Students have had reasons to complain that they usually get too much work than they can handle within a short time. And rightfully so, going by the volume of assignments that students sometimes get, they barely have the chance to do anything else. Experts say students should only be given tasks that will not take them more than 30 minutes to complete, but teachers flout this by giving tasks that will take students hours to finish. Here’s a look at some of the disadvantages and advantages of homework.
Disadvantages of Homework
- Downtime after school
After 8 hours of attending classes, students are supposed to spend some time developing their social and extra-curricular skills. But instead, they are saddled with the task of completing assignments that might take another two hours. This takes away all the fun that the student may want to have with their friends and family.
- Negative effects on test performance
The same way we advocate for students not to spend too much time on video games should be the same way students should not spend too much time on assignments. Spending hours on assignments put the student at risk of failing their examinations and tests.
- Additional Challenges
Some students juggle schooling with part-time jobs, internships, and other activities. If they have to do a lot of assignments, it burns them out and leaves them unproductive as a whole.
- Irrelevant Content
Some home assignments are completely different from what was covered in class. It defeats the purpose of assignments when students are asked to execute tasks that they have no knowledge about. It is completely unethical, and they cannot get excellent grades that way.
Advantages of Homework
It is not all doom and gloom for homework and its proponents. At least, we do not feel that homework is disadvantageous in its entirety. To be clear, we believe in homework, but we are only proposing a situation where students can be sent home with fewer tasks and to spend a time fraction of the time they spent in school. Check out some of the benefits of homework below;
- Reducing Screen time
In the absence of home assignments, the average student will spend their time on the things that they enjoy, and even worse, they will get carried away while at it. Students do not mind playing video games, watching TV, movies, or checking social media all day. The recommended time that anybody should spend looking into any screen per day is three hours. Having nothing else to do other than look into gadget screens all day leads to lazy and productive students. It also causes eye issues and defeats the primary purpose of having homework – better life and study habits.
- Time Management
Everyone should be able to manage time. Twenty-four hours can speed by fast without you getting anything done. With homework, it becomes a life skill for you, and you will be able to make judicious use of your time.
- Homework helps develop memory and critical thinking abilities
Homework usually comprises of unique tasks that require putting the brain to work. It is quite effective at helping you develop your critical thinking skills.
- It helps create a sense of independence
Working and getting solutions on your home helps you develop a sense of independence. You also get to discover your weaknesses and strengths.