Learn the science behind why doing homework sucks sometimes and how to deal with the stress it causes!
If you’re in school, you understand that homework is one of the worst things ever invented. Well, at least that’s what it feels like sometimes. Even if you don’t have a whole lot of homework, it still manages to find a way to stress you out. What if I forget to do it? What if I lose it? What if I don’t have enough time for it?
Take a chill pill and keep reading—chances are your mind is blasting things way out of proportion. Stick with us today as we help you understand why homework causes all this stress and how to manage it.
To understand why homework makes us so stressed, we should first understand where it comes from and why schools think it is necessary. The concept of homework is hard to trace. Some sources say it was invented in the 19th century and others date its use as an educational practice back to ancient Rome!
However, a widely accepted inventor of homework is Roberto Nevelis, an Italian teacher in the 19th century. It is thought that he gave his students extra work in order to discipline them. So if this story is true, homework was originally a punishment. Makes sense to me!
However, the story of Roberto Nevelis is more of an internet legend that isn’t backed up by a whole lot of historical evidence. So take his story with a pinch of salt!
A more well-researched figure known for his role in normalizing homework is Horace Mann, an American educational reformer who spent a lot of his career in Germany. He famously popularized homework in Germany through his political influence. He would also lead the creation of government-regulated education in America, thus popularizing the use of homework.
But why is homework seen as necessary? We will spend hundreds or thousands of hours in school throughout our lifetimes, so why do we need to do work outside of school too? Well, the purpose of homework can be boiled down to 8 main things:
So basically, homework is meant to help students develop independent learning habits outside of school rather than only ever learning things in school. There is definitely merit behind the concept of homework, but there are plenty who argue that homework should be abolished because it is unnecessary.
Those who are anti-homework argue that homework doesn’t make sense for the following reasons:
There are some pretty good reasons for and against homework, but it’s up to you to decide whether it’s necessary or not. One thing that neither side can deny is that homework causes stress, but why?
It’s no secret that getting homework causes stress. Not only do you have to worry about doing work at school, but you also have to worry about doing schoolwork before and after school.
Homework digs into your free time and interrupts your rest with stress. Science backs this up too, one study done by Stanford suggests that too much homework is counterproductive in the learning process. The results said that 56% of students found homework as a primary source of stress, and many even reported that their health suffered because of it.
When students get homework that they are not sure they will be able to complete, it has the potential to impact sleep schedules, strain relationships with parents, and deprive students of the play that makes a happy childhood. All of these factors significantly contribute to a feeling of stress and anxiety.
A more simple answer to why homework causes stress is that when you have homework, you have something to worry about. When you don’t have homework, there is no need to worry about what you need to do before school the next day. Even if there is a little bit of homework there is going to be some level of stress involved.
And if students are under too much stress, they are at risk of these conditions:
However, stress isn’t the only potential negative effect of homework on students. Too much homework can cause some of these problems:
Long story short, homework causes stress because it is something that you need to complete by a certain deadline or else you face consequences. The fear that we may not be able to complete this work in time is what makes us so stressed.
Now that we know why homework makes us stressed, how can we make sure that the homework we do have doesn’t get the best of us? Here are 5 tips to help reduce stress as a busy student!
When you have a lot of homework, it can be tempting to wait until the last minute and do it late into the night when you should be getting much-needed rest. But when you start sacrificing your health for work, it becomes easy to fall down a slippery slope that will negatively impact your performance in school. But the right thing to do to make sure your stress doesn’t get out of hand is to prioritize your own health. Make sure you’ve eaten, are hydrated, and gotten enough sleep before you prioritize your work. This will ensure that you're on the top of your game.
Homework stress is at its worst when the deadline is fast approaching and you’re rushing to get it done on time. This is why it is always best to start on your homework as early as you can. That way, you can take your time, take breaks, and feel less stressed. The more you get done now, the less you’ll have to worry about later!
Another source of homework stress is trying to remember everything that you need to do. In order to make sure you don’t forget any important assignments, it’s always a great idea to keep an agenda. You can get a planner and write down all of your assignments or utilize the calendar app on your phone for due dates.
If you’re working so hard for too long, you’ll get fatigued and your work quality will start to get worse. Your body and mind need a break every now and then, so make sure you take time for yourself between intense work sessions. A helpful work tip is to set a work and rest timer. Maybe you work for 30 minutes and then rest for 10 minutes until you finish what you need to.
If you can’t figure something out for an assignment, then ask questions! You can easily talk to another student in the class or email the professor about a question at any time. And if you can’t, just do your best with what you have and ask questions in class the next day. Any good teacher will encourage asking questions.
If you’re suffering from more serious stress because of schoolwork or homework, then you may want to consider using specific activities to relieve stress. Here are some of the best ways to calm a stressed mind and body:
Homework is… complicated. It is helpful if used properly in education, but it also has the potential to cause health problems. Some argue that homework is necessary while others think we should get rid of it, but what we know for sure is that homework causes stress. This stress straight-up sucks, but a well-informed student will have the tools to rise above it and achieve academic success.
