assignment homework too much

More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Home › Study Tips › How To Deal With A Lot Of Homework? 8 Tips

How To Deal With A Lot Of Homework? 8 Tips

• Published January 22, 2023

Deadlines can be an incredibly stress-inducing thing. With each passing day, the homework deadlines grow ever closer.

But your work output doesn’t seem to keep pace until finally, in a fit of frantic desperation, you complete the majority of the task in the last 3 hours before it’s due. You’re not alone.

We have no firm figures but based upon our own rather hasty research directly before writing this piece. The percentage of people in the world who habitually procrastinate to some degree equals approximately 99.9999999%.

We don’t know who that .0000001 is, but we’re reasonably sure we wouldn’t enjoy their company.

1. Examples Of Procrastinators

Some famous habitual procrastinators include the likes of French poet and novelist Victor Hugo. Or, American author Herman Melville, and British author Douglas Adams.

Of course, based on their creative output, one would assume that each of these people found ways of meeting their deadlines, and you’d be right.

Victor Hugo used the popular focusing technique of being stripped naked in his study by a servant, who was given strict orders not to return with the clothing until a pre-arranged hour. Melville had his wife chain him to his desk in order to finish Moby Dick.

Douglas Adams regularly required publishers to lock him in rooms and stand guard, glowering menacingly until he produced a manuscript. Alright, then.

Let’s explore a few less extreme ways to cope with an impending deadline.

2. Take Smaller Bites If You Have Too Much Homework

Anyone who’s ever attempted to shed a few unwanted pounds has probably heard or read the advice to take smaller bites, chew your food thoroughly, etc., etc.… This is excellent advice in both weight loss and in the avoidance of procrastination (albeit for very different reasons).

One of the biggest triggers of procrastination is making the crippling mistake of thinking of whatever project you’re working on as one gigantic, hulking menace glaring at you from a distance. He’s probably also holding a large club with spikes coming out of it (although that may just be us).

Divide the overall workload into smaller, more manageable bites. Say, for example, that you’re writing an article listing and detailing the top 20 universities in the UK.

The assignment is to write a total of 10,000 words. Returning briefly to our diet analogy, that initially seems roughly equivalent to being asked to consume an entire roasted goose in one sitting (but without the irresistible allure of the roasted goose).

Following the principle of the smaller bite, however, you’re able to say to yourself, “I don’t have to spill out 10,000 brilliant words onto the page all at once. I’ve got 20 universities to write about. That’s 500 words apiece. Let’s tackle that first one and then worry about the next.”

Taken even further, you realise that each university will have sub-sections of approximately 100 words each. “100 words is nothing!” you exclaim.

And so, you’re able to jump into your project with much less trepidation and despair.

3. Break The Task Up

Of course, breaking the task into smaller pieces is fine for getting you past that stumbling block of the blank page. But you should be aware of one possible pitfall: If you break things down too far, you might decide the project is so easy that you can wait a week or two to get started.

This is bad. A necessary addendum to the “Take Smaller Bites” technique is the “Make Smaller Deadlines” technique. With each sub-step you identify, you should also set a sub-deadline to keep you on track toward completing the entire project.

This is especially important when the overall deadline is further off into the hazy future. The farther out the deadline is, the easier it is to convince yourself to wait another day. Or two. Or twelve.

Smaller bites work well, but if you don’t pair them with smaller deadlines, you’ll likely end up facing the entire project in one go just as you feared you would from the beginning.

4. Give Yourself Permission to Fail

One of the biggest reasons for procrastination is not laziness  but perfectionism . Thomas Edison is a famous American inventor and originator of the electric light bulb and other modern conveniences. He famously refused to accept that he had  failed 10,000 times , opting instead to assert that he’d  found 10,000 ways that didn’t work.

It’s a valid point. From inventors to scientists to actors in rehearsals, brilliant discoveries and stunning performances can’t just spring fully-formed out of nothingness. They’re invariably the result of working through countless failures on the way toward eventual success.

