Highschoolers & Homework

Homework can be a high school student’s most bitter enemy. Are the first generation of students at Northwest High School finding their relationships with homework to be the same?

Carly Rau, NWHS sophomore, said yes. Rau explained that extracurricular activities make homework especially difficult. “I have extracurriculars, I help with my church… I feel like I have to rush, and then I just want to break at the end of the day,” she described. 

NWHS junior Molly Campbell agreed that homework is harder to complete with after-school obligations. Campbell explained, “I work 5:00 to 8:00, I do after school stuff… and I get home and it’s 8:30. Then I have to stay up and finish [schoolwork].” She went on to describe, “I think it’s not the amount of homework that’s the issue… it’s the issue of how much class time we have to work.”

“Every day becomes really valuable and teachers like to fill that time so they can get ready for that final exam coming in October or January,” Ehlers explained.”

But Paiton Collins, NWHS sophomore, has had a different experience. She has no after-school activities to attend to and has little difficulty completing her homework on time. “I am having a good experience with school right now,” Collins stated joyfully. However, she agreed that more class time to do homework would be helpful. “I would want [teachers] to give me extra time at the beginning or end of class… so I have less homework at night time,” Collins said.

NWHS English teacher Sarah Ehlers explained the situation from a teacher’s perspective. While Ehlers understands the want for more in-class work time, it is difficult to fit that into a curriculum. “Every day becomes really valuable and teachers like to fill that time so they can get ready for that final exam coming in October or January,” she explained. Ehlers understands that students may be on a tight schedule with extracurriculars and jobs, and recommended that students manage their time efficiently. “Break down what time you have and what time you need to commit to each assignment… Plot that time out on your day where you’re going to fit that in,” she advised.

At the end of the day, homework can be a struggle, and Ehlers thinks students should not bite off more than they can chew trying to deal with it. She stated, “Be okay with understanding what your limitations are. You don’t have to do everything 300% of the way every single day.”