How much homework is too much? The Washington Post says that there is too much homework given out in the high schools across America. I’m sure most students would agree with me that most of their nights are spent with hours of homework. According to Health Line, the current amount of homework does not give students the amount of time they need to eat right, sleep, and socialize; in other words, to live a healthy life.

Besides the fact that students have homework, they also have other things on their plate. Many students have a job or a sports practice after school, which can take up several hours after school each day. Varsity practices are often three or four hours long, and adding an extreme amount of homework to the top of that can cause many students an undue amount of stress.

Many students have even developed social disorders from not being able to handle relationships and homework. This can cause students to fall into a depressed state, and all solutions to help depression requires time to participate in hobbies or hang out with friends-- time students just do not have.

Teachers also need to be aware of this issue. They need to understand that students don’t just have homework in their one class; they have homework in several other classes, and if these classes are upper level, that accounts for an even greater amount of homework. Even if teachers don’t decrease the amount of homework, they can help by placing their tests on different days than other classes or scheduling big group projects throughout the semester instead of just as finals. Some of the most stressful days that students have are when there are three or even four tests in one day.

It is understandable why teachers give homework: it gives them an estimate of where students are individually. However, maybe instead of giving so much homework, they should let the students work a little in class. This allows them to ask questions and seek help if necessary while also giving them time later in the day for other work.

Some students say that they don’t have too much homework, or even not enough homework, but this does not represent the student body as a whole. The students that say this may not participate in sports, have a job, or even be an active member of a school group. Many student at Conway Springs High School play at least one sport and participate in many groups such as Scholar’s Bowl, the school play or Student Council. Many students also have a job; whether it's a job they chose, a job on a family farm or business, or maybe even a job to help support their family. This is why I believe that homework is a good thing, but only in moderation. Students do need to learn how to study for college, but not to the point that their whole high school career is dominated by stress.