Suppose you’re putting off starting a project because it’s just not the perfect time or because it might not be good enough. Well, you’re right. There is no ideal time, and your first (and second, and third…) try probably won’t be good enough. But you have to allow yourself the freedom to make those initial failures if you ever aspire to succeed truly.

If you’re writing an essay , a poem, or a novel, get something on the page. Sit down now and scribble down an initial list of required tasks if you’re planning an event. That first page may well end up in the trash, and that initial list will no doubt be incomplete.

But that “failure” will lead you to the next try and the next until perched upon a tower of failures, you finally grasp the elusive fruit of success. It’s in the doing that you’ll find success, not in waiting for the perfect time to begin.

5. Eliminate Distractions

Easier said than done these days is the task of eliminating distractions during the time you’ve committed to working. From phone calls to emails to texts to Facebook to Twitter to Snapchat and on and on and on, it seems the world today is nothing but distractions (or that work is just a distraction from the far more interesting buzzing phone in our pocket).

When it comes to time management, procrastination can be the anti-hero that you really don’t want in a time like this. The trick is to find a way to remove yourself from those things.

The first step is to identify the worst offenders. Is it the TikTok notifications popping up simultaneously on your phone and computer screen? The email or texts making your phone chime every 30 seconds? Or, simply the outside world as viewed through the window in front of your desk? Most likely, it’s a combination of some of these and a few other things we haven’t mentioned.

Once you’ve identified the problem, the actions you take are entirely up to you. Is signing out of TikTok enough, or do you need the nuclear option of deactivating the account? Will turning off the phone suffice, or will you need to have a friend or family member keep it for you? Can you close the blind or move your desk? Or must you board up the window? Be honest with yourself. Only you know the extents to which you need to resort to finish your homework.

…To yourself. Only to yourself.

When dealing with a deadline of any sort, it’s usually an excellent idea to set a personal deadline in advance of the actual due date. In other words, lie to yourself about when it’s due. The benefits of this approach are apparent. If your project is due in 3 weeks, and you give yourself 2 weeks, that gives you an entire week to address any unexpected issues that may arise. For example, a part of the homework assignment might be more complex than you initially anticipated.

Of course, this only works if you’re particularly good at lying to yourself. Some can’t ignore the actual due date, so they end up skipping a day of work here and there because they know they’ve got an extra week to get it done. If you’re not gullible enough to believe your own lies, the only option is to add some urgency to your earlier deadline. Have a trusted friend or family member change your social media passwords and only reveal them once you’ve met the deadline.

Give your debit card to your mom and live off only a small daily allowance until the deadline is met. Be creative, but make it something that will motivate you. You’ll thank yourself when you’ve finished your project a week early, and you can relax while everyone else is still sweating it out.

7. Prioritise the most important or difficult tasks first

You may be asking yourself how you can do this – and the simple answer to that is to create an Eisenhower Matrix. It’s a time management skills tool that can help students prioritise difficult assignments by tackling them first.

The Eisenhower Matrix, or the Urgent-Important Matrix, can help prioritise tasks based on their urgency and importance. It may feel like a chore, but use these steps to give you a head start before you complete all your work:

• Write a list of your homework tasks.
• Divide a sheet of paper into four quadrants, labelling each one as “Urgent and Important,” “Important but Not Urgent,” “Urgent but Not Important,” and “Not Urgent or Important.”
• Place each homework task into the appropriate quadrant based on its level of urgency and importance.
• Start with the “Urgent and Important” tasks and work on them first. These are the homework projects that are due soon and are critical to your grades.
• Next, move on to the “Important but Not Urgent” tasks. These are assignments that are important to your long-term success but do not have a pressing deadline.
• Next, the “Urgent but Not Important” assignments. These are tasks that may be due soon but are not critical to your success.
• Finally, the bottom of the pile is “Not Urgent or Important” tasks. These tasks are neither critical nor time-sensitive.

