Homework OVERLOAD!

It is 7:13 a.m., the most dreaded time, the warning bell finally rings through the halls. Students scramble to get to their classes, crossing their fingers and hoping that they will arrive on time. Yet for some students this is the least of their worries. Some immediately open and bury themselves in their books and begin cramming facts in a panic or quickly rummage out a pen and begin filling in answers to last night’s homework.

Between club meetings, band, football practice, piano lessons, and sleep, who has time to complete seven hours of homework? Students like to think that teachers are here just to torture students with homework.

“With seven classes, seven teachers, and each teacher giving a lot of homework, this makes me feel overwhelmed, agitated and results in me being sleep deprived,” said junior Salma Mohammed. No student enjoys even the idea of homework let alone actually having to complete hours upon hours of assignments and having to deal with all the stress associated with it.

“Homework adds a lot of stress in my life and sometimes I have sleepless nights trying to finish it all, so I am tired for the next day,” said senior Glenda Ngo.
The cause of stress and fatigue for many students is often a result of homework overload. “It prevents me from being able to spend more time with my family and friends and sets limits on how much free time I have,” said junior Claudia Arevalo. “If I am having the worst day ever and then I come home and have to do hours and hours of homework, that definitely puts a damper on my day,” said Ngo.  

Students repeatedly hear the most important and useful advice when it comes to homework, such as “Don’t procrastinate!” Yet every teenager is still dreaming of the day when they  will no longer procrastinate. “I consider myself a huge procrastinator. I am the type of person who finds random and ridiculous excuses to put things until the last, very last moment,” said Arevalo. “Procrastination is a cycle I haven’t been able to get out of ever since middle school.” Yet students learn the harsh reality that with procrastination come consequences. “I sometimes end up turning a work in which I know I could have done a lot better on if only I had spent a little more time on it,” said junior Mahrokh Akhavan.

Nonetheless students obviously don’t have homework on their Top Ten lists of their favorite things to do, students do confess that homework is quite beneficial for the learning process. “All assignments have a purpose and help you learn or practice and expand your knowledge. It allows me to have to think in different ways and learn how to tackle a problem,” said Ngo. Mohammed shares the same perspective. “Homework is an integral part of the learning process and it helps me master the content and it helps me get better grades,” said Mohammed.  

Teachers themselves never enjoyed homework and are aware of students’ dislike of it, but understand that the advantages are far greater. “I never liked doing homework,” said English Teacher and Department Chairman Augustine Twyman.“I would be very surprised if a year went by without a student complaining about homework.” “In my opinion, homework is for reinforcement and practice, if you’re actively engaged in an activity by reading, taking notes, the information will stay with you longer and provides a structure that ensures students will review,” said Twyman.

“As much as we all don’t like homework or school sometimes, we go to school to get and education and learn so that we can make a good living and have good lives later,” said Ngo. “Homework can make a significant impact on your grade, and in reality is a simple task,” said Ngo. Homework, the source of stress for many students but the advantages of this dreaded task surpass the disadvantages and deep hatred of it.