” time fumbles away. Students tend to forget about their well-being and focus solely on school and other responsibilities. 

Students who don’t have a job have the same effect since they are responsible for working during their part-time shifts. Maintaining a balance between school and jobs can be challenging because they not only need to be alert while working, but they also need to come home late and have little to no free time since they have homework to complete. After work, the students are physically exhausted, and stress builds as they realize how much homework they have and how little time they have to finish it before the next class starts.

School should be a place where students can enjoy learning, not a place that limits students' personal life. For any teacher who decides on assigning homework, it’s always good to be mindful of their students' life outside of school and regulate assigned homework. Hopefully, there will be a time when students would be able to identify that homework is manageable to complete without disrupting their quality time outside of school.

Works Consulted

Basinger, Rachel. “Why Giving Less Homework May Actually Produce Better Results.” Resource Hub for Schools and Districts, Classcraft, 25 Jan. 2022, www.classcraft.com/blog/students-should-get-less-homework/.

Cooper, Harris. “Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement?” Duke Today, 23 Sept. 2006, today.duke.edu/2006/09/homework_oped.html.

Gonchar, Michael. “Do Teachers Assign Too Much Homework?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Dec. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/learning/do-teachers-assign-too-much-homework.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Flearning-student-opinion.