Using this matrix will help you to prioritise your homework and ensure that you are focusing on the most important tasks first.

8. Manage Your Time To Avoid Burnout

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into 25-minute intervals called “Pomodoros” followed by short breaks. During each interval, focus solely on completing a specific task , and then take a short break before starting another Pomodoro.

Repeat this cycle until you have completed all of your homework tasks. Ultimately, this technique helps to increase productivity and prevent burnout by giving your brain regular breaks even though you’re getting too much homework.

9. Seek help when needed, such as from a teacher or tutor.

Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of homework you have as a secondary school student? Fear not, my friend. One strategy to conquer this mountain of assignments is to seek help when needed. But how do you do that?

• Identify the problem: what specifically is causing you to have too much homework? Is it a lack of understanding of the material, difficulty with time management, or something else? Knowing the problem will help you to better communicate it to your teacher or tutor.
• Ask the teacher: your first point of contact should be your teacher. Explain your situation and ask for help. Your teacher may be able to provide you with additional resources or offer to provide extra help during class or after the school day.
• Seek a tutor: If you are still struggling after talking to your teacher, consider seeking help from a tutor. Tutors can provide one-on-one help, can work with you at your own pace and help you with exam preparation .
• Utilise school resources: Many schools have resources such as a homework club or study groups that can help you to manage your workload. Take advantage of these resources if they are available to you.

10. Run Away (haha!)

Sometimes all that’s needed to jumpstart your initiative and get you headed in the right direction is a simple change of venue. There are many resources on the internet to help you choose or arrange your workspace so as to maximise productivity.

One thing to keep in mind is that many productivity experts frown on combining your workspace with your sleeping space. The theory is that combining the two harms both your work and your sleep by confusing your brain as to exactly what the room is meant to be for.

Of course, as a student, your sleeping space may be the only workspace you’ve got. But if you do find your work or rest to be suffering, it might be worth it to move your work sessions to a friend’s room, the library, or another suitable space and save your room for relaxation.

It’s also good to remember that, just because your workspace of choice has been the most inspiring and focused place to get things done in the past, things can change. If your workspace no longer does the job, don’t waste too much time figuring out why. It may just be time for you to find someplace new.

What to do instead of homework?

Whether your homework is complete, or if you’re just managing your time and taking a break, then these 10 activities can keep you active without sitting in front of the TV:

• Exercise or go for a walk: it actually helps to boost your energy levels and improve your focus on your homework.
• Read a book: a great way to relax and unwind while also improving your vocabulary and concentration for future essay writing.
• Meditate or practice yoga: Mindfulness practices can help to reduce stress, and improve focus and other health benefits.
• Organise your space: Organising your workspace space can help to reduce stress and increase productivity.
• Take a nap: A short nap can help to refresh your mind and improve your focus, and who doesn’t love a quick nap?
• Use a study app for students to increase their productivity while keeping you on your phone
• Spend time with friends or family
• Learn a new skill or hobby
• Listen to music or an audiobook
• Write in a journal or diary about how your day is going
• Volunteer in your community

Can Too Much Homework Be Negative To A Student?

Yes, too much homework can be negative for students as it can lead to anxiety and stress due to them feeling overwhelmed. But it depends on the student, their level of understanding, and their individual needs. However, let’s say you’re spending more than 2 hours on homework every night, then that may be ‘too much’.

This can also contribute to sleep deprivation, problems with friends and family and a lack of motivation to learn more.

What is Homework Anxiety?

Homework anxiety is a type of anxiety that can occur in students when they are assigned homework. It is characterised by feelings of stress, worry, and pressure in relation to completing homework assignments. Symptoms of homework anxiety can include procrastination, difficulty concentrating, and physical symptoms such as headaches or stomachaches.

What Causes Homework Anxiety?

