Homework. We’ve all experienced the most “boring” part of the day. Most of us have groaned and questioned, “Ugh, why do I have to do this?” However, do students actually benefit from homework or does it just add stress to their lives? This debate is reaching schools across the nation.

We have always been told that homework will benefit us in academics as well as in future jobs. And it will. Homework helps students develop key skills that they’ll use throughout their lives, such as accountability, discipline, and time management. On the other hand, when taught countless lessons at school, students may feel stressed to complete assignments done in class on time, while at home students are less pressured to reach a specific time limit. Middle schooler Layla Overstreet states, “Homework isn’t fun to do and is sometimes stressful, but I always think that if I do well on homework and school I will get a good job when I am older.”

Homework isn’t supposed to be easy, but it is becoming many students’ main source of stress. According to ProCon, “A poll of high school students in California found that 59% thought they had too much homework…43% of respondents said that homework was their greatest source of stress, and 82% agreed that they were often or always stressed by schoolwork.”

Most people agree that homework shouldn’t be cut out of our lives completely, but minimized. When homework is minimized it allows kids to play with friends, spend time with family, and do more extracurricular activities.

Seventh-grader Ava Avedisian states, “I think homework should be balanced because kids our age usually have a lot of activities to do after school and adding homework to that makes us very stressed. We also have little time to be with our families when we are in our room doing work.”

Overall, homework carries its pros and cons. Whether it is viewed as the main source of stress or a key to a successful future, it plays a major role in the lives of millions of students worldwide. What is your opinion on homework?