Homework, beneficial or harmful?

Most school nights consist of students staying up until 12: 00 am, stressing out about deadlines while rushing through all their homework trying to get it done. So yes, teachers assign too much homework. Homework equals more stress and less sleep. Many educators think that by giving students practice at home, it will allow them a better understanding of the material in class. However, they fail to realize that no matter how much work the students complete outside of school, it’s not going to help them academically unless they’ve already got the concept in class.

I strongly believe that teachers should limit the amount of homework given to adolescents every day because the their health will be affected due to the lack of sleep, it can result to stress, and it creates a negative learning experience. Homework and chores outside of school requires the students to stay up late at night. According to Nationwide Children’s, the recommended sleep time for adolescents is 9-10 hours; however, most receive less than 8 hours of sleep during weekdays. Sleep is vital in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, not acquiring enough sleep can have a negative impact on a child’s health. My earliest bedtime since the start of the semester is 10: 30pm. My school starts at eight, so I need to be awake by seven to fit in my morning routine while still arriving at school on time.

Even with that sleep time, I still receive less than nine hours of sleep. Being sleep deprived affects students’ ability to reach their full potential because they will feel too tired, drowsy, and distracted to concentrate during school. The lack of sleep can influence pupils’ academic performance and overall productivity in class. Homework contributes to the stress that teenagers constantly experience. The stress piles up which can lead to aggressive behaviors or depression. Stress can be positive as it can provide teenagers with enough energy to deal with emergencies, challenges, and to be able to excel.

However, if they are unable to gain control of the situation, they might feel threatened. Researcher, Adriana Galvan, at the University of California, stated “ Stress interferes with the decision making process in an area that is not as developed as it is in an adult brain”. This shows that stress can cause teenagers to make poor decisions which could lead to serious consequences. Adolescents might try to release the stress through violence or in a form of drugs and alcohol which are damaging to their well-being. If students don’t handle their stress appropriately, it will affect their brain and body in ways that can be destructive for their physical and mental health.

An overbearing amount of homework shifts into more of a chore than a constructive, positive experience. I believe that homework should be fun and exciting to get the students more interested and engaged in their learning instead of treating it like a burden. Doing more work doesn’t necessarily mean that the students are learning more. If they don’t understand the concept in class in the first place, then the homework is pointless. Students won’t be able to produce high quality work due to the fact that they have other homework assignments that are in need of being completed.

Excessive homework takes away the time from students that can be spent with their family and friends. Most days, the only time I get to spend with my family is during dinner, but even then, I still have to rush so that I can get back to doing my homework. Students need time to relax so that they will have enough energy when they’re in school. Once I had to spend three hours with my friends doing homework from just one subject, that took up most of my night and the work from other classes made me stay up til after midnight. If teenagers don’t have enough time to unwind, all the pressure from their schoolwork and assignments can increase their stress level.

School work should end when school ends, students shouldn’t have to worry about it outside of school. Schools should consider limiting homework, since it creates more issues than being beneficial for students. It takes away sleep time from the adolescents which is essential to a healthy, balanced life. It creates unnecessary stress and turns students’ learning into an unfavorable experience. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make this change. Schools should be willing to do whatever it takes to maintain their child’s well-being.