For some students, it may be due to a lack of understanding of the material or difficulty with time management. For others, it may be related to perfectionism or fear of failure. Additionally, students who experience homework anxiety may also have underlying anxiety disorders, such as generalised anxiety disorder or OCD.

Do You Feel More Confident To Do Your Homework?

Procrastination is a very common ailment. One that has afflicted most of us at one time or another, but there are ways to keep yourself on track. These six tips are just a few things to consider if you find yourself consistently clamouring to finish your work at the last minute. There are many other resources on the web if you find that these don’t work out for you.

Now, get to work (and good luck).

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Too Much Homework Hurts Your Students. Here’s What to Do Instead.

• Post author: The CTTL
• Post published: February 28, 2019
• Post category: Teaching Strategies

At the CTTL , we’re focused on using the best of Mind, Brain, and Education Science research to help teachers maximize their effectiveness and guide students toward their greatest potential. Doing that often means addressing what we like to call “Learning Myths”—those traditional bits of teaching wisdom that are often accepted without question, but aren’t always true. We also like to introduce new insight that can change the classroom for the better. In our Learning Myths series, we’ll explore true-or-false statements that affect teacher and student performance; for each, we’ll dive into the details that support the facts, leaving teachers with actionable knowledge that they can put to work right away.

True or False? Homework should be given every night, as this routine promotes learning.

Answer: False! Nightly homework is unnecessary—and can actually be harmful.

Homework for homework’s sake, or homework that’s not tied into the classroom experience, is a demotivating waste of your students’ time and energy. The Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit puts it this way: “Planned and focused activities are more beneficial than homework, which is more regular, but may be routine or not linked with what is being learned in class.”

How might teachers put this insight into action?

Homework, in itself, isn’t a bad thing. The key is to make sure that every homework assignment is both necessary and relevant—and leaves students with some time to rest and investigate other parts of their lives. Here are four key mindsets to adopt as an educator:

Resist the traditional wisdom that equates hardship with learning. Assigning constant homework is often tied into the idea that the more rigorous a class is, the better it is. However, according to research from Duke University’s Professor Harris Cooper, this belief is mistaken: “too much homework may diminish its effectiveness, or even become counterproductive.” A better guideline for homework, Cooper suggests, is to assign 1-2 hours of total homework in high school, and only up to 1 hour in junior high or middle school. This is based on the understanding that school-aged children are developing quickly in multiple realms of their lives; thus, family, outside interests, and sleep all take an unnecessary and damaging hit if students are spending their evenings on busy work. Even for high schoolers, more than two hours of homework was not associated with greater levels of achievement in Cooper’s study.

Remember that some assignments help learning more than others—and they tend to be simple, connected ones. Research suggests that the more open-ended and unstructured assignments are, the smaller the effect they have on learning. The best kind of homework is made of planned, focused activities that help reinforce what’s been happening in class. Using the spacing effect is one way to help students recall and remember what they’ve been learning: for example, this could include a combination of practice questions from what happened today, three days ago, and five days ago. (You can also consider extending this idea by integrating concepts and skills from other parts of your course into your homework materials). Another helpful approach is to assign an exercise that acts as a simple introduction to material that is about to be taught. In general, make sure that all at-home activities are a continuation of the story that’s playing out in class—in other words, that they’re tied into what happened before the assignment, as well as what will happen next.

When it comes to homework, stay flexible. Homework shouldn’t be used to teach complex new ideas and skills. Because it’s so important that homework is closely tied with current learning, it’s important to prepare to adjust your assignments on the fly: if you end up running out of time and can’t cover all of a planned subject on a given day, nix any homework that relies on it.

Never use homework as a punishment. Homework should never be used as a disciplinary tool or a penalty. It’s important for students to know and trust that what they’re doing at home is a vital part of their learning.

