BY CHRIS SANCHEZ

Its 2:46 in the afternoon on the best day of the week, Friday. As I’m walking out of the classroom, ideas come to my head on how to spend my day. Should I go to the mall with my friends? Go watch that movie I’ve been dying to see? Or just go home and relax? As my mind goes off with ideas, I can’t help to remember that huge project I haven’t done yet. Or that assignment I still need to do. For me, this is a typical Friday like any other. As I walk home, I try to remember the last time I enjoyed a weekend without having to worry about some assignment I haven’t done. Not only do I have to worry about homework on the weekend, but throughout the week as well. Not to forget I have other things like soccer practice or doing my chores around the house. My parents tell me it’s my fault I get so behind on my homework, when in reality it’s homework that’s getting me behind on homework itself. Confusing? Not really. It’s simply homework overload.

Some teachers believe that assigning more homework will help improve test scores. If other schools in other countries can get their students to score higher in tests, why give so much more homework here. It clearly doesn’t mean students will have higher test scores. Some people argue that a lot of homework challenges the student’s brain and makes them smarter and better prepared for high school, college, and the working life. Clearly that is a lie. I’m in high school, I get a lot of homework, and I’m still struggling just to keep a 2.0. Too much homework causes me as well as other students’ to lose interest in learning. Is that really what teachers and parents want? A bunch of kids who want to be anywhere but school.

If schools assign less homework, it would benefit teachers, parents, and students alike. Teachers won’t have to grade so many papers every night, when instead they could be focusing on more important things. A student who is assigned less homework will probably end up enjoying school more rather than ending up half asleep. As for the parents, they can look forward to stress-free, carefree nights, and finally, the teachers can too. So let’s put an end to homework overload as soon as possible, I really want to enjoy this upcoming weekend.