Homework: The not-so-hidden scourge of schools

Photo of homework with a red hue (The Puma Prensa / Nadia Saadeh)

By Nadia Saadeh, staff writer

Everyone shudders when they hear the dreaded word. Like booming thunder and lighting, it strikes fear into even the strongest player on the school football team. Homework. And no child wants to hear the stress-inducing words uttered: “have you done your homework yet?” Many students dislike homework and many wish they did not have to do it. But yet, schools still assign it. They continue to pile mountains of essays and research projects onto innocent students. And with finals on the way, only time will tell when a student will become unable to keep up, which could lead to life-altering and in the most dramatic and tragic circumstances, life-ending consequences.   

Homework does not help students learn, and they see it as a burden, which is why it must be eliminated. Homework does nothing except cause mass stress and anxiety. Homework separates family and friends by forcing students to prioritize grades over spending time with loved ones.  Students feel like they have to do work to get good scores and pass the class, instead of prioritizing learning.  Homework can also be unfair to low income families, as they may not have all the resources available to complete the work. 

Unfortunately this is made worse when teenagers are accused of procrastination when the homework simply becomes too overwhelming to deal with. Everyone has mental burnout, and teenagers are no different. Teens are already feeling burnt out from the whole school day, and when they get home, they just want to relax.  To students, doing homework simply ensures that grades do not drop. Students are so focused on keeping their grades up, they forget to learn and often don't understand the point of the work.  At some point, homework becomes just another burden, just more chores getting done, and not learning. 

According to Healthline, homework is a major cause of anxiety that can disrupt a teenager's already stressful life. In an interview done by researchers for middle-class northern Californians, more than 70% of students said that homework causes them stress.  Less than 1% said the homework did NOT cause them stress.  In a study done by Stanford, many students felt that homework was "mindless" and "pointless."  

Healthline states that in a survey conducted for 128 private school juniors, approximately half said that they felt pressure to do well in school and other activities, and had about three hours of homework to do every night. This is solid proof that teenagers hate homework. Most teenagers see homework as a burden, rather than a learning opportunity, and associate it with stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and burnout. 

I have experienced many times where I get stressed and overwhelmed due to homework. I don't hang out with friends anymore because I am too busy with homework. I usually end up on the computer watching YouTube and listening to music instead of spending valuable time with family and friends, though I try to limit my computer time.  The homework is so important that I feel I should do it first, and then realize I have spent almost the rest of the day working on it.  This leaves no time to hang out with loved ones or friends.

School counselor Ellisa Beamish knows all too well the issues students face with homework. “I have heard from students that they feel there is too much homework for classes, but what I find is that many teachers carve out class time to finish homework and what students don't finish then becomes homework,” said Beamish.  “I feel that having homework helps students develop strong time management skills and helps prepare students for college or for the next level of a class.”  

Beamish knows  how hard it is to concentrate on homework, and knows it is important to plan ahead before starting work. “If students develop those strong time management skills, which includes utilizing Advocacy and working on homework then, as well as developing an effective schedule at home, then there is plenty of time to get homework done.”  Beamish says.

Many students feel stress from homework, as Beamish states “Many of my conversations with students are around homework stress. I often help students develop a plan to help with the homework stress, whether it is coming up with a schedule or writing a To-Do list, or helping them talk to teachers about how to break down assignments into smaller chunks.”.    

It requires a balance to make homework functional without causing anxiety and stress and encourage learning. It is important to have homework, but in moderation. 

“I think the best way to reduce homework stress is to develop effective time management skills, allow time for breaks, and to make sure you don't overload yourself with extracurricular activities.  Students need to have a well balanced schedule that allows time for self care, which includes sleep,” says Beamish. 

Meanwhile, teacher Beth Cuniberti believes that homework is beneficial if moderated. As she said, “Certain things can be valuable to help them reinforce ideas and think about it on their own. I think in history it's a really good time for them to actually do the reading, so that in class we can do more interactive/discussion type work.  I think [homework] can be excessive at times, but I think part of that is how they do their homework. If they do it free of distraction, it can be manageable, but I know it piles on if they have homework in all their classes and it takes away their ability to live and enjoy their lives outside of school.” She added that "students should be enjoying their lives. If it's keeping them from doing things they love, it is a problem.”

Thankfully, there are ways to reduce homework stress. Listing down homework assignments and taking scheduled breaks can ease homework stress. Cuniberti recommended methods including“Establishing a routine and using some sort of planner to manage time and students choosing a course load that they can manage.” She also feels teachers should “help students chunk their projects into manageable segments”

Cuniberti has seen the homework load decline over her 25 years of teaching. However the homework issue still remains. We must be vigilant to track out time, manage stress, and not be scared to get help.  Because when it comes to school, homework can really make a difference between creating a life of sorrow or a brighter future.