Make sure that your students don’t get stuck before they begin. Teachers tend to under-appreciate one very significant problem when it comes to homework: often, students just don’t know how to do the assignment! Being confused by the instructions—and without the means to remedy the situation—is extremely demotivating. If you find (or suspect) that this might be a problem for your students, one helpful strategy is to give students a few minutes in class to begin their homework, so that you can address any clarifying questions that arise.

In order for students to become high academic achievers, they have to be learning in a way that challenges them at the right level— much like the porridge in the Goldilocks story, it’s got to be just right. Homework is a great tool, but it must be used wisely. Part of our role as teachers is to make sure that the time we ask our students to give us after they leave class is meaningful to their learning; otherwise, the stress and demotivation of “just because” homework can be detrimental to their well-being. As the CTTL’s Dr. Ian Kelleher advises, “The best homework assignments are just 20 minutes long, because those are the ones that the teacher has really planned out carefully.” Put simply: quality beats out quantity, every time.

Here at the CTTL, we’re all about quality over quantity. Case in point: our newest endeavor, Neuroteach Global , helps teachers infuse their classroom practices with research-informed strategies for student success—in just 3-5 minutes a day, on a variety of devices.

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How Much Homework is Too Much?

When redesigning a course or putting together a new course, faculty often struggle with how much homework and readings to assign. Too little homework and students might not be prepared for the class sessions or be able to adequately practice basic skills or produce sufficient in-depth work to properly master the learning goals of the course. Too much and some students may feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to keep up or have to sacrifice work in other courses.

A common rule of thumb is that students should study three hours for each credit hour of the course, but this isn’t definitive. Universities might recommend that students spend anywhere from two or three hours of study or as much as six to nine hours of study or more for each course credit hour. A 2014 study found that, nationwide, college students self reported spending about 17 hours each week on homework, reading and assignments. Studies of high school students show that too much homework can produce diminishing returns on student learning, so finding the right balance can be difficult.

There are no hard and fast rules about the amount of readings and homework that faculty assign. It will vary according to the university, the department, the level of the classes, and even other external factors that impact students in your course. (Duke’s faculty handbook addresses many facets of courses, such as absences, but not the typical amount of homework specifically.)

To consider the perspective of a typical student that might be similar to the situations faced at Duke, Harvard posted a blog entry by one of their students aimed at giving students new to the university about what they could expect. There are lots of readings, of course, but time has to be spent on completing problem sets, sometimes elaborate multimedia or research projects, responding to discussion posts and writing essays. Your class is one of several, and students have to balance the needs of your class with others and with clubs, special projects, volunteer work or other activities they’re involved with as part of their overall experience.

The Rice Center for Teaching Excellence has some online calculators for estimating class workload that can help you get a general understanding of the time it may take for a student to read a particular number of pages of material at different levels or to complete essays or other types of homework.

To narrow down your decision-making about homework when redesigning or creating your own course, you might consider situational factors that may influence the amount of homework that’s appropriate.

Connection with your learning goals

Is the homework clearly connected with the learning goals of your students for a particular class session or week in the course? Students will find homework beneficial and valuable if they feel that it is meaningful . If you think students might see readings or assignments as busy work, think about ways to modify the homework to make a clearer connection with what is happening in class. Resist the temptation to assign something because the students need to know it. Ask yourself if they will actually use it immediately in the course or if the material or exercises should be relegated to supplementary material.

Levels of performance

The type of readings and homework given to first year students will be very different from those given to more experienced individuals in higher-level courses. If you’re unsure if your readings or other work might be too easy (or too complex) for students in your course, ask a colleague in your department or at another university to give feedback on your assignment. If former students in the course (or a similar course) are available, ask them for feedback on a sample reading or assignment.

Common practices

What are the common practices in your department or discipline? Some departments, with particular classes, may have general guidelines or best practices you can keep in mind when assigning homework.

External factors

What type of typical student will be taking your course? If it’s a course preparing for a major or within an area of study, are there other courses with heavy workloads they might be taking at the same time? Are they completing projects, research, or community work that might make it difficult for them to keep up with a heavy homework load for your course?

