Imagine you just finished running in the burning hot sun during track and field practice. You get home and you just want to relax. It is difficult to be caught up with work at home after having the activity after school because you are tired and have no energy to complete all that is assigned.

Over the years, people are wondering if homework actually helps students learn or if it’s a waste of their time and energy. Due to COVID, the topic seems to be brought up more often because of online learning. People were starting to feel like homework wasn’t necessary and a waste of energy because students have been doing school behind the screen for the majority of the day. When schools went back to in-person school, it took a while for students to get back on track and still have some energy when it comes to doing homework. A few weeks in, some students felt like the homework load was reaching an unnecessary amount. But they also had to get back into the habit of going to school and coming home to do work without getting lazy. 

For instance, studies have shown that homework for older students improves their academic performance. Homework helps prepare students for the next lesson or to check their understanding of what they went over during class. By doing work at home, the student's minds are fresh about the topic. Being able to bring home some work you’ve done in school also prepares you for any coming up tests or projects. Supporters believe "heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable.” They also state that students “should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own.” She says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students” (Moniuszko).

On the other side of this argument, homework creates negative impacts. Although homework helps students prepare for tests or the next lesson, the amount can get overwhelming at times. Some students, mainly from middle and high school, stay up late to finish their homework which makes them tired during class and pays less attention. Spending time with family is hard to do sometimes with the load students have and the time they have to finish it all. At times students have to deal with a graded project as well as homework from other classes at the same time. Because homework is quite time-consuming, people might have to cancel plans or limit time hanging out with friends or just relaxing with no stress. “The effects of homework are debated. Generally speaking, homework does not improve academic performance among young children. Homework may improve academic skills among older students, especially lower-achieving students. However, homework also creates stress for students and parents and reduces the amount of time that students can spend in other activities.” (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall).

In my opinion, homework isn’t needed. There is some homework that is a waste of time because it doesn’t prepare you for the next lesson or test. After a long day at school, it’s so tempting to take a nap. Yes, students can do that when they get home, but that’s not always the case and homework can get overwhelming and stressful. I don’t believe that the benefits of homework overthrow the cons. In conclusion, homework has been proven more beneficial for students in higher grades and supporters still believe it’s useful for students. But overall, the research doesn't support the benefits of homework in general.

Works Cited

Reuters. "China passes law to cut homework pressure on students." Infobase, Reuters, 23 Oct. 2021, icof.infobase.com/articles/UmV1dGVyc0FydGljbGU6S0JOMkhEMDJPLU9V U1dE?q=homework. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Cooper Harris, Robinson Civey Jorgianne, Patall A Erika. "Does Homework Improve Academic Achievement? A Synthesis of Research, 1987–2003." SAGE Journals, 1 Mar. 2006, journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/00346543076001001. Accessed 20 May 2022.

InfoBase. "Is Homework Beneficial to Students?" Infobase, 17 Nov. 2020, icof.infobase. com/articles/QXJ0aWNsZVRleHQ6MTY1MTk=?q=homework. Accessed 12 May 2022.

Bazelon, Emily.  Slate. 14 Sept. 2006, slate.com/human-interest/2006/09/elementary-school -students-shouldn-t-do-homework.html. Accessed 16 May 2022.

Moniuszko M, Sara. USA TODAY. www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2021/08/16/ students-mental-health-time-get-rid-homework-schools/5536050001/. Accessed 13 May 2022.