Is to much homework bad for students?

1. 52

   Clayton61636posted 9 years ago

   Is to much homework bad for students?

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2. 60

   Amy Stuartposted 9 years ago

   As a university student and recent high school graduate myself (past spring), I have to say that neither extreme is a good idea. Too little homework will reduce the amount of information students retain while too much homework can cause a domino reaction of too much stress --> decline in mental health --> decline in socializing and in physical health --> constantly tired and unmotivated --> drop in grades. While not every student will succumb to this domino effect, I have known many tweens and teens (including myself) who feel as if they're losing control over all of these responsibilities they're told they need to juggle, including homework, chores, and extracurriculars. They're left with little time to simply live, to socialize, to pursue hobbies, unless they neglect responsibilities.

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3. 81

   Seeker7posted 9 years ago

   It needs to be a happy medium. Certainly too much homework is bad for youngsters who need to have free time to chill out and do activities they enjoy. Its an old saying, but 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' is true. In extreme cases there are also youngsters who are suffering severe stress due to the pressures of too much homework and other 'duties' they have to perform. Everyone needs time-out to do their own thing in order to be healthy physically and mentally.
   
   Having too little homework is also bad of course since its needed to keep up with the curriculum.

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4. 80

   Cobrafanposted 9 years ago

   There needs to be a happy medium but there is more to it than that. If you give a student a page a questions for homework based on what they learned that day, they're simply accessing their short term memory to get those answers. You need to make the homework something they don't know, something they need to research (in their textbook or online). If they're just reciting what they learned that day, it's busy work. Busy work does not make for well educated individuals.
   
   When I was in high school I didn't do the majority of my homework. Most of my homework was busy work and I was willing to take the grade penalty to not do it. While a lot of my time was spent being unproductive and doing the sort of illegal things teenagers like to do, I also spent a good amount of time reading about subjects that expanded my education beyond what schools taught. For that, I may have been a "slacker" and a "stoner" in school, but I am far more educated than my peers that spent their time doing busy work and sports. And I'm quite happy having an array of knowledge than having played high school sports.

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      Amy Stuartposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Hm. I see your point here. I think there needs to be a happy medium even between "busy work" and "find the answer" type of work, as well as application questions. All three work towards retention of the material.

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