Students who speak English as a second language, are first generation students, or who may be having to work to support themselves as they take courses may need support to get the most out of homework. Detailed instructions for the homework, along with outlining your learning goals and how the assignment connects the course, can help students understand how the readings and assignments fit into their studies. A reading guide, with questions prompts or background, can help students gain a better understanding of a reading. Resources to look up unfamiliar cultural references or terms can make readings and assignments less overwhelming.

If you would like more ideas about planning homework and assignments for your course or more information and guidance on course design and assessment, contact Duke Learning Innovation to speak with one of our consultants .

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When is Homework Too Much

Do you ever feel that you are working thrice the number of assignments that you should? Sometimes you feel so swamped with homework you have to bring home that it feels like you have no more free time to spend for yourself and for your friends and family?

There could be times that teachers and professors assign you a bulk of the workload, especially over the holidays, with the reason that they don’t want you to forget what you learned in their classroom. Some teachers give you papers, reports, or math and physics worksheets that they don’t seem to remember that you have other classes you also have to focus on.

Inevitably, homework becomes too much to handle at times. Here are the instances when your assumption that it’s just too much homework could be right:

You are experiencing symptoms of stress

Symptoms of stress include headaches, stomach pains, sleep deprivation, weight loss or sudden weight gain, lack of appetite, low energy, and frequent colds and infections. These symptoms can lead to serious health issues and mental sickness. If you have at least two of these symptoms and you are sure that it is connected to the amount of workload you have to bring home from school, this validates that your homework is too much.

You are sacrificing sleep

Sleep is important . It helps your brain regenerate all the cells that you lost as you go through your rigorous routine. If you are sacrificing sleep for homework, that is being counterproductive in learning. Going to school the next day with just an hour or two of sleep affects your ability to learn and focus. You will surely find it hard to stay awake in class, understand what your professor discusses and retain the lessons in your mind. Sleep deprivation can also damage your immune system, which can lead to serious medical conditions in the long term.

Your friends no longer expect you to join them in weekend night outs

If your friends invite you to dinner on a Friday night and they don’t insist that you come with them if you say no, chances have they just invited you for formality reasons. They don’t expect you to come, and they know that there is no getting through you even if they insisted. You should have fun with your friends on weekends. It is a good way to develop your social skills, which helps build character.

You barely have time to see your family

Most of the time, college asks you to be away from your family, because you attend university in a different state. Weekends, and particularly moreover winter breaks, are the only time you get to see and spend time with your family. However, this is not happening because you have to stay in your dorm to finish the take-home work your professor assigned you to do. Maybe you get to be home during the break but you’re stuck in your room working the whole time. Sacrificing family time because of homework should never happen.

You feel like you’re not learning anything important

College requires you to have several subjects in different departments. General education subjects such as Natural Science, Math, English, and Philosophy are basic requirements you need to pass in order to move on to the next year. However, these subjects should not hinder you from learning more about your major classes–subjects that you actually need to ace for your college major. If your general education subjects ask for too much workload, you must talk to your professor or department advisor about it. You must have more time learning and practice what you are majoring in because those give you the actual skills you need for your future career.

You have no more time to enjoy what you really like doing

Spending time for yourself–relaxing and taking the day off, doing what you actually love, honing your skills and talents–is necessary for character building. And we all know how important character and personality are as soon as you graduate from university and start looking for a job to kick-start your career. Most companies choose people who fit their brand character, and if you spend too much time focusing on the wrong things such as doing loads of homework in order to not fail the subject, you get no time to find out who you really are. You miss the chance of doing the things you love.

Too much homework can actually take the time you need for your emotional and mental development. In most cases, it can actually be counterproductive to your health and learning. If you feel like you sacrifice too much time doing homework, do know that you can seek help from a professional . Too much homework is just not worth it if it means that you can’t enjoy what really matters.

