Do you ever think you have too much on your plate? When students come home from a long day of school, the last thing they want to think about is homework. Sometimes they have too much of it, and even if they don’t, they still don’t want to do it, right? 

The first question is, who and what has homework been created for? Homework seems like a never-ending part of students’ lives. It was initially created to keep students learning after their school days are over, and it’s been given in the hope that students learn from it and develop responsibility/ time management skills. Teachers design homework based on their own methods, and their knowledge is actually also reflected by this. 

Now, do students enjoy or see the value in homework? As you can probably guess, no, students typically do not enjoy homework. Students who don’t do homework are more likely to act lazy and not put a lot of effort into their work. It’s actually common to not see positive results from homework!

You might be wondering, what are the positive aspects of homework? Surprisingly, there are quite a few. When students do homework, it’s easier for them to remember what they just learned. It allows students to attempt problems at their own pace, while their responsibility skills are also tested. They have the opportunity to be creative, and at times, homework can improve students’ concept formation and study skills, and their parents can even be involved in the learning process if they wish to be.

On the other hand, what are the negative aspects of homework? Too much homework can cause students mental and/or physical stress. Students coming from richer families may have more resources to help them with school, while families who are not as well-off might not. According to The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the average student receives 6.8 hours of homework a week – which is just too much! The abundance of homework also leaves less time for other activities, such as sports, jobs, and time for mental rest. Further, students may be tempted to cheat if they feel like their workload is becoming too stressful. The ironic part? Homework actually doesn’t help younger kids, who tend to tolerate it more than older kids.

So, what can be done better? For starters, reputable colleges, such as Stanford University and NYU, have actually concluded that eliminating homework may come with academic benefits. In my opinion, maybe homework should only be given when a class is going through a collectively challenging concept, so they can all work through it together. In conclusion, the mental health of students should definitely be considered more when it comes to the amount of work they usually have heaped upon them!