Students’ opinions on homework vary

In movies and TV shows, we constantly see the classic trope: lazy kids hate homework, smart kids love it. In real life, it’s more complicated than that. The topic of homework is a controversial one amongst students and teachers. Is homework fair to students? Is it necessary? CF students Senior Anna Brodahl and junior Jada Zars offer their unique perspectives on how homework affects students’ daily lives.

Brodahl is a dedicated student, in several AP classes and extracurriculars such as cross country and theater. She believes that homework is essential in learning how to function in life after high school. 

“It’s an important skill to learn,” she said. “In real life you’ll get a job and there will probably be lots of work, and you will have to learn how to work on things outside of school or your job to get them done.” 

Brodahl emphasizes that while sometimes homework can feel overwhelming, it also teaches students a valuable lesson: how to do hard work. She said that in her Junior year she was spending up to five hours a week on homework, but that after all of that she is a better student and worker.

Another point Brodahl argued was that homework and challenge provokes growth. She said,

“You should be working hard at school. You should be learning things. It means that you’re using your critical thinking skills.”

What she was saying is that if school were easy and work-less for everyone, no one would be able to function in the real world. Often jobs require that workers finish tasks in a timely manner, and if they don’t, they must finish on their own time, just like school.

On the other hand, Zars argues that while some homework brings order, too much can bring stress with no purpose.

“Busy work homework is not helpful at all,” she said. “I think it stresses students that already have a full schedule.”

Jada is also in AP classes and said that she spends on average four to five hours a week on homework. She argues that homework is only truly necessary if it’s leftover work from class time, not just senseless busywork because if it isn’t necessary to the curriculum it is taking time out of her day that could be spent with friends, family or practicing extracurriculars. 

In the end, everyone has different views on homework, but one fact remains the same: CF students should do theirs!