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How Much Homework is Too Much?

• March 26, 2024

Home Educators Blog

An age-old debate among educators , students, and parents revolves around the question, “How much homework is too much?” If you have a child in school, then you know that their answer is “any homework” is too much. Research on this topic offers compelling evidence for both sides of this debate. On one side, homework can reinforce learning and improve students’ grades; on the other, homework can be stressful and negatively impact students’ mental health. Here, we’ll take a closer look at both sides of the argument, as well as explore how you can find the right balance.

The Impact of Homework

While homework has always been a controversial debate, it’s also been a staple in many classrooms. It’s designed to reinforce what students are learning in the classroom. Proponents of homework say it can help students develop good study habits, give them a sense of responsibility, and give their parents an idea of what their child is learning.

Past  research  has shown that middle school and high school students who do homework do better on standardized tests. 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.

Students Mental Health

The potential downsides of too much homework can have a negative impact on student mental health says  research from Stanford University. The study showed that students who spent too much time on homework felt more stressed, experienced more physical health problems such as headaches, sleep deprivation, and weight loss, and felt they had a hard time balancing their lives outside of the classroom. They also suggested that any more than two hours of homework per night would be counterproductive. Some  mental health experts  agree, saying a heavy workload can indeed do more harm than good.

Finding the Right Balance

As mentioned earlier, research has shown that one of the downsides of too much homework is that students have a hard time balancing homework and their social lives. The key is to strike a balance between both.

Follow Guidelines

For homework to have a positive impact on students, then you must follow grade-specific guidelines. The National Education Association and the National PTA recommend the “ten-minute rule.” This rule suggests ten minutes of homework per grade level. So, first graders would have ten minutes of homework per night, while sixth graders would have one hour, and twelfth graders would have two hours. While not everyone agrees with this recommendation, it is a general guideline recommended by experts and used by many school districts. Ultimately, it is up to you, as the teacher or your administrator, if they have specific rules for you to follow.

Create Purposeful Assignments

The quality of homework assignments matters. According to authors from the Stanford study, homework should have a purpose. Assignments that align with what students are learning can be more effective. When giving homework, think about quality or quantity. Ask yourself, “Is the assignment meaningful?” Design homework that stimulates thinking without overwhelming students. For older students, remember your class isn’t the only class they are taking.

Consider Individual Needs

Just as there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of “How much is too much homework”, it’s important to recognize there is also no one-size-fits-all approach regarding students’ individual needs. Each student has different learning styles and abilities, and recognizing this diversity will help you accommodate each student, so they are successful and efficient at completing their homework. Being flexible with each students’ unique circumstance will help them be able to strike a balance between their homework and their lives.

Other Factors to Consider

When assessing the amount of homework you should assign, a few other factors to consider include the role parents may play and the resources available to them at home. These factors are essential in helping you develop your homework strategy.

Parental Involvement

Parents play an important role in their child’s education. Their guidance and support can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of a student’s homework. However, parental involvement may vary. Overly involved parents may hinder students from mastering their skills by doing their homework for them, whereas less engaged parents may not be home to offer help or not offer help to a child who needs it. This variety in parental involvement shows how important it is to strike a balanced approach to homework.

Access to Resources

In this digital age, it may be hard to fathom that not all children will have access to resources at home such as the internet, however, these are the unfortunate facts. While the percentage may be low, ethnicity and income do play a part in those who have access to resources such as internet connectivity. To ensure that homework serves a purpose and is not a barrier, keep in mind students’ availability of resources when thinking about the amount of homework you are assigning.

There is no right or wrong answer to the question, “How much homework is too much?” It depends on many factors, such as academic performance, mental health, students’ ability to balance their lives, and their access to available resources. As the quest for answers continues, it’s important to foster homework practices that align with a purpose and are tailored to the needs of your students. Keep in mind that most adults don’t come home after a full day at work and then work for another two to three hours, so your students should not have to either.

