“From teachers’ academy, work, and getting ready for the next day, homework doesn’t fit well into my schedule most days,” said senior Brandi-Rose Phiri.

 According to a Stanford study, 56 percent of students named homework as their number one cause for stress. Many students simply don’t have time for homework due to busy after-school schedules.

 By far, the largest impact homework has is stress. The American Institute of Stress says that stress can affect things such as behavior and mood. These physical effects on students can impact their performance in school in a very negative way.

Homework is intended to help students understand a subject better, but with the stress it causes, homework does the opposite of its intention. 

“I couldn’t count the number of days I’ve stayed up past one in the morning trying to complete homework for the next day. It doesn’t really help out in the long run since I’m so tired the next day,” said senior Grant Kahler.

Homework can only be beneficial in moderation, but many teachers assign too much. According to a study conducted by the Washington Post of over 50 thousand people, high school students reported that they had to do an average of 2.7 hours of homework each night.

“I would say I spend about three hours a night on homework,” said Loy Norrix senior Jayda Smith.

According to the National Education Association, it is recommended that teachers use the 10 minute per grade level rule. Every grade level should get an extra 10 minutes compared to the previous year, starting with first grade at 10 minutes. This being said, high schoolers should be receiving a maximum of an hour and a half to two hours of homework a night. That’s about 18 to 24 minutes of homework, per class, per night. 

Homework can not only impact students negatively, but also teachers and parents. 

As teachers assign homework, they will have more to grade which can affect their very limited time. It can even impact their home life since they may have to spend time after school grading assignments at home.

Loy Norrix senior Livia Apperley said, “I remember when my mom would spend an hour or so a night just helping me with homework when I was little. It seemed like it was pretty stressful for her.” 

Parents can also be affected by homework. Parents might have to dedicate time with their kids to help them with homework, especially younger children. This could take time and energy away from some more important tasks such as cooking, chores or their own jobs. 

The stress, negative impact on academic performance and other obstructive effects that homework can have might make you question if homework is really worth it.