After a long day of lectures, club meetings, and maybe even a part-time job, students finally get home, only to be greeted with hours of homework. Many students argue that professors should have a limit on how much homework they can assign. However, while I do believe that professors should be mindful of how much work they give, these assignments play an integral role in the learning process.
There is truth to the claim that students sometimes receive too much homework. These large workloads can be overwhelming and can lead to mental health issues like stress and anxiety. It’s understandable to feel frustrated when the schoolwork doesn’t seem to improve grades . If there is no merit in doing schoolwork, students feel that doing it is a waste of time and effort.
However, completely doing away with homework is not a viable solution. These assignments are meant to help students understand the material better. If there is a reduction in the amount of homework , students will need to study on their own to make sure they are still learning effectively.
Students need to reflect on how they approach their assignments. Instead of seeing homework as just another task to complete, they should treat it as an opportunity to understand concepts better. Being intentional about learning makes a difference. Moreover, since homework takes up a lot of time, it’s also important to start early. Rushing to finish work at the last minute doesn’t allow for real learning; it just leads to stress and mistakes.
At the same time, professors should also be mindful of the workload they assign. Assignments that don’t encourage critical thinking like repetitive problem sets with little variation, lengthy reading summaries, or overly long discussion posts can feel like busy work. Professors should also avoid overloading students with excessive work for less demanding classes like a one-credit class.
Homework is an important part of the learning process, but there needs to be a balance . Students should approach assignments with a mindset of intentional learning rather than just completion, and professors should be mindful of how much work they assign. Ultimately, learning works best when students and professors consider each other’s perspectives.