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A Balanced Homework: How Much Homework is Too Much?

One topic that is still hotly contested in the continuous discussion over educational methods is how much homework is too much. Knowing how much homework is appropriate becomes crucial as parents, teachers, and students attempt to strike a balance between academic rigor and personal well-being. This blog will discuss the value of homework, things to think about while giving it, and ways to make sure it accomplishes its goals without burdening students.

Why Homework is Important

With the goals of enhancing classroom instruction , fostering academic discipline, and developing study skills, homework has long been a necessary part of the educational process. The following are the main goals of homework:

Reinforcement: Homework gives students the chance to practice and apply new information, which helps reinforce topics gained in class.

Responsibility: Frequent homework helps students develop independence by teaching them time management and responsibility skills.

Preparation: It guarantees that students stay interested in the material by getting them ready for forthcoming classes and tests.

Even with these advantages, homework load can have a big impact on students' academic performance and general well-being.

Things to Consider When Giving Homework

Several important criteria must be taken into account while determining the right amount of homework:

1. Age and Developmental Stage

Younger students need more free time for unstructured play because they have shorter attention spans. While older students can manage more difficult schoolwork, they often have other responsibilities to consider.

2. Individual Student Needs

It is essential to acknowledge that every kid possesses distinct strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. Tailoring schoolwork to these requirements can improve its efficacy.

3. Extracurricular Activities

Students frequently engage in extracurricular activities that support their general development, such as athletics and the arts. Balance your homework to make time for these activities.

Define the Purpose of Homework

Clearly defining the purpose of homework is essential for it to be effective. Educators should ensure that assignments:

• Reinforce and expand on classroom learning.
• Encourage critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Develop independent study habits.
• Prepare students for future lessons.

By focusing on these objectives, homework can be a powerful tool for learning rather than a source of stress.

Take High School Schedules into Consideration

Students in high school usually balance several classes, each with a different set of homework obligations. To make sure that the workload is reasonable and does not overwhelm kids, educators should collaborate. The needs of several disciplines can be balanced with the aid of collaborative planning .

Remember That Teens Need Sleep

For teenagers to have good physical and mental health, they must get enough sleep. According to studies, high school kids should get eight to ten hours of sleep every night, but many don't get enough because of their overwhelming workload.

A lack of sleep can cause a variety of complications, such as mood changes, poor academic performance, and health problems. Thus, it's imperative to make sure that schoolwork doesn't interfere with students' sleep schedules.

Reasons Not to Overwork High School Students

1. Create Resilient Learners, Not Perfectionists

A perfectionist mindset, where students feel tremendous pressure to attain good marks at all costs, can be fostered by an abundance of homework. Creativity and resilience may be hindered by this. By giving students a manageable amount of homework, teachers may help them cultivate a growth attitude and learn from their mistakes.

2. Instill the Lifelong Importance of Play and Rest

Well-rounded homework strategies emphasize the value of relaxation time. Rest and play are essential for healthy emotional and cognitive growth. Making time for these pursuits for students can contribute to a better, more balanced lifestyle.

3. Avoid Early Academic Burnout

Undertaking excessive workloads regularly puts students at the danger of academic burnout. Weariness, a decline in motivation, and emotional exhaustion are among the symptoms. Keeping a healthy balance between work and play is essential to preventing burnout.

4. It Is All About Health

Excessive homework can hurt kids' physical and mental health. Overworked students are more likely to experience stress, anxiety, and sadness. Encouraging kids to tackle schoolwork in a balanced way can safeguard their general health and well-being.

Maintaining an efficient and positive learning environment requires striking the correct balance when it comes to assignments. Even if homework is still a valuable teaching tool, kids' well-being shouldn't be sacrificed for it. Teachers can give homework that improves learning without overloading students by taking into account aspects including age, individual needs, extracurricular activities, and the need for sleep.

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