In September, homework is manageable for students, but as the year goes on, more work is given, overwhelming many students and affecting their grades. As the year progresses, both the difficulty and the amount of homework multiplies, and the number of exams increase.
Trey Carlson (’16) feels that he cannot complete all of his homework while keeping up with his life and sleep. “There have been a few days where I have stayed up long after I ever needed to stay up during first semester to complete my homework,” he said.

High School Social Studies Teacher and 11th Grade Dean Meg Bailey believes that the SAT only adds to the growing workload. “I think [sleep] is a problem for a percentage of students. I think kids who are taking challenging classes and are really trying hard to get better grades and are also doing SAT prep or ACT prep are going to bed really late,” she said.

As the year goes on, many students are forced to make a choice. They have to sacrifice some of their social lives and sleep to complete all of their homework, or slack off on their work. The increase in homework throughout the year both strains students and affects their grades. Carlson thinks that he puts so much work into his classes with a larger workload that he is “not doing as well in other classes.”
Some students agree that there is one clear way of keeping homework more manageable. Yonatan Lavi (’17), thinks that teachers should assign a few minutes at the end of class to start homework more often. “When teachers give some time at the end of class to start homework, it makes a big difference,” he said.

Nelson Boachie-Yiadom (’17) believes that adding time in class to do homework could also help students who are confused and need help with homework. “I think teachers could make time during class to start homework. That way, if you have a question, you can ask it in class rather than needing to set up a meeting. I think that would limit stress,” he said.

There is a large fluctuation of homework from night to night, which also adds to stress. Students have found themselves left with almost no homework at times, while at other times they are swamped with homework from all of their classes. “On certain days I have no homework whatsoever, and the next day I’ll have three projects due,” Carlson said.

One way of solving the fluctuation and keeping the night-to-night workload more steady could be with more interaction between teachers. “I think teachers should cooperate with each other and talk to each other about the amount of homework they are giving the students,” Lavi said.

Bailey thinks that “teachers have got to have information out for a week in advance.” That way, Bailey added, students would be able to manage their time better and set their schedule in advance to solve the night-to-night fluctuation.

Teachers can also encourage a better relationship with students outside of class, but Carlson feels that there is a block between students and teachers. “I really think that naturally the student-teacher relationship blocks communication, especially in high school,” Carlson said.
Bailey acknowledges that the student-teacher relationship is not ideal, citing the fact that students often come into meetings dreading the worst. “I think all we can do is offer.

I think that kids sometimes assume that the conversation isn’t going to go well because they are worried, when in fact it is,” Bailey said, adding that she appreciates when students ask for help outside of class rather than in the middle of class.

Students can take responsibility and ask for extensions if they are having problems. If the incompletion of homework is not a common issue, Bailey is happy to give extensions as long as students ask in advance. “For the most part, every kid asks once, so of course I give them extensions if it doesn’t become common,” she said.