This is my Personal Essay for my Core Class

Homework Should Be Reduced From The School

The day for middle schoolers across the country is just too exhausting. Their days are filled with endless homework and extracurricular activities. We must ask ourselves: Is this really the way we want to go, with everyone stressed out, even as a child? I think that homework of middle schoolers across the country should be reduced, because too much homework causes stress, sleep deprivation and worsens productivity. A middle schooler’s life is just filled with too many things to do.

With so much work to do, in and out of school, stress is caused. For example, my typical day consists of 13 hours of work, then an hour of play, from about the time I wake up in the morning. Because of this, I am stressed throughout the day because I never have time to do anything I enjoy. I’m sure this is the case with other middle schoolers as well. Most people’s days are filled with stress and work. This leads to an overall tired community. But this should not happen with children, especially because when we grow up, the same routine will continue to happen to us. If we do not reduce the homework given to middle schoolers, they will not ever experience relaxation, because they will repeat the same routine when they grow up. Furthermore, this should apply to all middle schoolers because the amount of work that schools give us, is just overwhelming. The standard for each class is 20 minutes of homework. For 8 classes that means 160 minutes, which is almost 3 hours of homework in a day. This is just too much for the average middle schooler. If 3 hours per day is spent on homework, then that makes it way past 6:00 in the evening to complete. This is just too long. Something must be changed.

Another reason is the fact that too much homework can cause the middle schooler to stay past normal bedtime and therefore cause sleep deprivation. Sleep is a necessity for the body, without which, we are tired and annoyed. Middle schoolers are subjected to way too much homework, which makes them stay up late doing it. For instance, one time during my 7th grade, I had so much Math and English homework to do, and I was sick that day and so I didn’t know what the instructions were. I ended up staying up till 1:00 am, just to figure out what I had to do and how I had to do it. During that time, I realized that it was just too much work, which is where I got the inspiration for this essay. The normal amount of sleep needed for the average middle schooler is about 8 to 10 hours per day. On that day, I only got 6.5 hours of sleep. That is just n

ot enough for an average middle schooler. That was on an excessive homework day. On the best days, I go to sleep around 10:30 pm. This provides only 9 hours of sleep which may be just in the recommended range, but it is not the best. This is due to the excessive work that schools provide. Because sleep deprivation is caused by excessive homework and it must be reduced.

With the amount of work that school gives, the productivity will be reduced. For instance, one time, I had to do a math worksheet. On that day, after finishing all of my homework, I went to sleep late, and was stressed. The next day, I had to do a very similar activity, just with different numbers. It took me 30 minutes more to complete this homework. This shows, that after sleep deprivation and stress, one’s productivity is worsened. Students are unable to focus on schoolwork and grades, due to lack of sleep and increased stress levels. With the amount of homework provided by the school, attention will divert, grades will drop, and the students will be exhausted. But if we reduce the amount of homework, and take a step forward, the students concentration will improve, along with grades. Therefore, we have to take that step forward. We want better achievements, academically and emotionally. All middle schoolers have the same problem. If we reduce the amount of homework, we will have a more focused, smarter and happier student community. We can make the school and home a better place and we can reduce stress and sleep deprivation caused by the excessive work.

I’m sure there are many points of view on this topic, such as a teacher’s, who may think the homework should be increased, but I think it is unfair to give so much homework upon a 12 year old. The overabundance of work being given to middle schoolers across the country is causing too much stress, sleep deprivation and reduced productivity. With less work from schools, students can focus more on grades and school, rather than sleep or relaxation. I believe, that the approach to reduce the amount of homework given by the school, will result in a more focused, productive, and a happier middle school community.