The mind is a muscle that can be strengthened through mental exercise. This is one of the main reasons why we have homework.  Although homework can allow students to express positive attitudes towards the value of school, success, and understanding, some students say they don’t like homework at all.

There’s been a big national controversy over whether or not students should be required to complete homework. Students, for the most part, said they would rather not have homework.

“I don’t like homework because it’s boring and takes up most of my time. It’s boring and I just don’t really see a use for it,” said Savannah Nunez, 7th grader.

 Veronica Rojas, 7th grader, agrees. When asked about her feelings toward homework she said, “Homework is stupid.” 

Homework can be a beneficial instructional device for students. “I think it’s important, but I don’t like doing it,” said Abby Maynor, 7th grader.

Dobie students and teachers who were interviewed for this article were asked to rate how difficult it is for them, 1 being easy and 10 being difficult. Reviews were mixed.

Maynor says she’d rather not have homework, but also stated that it does help you.

“4 because math is really easy and I’m not in Pre- Ap… I haven’t gotten a lot of homework,”said Maynor.

Mrs. Preyor-Johnson doesn’t typically give homework, but if students don’t complete their assignments in class, they must complete it at home to catch up.

“5 because I think it is necessary sometimes,” said journalism teacher, Mrs. Preyor-Johnson. “But because I teach an elective and I know that students have homework in core classes, I try not to assign it.

Some students don’t mind it.

“5 because I’m really smart at math and it’s the only homework I have,” said Rojas.

“5 because certain subjects are hard to understand,”said Nunez. 

According to Encyclopedia.com, it appears that shorter and more frequent assignments may be more effective than longer, but fewer, assignments. Because of that, students have a decent amount of homework each day.

Rojas says she only works on homework for 15 minutes, and it’s usually math. Occasionally, she says, it’s another subject making her average homework about 2 pages front and back.

Teachers have homework as well. “140 papers to grade at least twice a week plus lesson plans,” said Mrs. Preyor-Johnson, a teacher who must not only grade student articles, but also help edit them before they are published.

“I would rather not have homework because I have 7-8 hours of school work each day and I don’t want to bring school home with me too,”said Nunez. 

Students were very vocal about their opinions of homework. Although homework may have some negative effects, it helps improve students’ memory, thinking, and study skills, which students will use for the rest of their lives.