Sleep deprivation is an epidemic here on campus. However, the bigger issue is how excessively homework is assigned. It seems that every semester, at least one of my classes is weeks behind the professor’s anticipated plan, and to ensure that the class is on track, more work is assigned to make up for the lag. However, this may be greatly contributing to low grades, low sleep and other factors that lead to underperformance in school.
Students have reported that homework is their primary source of stress, and as many people know, stress can lead to health issues like headaches, stomach problems and sleep deprivation. Students may also have much less time for friends, family, hobbies and other extracurricular activities. As a result of this, many students also experienced a negative impact on their mental health. Spending long hours doing homework on weekends may be a risk factor for increased depression. Beyond a certain point, the academic benefits of homework tend to level off or even turn negative. Some research suggests that students even perform worse on homework after a certain amount of time. Students may become frustrated if they don’t understand the work, can’t organize it or have trouble managing their time. I know from personal experience that if I have so much homework to do, I do it just so it’s done. I stop learning and it’s just treated as busy work.
Homework may exacerbate inequality among students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students with limited access to resources, such as computers or quiet study spaces, may struggle to complete assignments on an equal footing with their peers. Students who also have to work tend to suffer more academically as they have much less time to devote to homework as their peers.
For some students, homework can become monotonous and repetitive, stifling their enthusiasm for learning. Excessive focus on completing assignments may hinder opportunities for creative exploration and independent thinking, limiting their overall educational experience. Another issue is the potential for academic dishonesty. With the prevalence of online resources, the temptation for academic dishonesty, such as copying or plagiarizing, becomes more significant. Homework assignments that primarily involve rote memorization may discourage genuine engagement and encourage shortcuts.
Another issue is the “high-performance paradox.” The more time a student devotes to their studies, the more another aspect of their life tends to suffer. I, for one, have experienced this. I devote hours of my time to scheduling and organizing my classes and assignments, only to spend more time doing them. I find no real time to relax or stop to grab lunch, and most of the time, I would eat after all of my classes for the day were done, after I had gone to work. Meaning most nights, I was eating my first meal at seven or eight o’clock at night. Weekends were spent catching up on sleep and reorganizing my life before the next week ran me over. I think if there was a limit to the amount of homework that could be assigned weekly, that would definitely help students of the University of Maine. That, or allowing homework assignments to be worked on in class- just anything to help lighten the already large academic load that students are burdened with.
