Student workloads will forever be a topic of discussion and whether or not homework is crucial to a student’s academic success. However, the argument is far more complex than that. Since West offers a variety of regular, AP/CAPP, and elective classes, it begs the question as to just how many at-home assignments students should be receiving. Considering the difficulty level varies between classes, it’s impossible to declare that all classes should or should not give out homework.

There’s a number of factors that go into homework, its purpose, benefits, and the number of students who complete it, but in the end, it is arguably fundamental in building a student’s learning, and it would be foolish to extinguish it completely. With that being said, homework assignments should be given out within reason and scope.

After homework has been completed, students should still have time remaining for themselves. As important as practice is, the student’s mental health is significantly more vital. Students need their sleep and time to relax in order to produce proficient work in the classroom. Being stressed and sleep-deprived only worsens academic performance, making teens unable to produce their best work. Homework should strengthen the participant’s abilities, not exhaust them.

Out of school assignments are used as the best possible way to study, practicing something right after it has been learned. Homework should not overtake students’ free time, rather, it should serve its purpose then leave room for the much deserved rest. It’s true that homework is crucial for learning, but kids cannot continue to learn and succeed if they’re not given proper time to rest and recharge after they’ve worked their brain.

Sometimes it can feel like students are constantly finding themselves in an uphill battle with their homework assignments. Excessive homework and stress to do well in class can leave kids feeling anxious and overwhelmed with their workload, thus showing decreased motivation and participation in class. Furthermore, these copious amounts of pure busy work fall short of giving students practice on the new material and leave them with the sole goal of simply getting it done.

With minimal, yet more meaningful assignments, students are able to take their time and make sure they fully understand what they’ve been taught. This can then motivate students to focus more on understanding and practicing the lessons, rather than just trying to complete that hefty workload as soon as they can. Homework is meant to allow kids to practice new material and feel confident in their abilities, not be a race against time.

Homework has proven to be the deciding factor for many students when it comes to participating in social events. Unfortunately, there seems to be a sharp divide between students who chose to skip homework to hang out with friends and those who pass on social outings to tend to their workloads. There should not be such a decision posed for these students, as homework and social interactions are both important for teenagers’ development and shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.

Homework should simply be meaningful and manageable to students and not leave them feeling as though they need to be rethinking their priorities if they want to both stay afloat with school work and stay relevant among their friends. Assignments need to serve their purpose and work the brain in a healthy way while also allowing students to participate in other social activities such as clubs, sports, or simply hanging out with friends.

By Morgan Reitz

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue III

November 29th, 2021

Students, staff seek to strike balance