So much homework, so little time
More stories from Releigh Norrell
Not enough hands to handle all this homework.
Everybody knows homework can be stressful, but nobody really knows how too much homework can be physically and emotionally damaging.
Findings constantly show that elementary school kids do not benefit from homework; Richard Walker, an educational psychologist from Sydney University, explained that “kids who do more homework actually perform worse on standardized tests.”
High school students are assigned on average 3.5 hours of homework a night.
However, students might be involved in extra curricular activities or sports teams that may run until 5 o’clock and sometimes later. This late start to the night can cause students to stay up until ungodly hours finishing a project or homework assignment.
This might not be the case every night.
“I try to limit my actual amount of homework a night to about 30 minutes, but depending on the students level of skill about the subject some students might take 30 minutes but for another it might take 45 minutes,” Dan Campbell, CHS honors and AP chemistry teacher, said.
Although teachers usually do not give homework every night, Stanford University professor Denise Pope, explained that “high achieving students who are swamped with homework can suffer from poor mental and physical health.”
Distractions can be the biggest problem when it comes to doing homework; however, at home there are more distractions around including cell phones, laptops, siblings, TV, etc.
Freshman Keara Engle described, “At home I have a lot of distractions, like my siblings bugging me to play, talking to my friends, my phone, but in school, I can get my work done in school in a timely matter.”
“Kids need more time that is unscheduled so that they can be creative, find new passions and be kids,” according to The Connection.
Too much homework can be handled by taking some careful steps. For projects, you may want to break the project down into smaller tasks. For normal homework that is due the next day, use your time according, put everything distracting you away, and use study halls.
Want to help the Herd? Please consider supporting the Periscope program. Your donation will support the student journalists of CHS and allow us to purchase equipment, send students to workshops/camps, and cover our annual website hosting costs.
Releigh Norrell is currently a sophomore at Carlisle Area High School and this is her second year on staff. Releigh loves dogs and spending time with her...
Jenna Suskie • Jan 11, 2017 at 10:23 am
I think this article speaks volume to today’s high school students. As a fellow high school student, I know how stressful homework can become when teachers assign too many activities and I don’t have enough time to complete it all without going to bed late. I found the quotes interesting because I definitely think that over-loading students with homework can have an effect on mental and physical health. Teachers need to become more consciousness of what they assign so that students can perform at their best.