Homework can be classified as both good, and bad. There have been scientific arguments where there is evidence presented that homework can be good for a student’s mental health and make them feel accomplished. Research claims that practicing the subject at home can help students improve their test scores and do better in their classes.
A passage from the Graduate Programs for Educators website states, “Homework can also help students develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and self-discipline, all of which they can use throughout their lives. Additionally, it can boost self-esteem, which enables students to understand how to manage their time efficiently.”
This shows that homework does have some positive effects on students’ mental health, whether they realize it or not. It helps them build skills that could help them in the real world, and prepares them for the workload that they will most likely face when they get a job. It also teaches them commitment and dedication, two more extremely important life skills.
Additionally, it allows them to practice the material that they have been given in class in order to grasp the subject a little better. Mr. Stevens, a world geography teacher and an AP world history teacher, claims that “I think there are some things that are important, like practicing some certain things like practicing longitude and latitude. I think those kinds of things are valuable, and like in math class, it allows you to practice the material. I think it is important to practice at home,” This evidence proves that homework can have positive effects on not only student’s mental health but can help them understand and practice material that they have learned in class and may need later in life. So, homework can be a good thing for students, but homework also has a downside.
There is the issue that too much homework can reverse those effects, teaching students to resent work, or put it off because it is too daunting. There are arguments where evidence claims that too much homework can also decrease a student’s mental health and cause anxiety, depression, and physical health problems due to stress.
According to the University of San Diego website, requiring students to put in hours of time into homework after getting home from a six to seven hour school day hurts them both physically and emotionally.
Forcing students to do about eight to nine hours of work in total each day for five days a week, not including homework that was given to them over the weekend, takes a toll on their mental health. The stress from school builds up into more serious mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. Students will develop anxiety because they will always worry about their tests that they have to study for, about finishing their assignments on time, always second guessing themselves if they are really done with their homework, if they are really prepared for school the next day. They are afraid of the repercussions of forgetting their homework at home and of not getting all of their answers correct and having their grade drop because of their homework that they might have not even had time to do.
Students could end up getting depression from the lack of sleep and the extreme amounts of stress in their daily life. Not getting enough sleep is a big factor in depression. Not getting enough sleep could cause grumpiness, unclear and unfocused thinking, and eventually, sadness. The stress and the constant thinking that the workload would never let up and only get worse is the kind of thinking that triggers depression.
Some students were asked that from 1 – 10, how stressed are they normally on a daily basis, and Allison Ryan, a freshman that goes to SRV replied, “I’d say an 8,” These levels of stress could have lasting effects on both students mental health and physical health. These levels of stress could lead to anxiety, and eventually depression from the crippling worry over homework and school assignments. These mental problems could also lead to physical problems such as heart attacks, stroke, stiffness in muscles, and high blood pressure, which could endanger the lives of students.
Also, homework can prevent students from participating in their extracurricular activities and family occasions. Homework is often the main excuse for skipping sports practices, art classes, or anything else that a student may do that they enjoy. Students also may end up cutting dinner short or skipping it entirely so they can go and work on the homework that they have been assigned.
Emmerson vanZee, a freshman here at SRV states, “ I’ve had to miss several soccer practices because I had a lot of homework and sometimes I’ll have to take dinner into my room and work while I eat,” This shows that homework can cut into extracurricular activities that give students a break from the endless workload. This means that without a break, students get no relief from the excessive amounts of stress and anxiety that come with too much homework. These levels of stress could quickly turn into mental breakdowns, and even depression from the crippling expectations of getting perfect grades.
When students get an overwhelming amount of homework, sometimes they wonder if teachers do this on purpose, or on accident. The question will pop up and make them wonder if they ever get together and coordinate their assignments with one another. Sra. Harmon, a Spanish teacher in SRV explained, “Honestly, I don’t know that teachers do. I don’t know that teachers do. I think it is more of the big picture of if we are supporting students socially and emotionally and not really the homework. We are supporting students socially and emotionally but we are also making sure that they are learning what they need to learn,” In other words, teachers may occasionally meet with other teachers in their field, but they do not do a big group meeting. So if students get a lot of homework one day, it’s not their fault because they don’t necessarily know what other teachers are doing. But teachers are there to support students, and will try to help in the best way possible if they are under a lot of stress. It may not seem like it, but teachers care, and are just trying to teach their students the skills they need in order to go to college and live in the world.
In conclusion, homework can be good for a student’s mental health, but in moderation. If not given too much, homework could raise a student’s self esteem and teach them valuable life skills, such as time management and self discipline. It could also help them grasp a new understanding of material that they learned in class. But if given too much homework, students could easily get stressed out and burned out, which would lower self esteem, and unmotivate them to do their homework and succeed in school. Expectations from teachers and the school to hand in complicated assignments fully completed by the due date could give students anxiety, and with time, eventually depression. So in short, homework can be good, just keep it in moderation, and don’t put too much pressure on students, and that little bit of action will go a long way.
