There is one thing almost all students can agree on; they hate homework. High school students have had homework for years now, but that does not make them dislike it any less. The purpose of homework is to help students retain skills and information they learned in class by giving them time on their own to practice. Yet, while some practice is beneficial, too much homework tends to lead to detrimental outcomes. Because of this, it is likely some homework assignments need to be reassessed.
Students at Bloomington High School North are able to have up to eight classes a semester. With both required classes and even electives assigning homework, the assignments can pile up quickly. After acknowledging the fact that students have demanding extracurriculars, jobs, and family obligations, the necessity of extra work is called into question.
This busyness is not only annoying, but exhausting for students, leading to stress that can bleed into a student’s life both inside and outside of the classroom.
“I feel like it’s all fun and games until you start to get close to a test, and then it’s super stressful to make sure you have everything done,” said junior Matty Reed. “Same with the end of the grading period, or the end of the semester. You just have a lot to do in what feels like a short amount of time when you have outside commitments. You spend seven hours here, and then you have to go home and spend even more time doing homework.”
On top of stress, student’s sleep schedules can also be negatively affected. According to Nemours Children’s Health, teenagers “should get 8-10 hours of sleep a night.”
Yet, it often seems as if teenagers rarely receive this much sleep. MCCSC high school students already have to wake up early in order to arrive at school at the 7:45 start time, requiring them to go to bed earlier in order to have a full night’s rest. On top of that, extracurriculars are able to take up several hours of a student’s night. Students with large homework loads or difficult assignments can spend even more hours of time trying to finish everything by the due date, even if it means losing sleep. This leads to students staying up way too late trying to finish homework in-between other obligations, cutting back on their much-needed sleep cycle.
Some may argue that the work loads assigned to students are not outrageous. While Señora Clara Garcia-Aguerrevere, who teaches Spanish II and III, believes in the importance of homework for memorizing and practicing a language, she still tries to be reasonable when assigning her students homework after every class. “For Spanish III, I think it takes longer because it’s more comprehension-based,” she explained. “For Spanish II, I think ten to fifteen minutes should be enough to do the activities from Wayside.”
Students are also offered much support at school. Sophomore Gus Tayoe believes that even if he has difficult homework, he can always find help to get through everything assigned. “[Mr. Digulio has] been helping me with my homework and any missing assignments I have,” he said. “First thing I did with him was check my grades and my classes, like in Health and Wellness and Nutrition. He has been helping me every single day since day one.”
Many teachers at Bloomington North also offer aid during Tutorials. During this free period, students have the opportunity to see their teachers and receive help with school work. However, that is not always enough.
Even with teacher assistance, some students still take longer on assignments. “I don’t understand why it takes so long, because it shouldn’t,” Garcia said. “I model. We do the activities in class, so it shouldn’t happen.”
Some students can also find it difficult to receive help outside of school. “The big thing is not being able to access help at home when your parents don’t really know how to do some of this stuff,” said Reed.
When a tool meant to be helpful starts to become a problem, a change must be discussed.
Garcia suggests some struggling students could benefit from organizational methods and tools. “What I’m seeing is that there is a lack of ability to organize their thoughts on paper,” she said.
Having teachers readdress the necessity of the homework they assign is also important. No student wants to be given assignments that aren’t necessary to their education. To take valuable free time away from students is a waste and a detriment.
Keeping assignments in school as much as possible may also help.
“When I’m in the building, I want to be doing as much as I can, because otherwise I’m going to lose focus and lose being productive,” said Reed. “And I don’t want to have to go home and then, instead of going home and relaxing, or being with my family, or doing whatever hobbies, I have to go home, and I have to do homework. And that’s the frustrating part.”
Homework may have its place in education, but it certainly has no business ruining the teenage experience. For students struggling with homework loads, speak to a teacher or a trusted adult to find a solution. It is not just one student who is struggling, but several, and speaking up may just spark a change.
