When the dismissal bell rings, students get excited that the day is finally over. Then, once they get home, that excitement wears off as they realize how behind they are on homework. If they do it, their grade will improve, but the desire to take a nap or binge-watch their favorite show will forever be the more appealing option.

Homework has been a consistent part of school for years. Teachers typically give it to help kids practice the materials taught in class. It can benefit students and help keep parents involved with what their kids are being taught. Homework will also help teachers to understand where their students may be struggling and how they can help them.

However, too much homework can build up and affect a student’s mental health. In high school, many students have either jobs or other after-school activities. Staying up late to get everything done is sometimes the only option. It can be a tough battle picking between what needs to come first. 

It isn’t always a child’s ability to understand the work; some students may not have a quiet place away from family to stay focused. They also may not have someone at home to answer questions they might have. 

“Homework can be harmful if the student is ‘practicing’ the assignment incorrectly. Generally, it isn’t harmful,” English teacher Mrs. Nellie Mumaw said.

One of the biggest reasons students give for not doing their homework on time is “but I had no time at home.”

Mumaw says she thinks this reason is excusable for some students.

“If the student uses his/her class time appropriately, I am happy to give them an extension. Now if him/her is goofing off and wasting time in class, then next time they will just have to think about using class time wisely,” Mumaw said.

Procrastination is a significant reason that students do not complete their work on time. 

“I don’t give a lot of homework. A lot of my students have jobs or are involved in sports and don’t have a lot of time after school. If I give homework, I feel like it needs to be 100% necessary,” Mumaw said.

Junior Lilah Capone says she tries to balance her at-home life with school.

“I don’t think homework is always bad, but it seems that most of my teachers tend to give it all out on the same day, so I’m up all night trying to complete it on time,” Capone said.

Cornell Health reports that students are more likely to work efficiently throughout their day if they get at least 9 hours of sleep. Most high schoolers aren’t able to be asleep before 10 p.m. every night to meet that 9-hour mark.

“By the time I get home, I can hardly even remember how to do the work we did at 8 that morning,” Capone said.

National Society of High School Scholars recommends teachers give 10 minutes of homework a day. That is 70 minutes of homework every night for students who have seven classes.

“If my teachers made the work extra credit, then I would do it when I could and not have to worry about how much my grade would go down on days I don’t have the time,” Capone said.