Too much homework, not enough quality work

Wiktoria Blacha, Staff Writer

The amount of homework given to students can be overwhelming and actually can interfere with a student’s ability to produce quality work.

Homework is an important factor of school. It’s supposed to help students improve critical skills and prepare for the workload at college.

On average, an extra ten minutes of homework should be given to students depending on which grade level they are in. If a fellow student is in tenth grade, a total of 100 minutes of homework should be given. Allison Cyr, a sophomore at Hoffman Estates High School is beating that total amount, with an average of three hours (180 minutes) of homework.

“Homework stresses me out because it forces me to get it done, rather than allocate the necessary amount of time to obtain a valid comprehension of what I’m trying to learn,” said Cyr.

Stress is a major factor in a lot of homework; it frustrates many people, as well as affects them mentally and emotionally. Studies have shown that a lot of homework can cause health issues, including migraines, sleep deprivation and weight loss.

Cyr’s schedule is filled with honors- and AP-level classes. She’s also involved in after-school activities, including track and field. “Teachers need to understand a busy load versus a college load,” said Cyr.

A busy load of homework is exactly as it sounds; it is homework that is given to students in order to make them busy.

“It’s about quality of homework, over quantity,” said Rachel Kich, senior.

Homework should be assigned if it is to help students prepare for the next class or a future test. Being given homework as something to keep students busy will not motivate them for future assignments; instead, it could make them unmotivated to keep learning.

Students often feel anxious and overwhelmed when faced with too much homework from one class, especially if there are other distractions such as family issues, after-school activities, and homework from other classes.

“Some people are overachievers, there needs to be a balance with how much homework is done, versus their free time,” said Nancy Kazmer, Media Center assistant.

Homework is very important and it should be given to students as a guide to what they should improve upon, as well as practice skills that they might not have known before; however, if teachers give out more than what is expected, students will have no motivation.

According to many students, being productive and being able to manage time wisely is key to managing the homework overload.