Arrowhead Students Struggle to Balance Homework, Work, and Sports
AP Psych Text Book
Arrowhead students have fairly busy schedules regardless of what sports they play, what classes they take, and what extracurriculars they are in. Many students have to add a job into this already hectic mix of commitments.
A common frustration shared among students is the amount of homework we receive every night. I understand that forty minutes is sometimes not enough to thoroughly educate me in a given topic; however, I also have a very busy life outside of school and am not capable of handling hours of homework for each of my eight classes.
An average amount of homework for each of my core classes (English, math, science, social studies) combined is approximately 1.5-2 hours a night. This average fluctuates due to the placement of certain tests or projects.
On any given week, a student could have 0 tests, or they could be given five tests. This week for example, all of my tests, quizzes, labs, and essays occurred on Thursday.
Of course, some people are able to manage their time in a manner in which they will begin studying for these tests the week before. However, most of us are the “study the night before” crowd. I convince myself that studying the night before I have five tests, is the most efficient way to keep the topics fresh in my mind.
I have found that sometimes cramming in everything that is to appear on a test the night before, often works. However, keeping final exams in mind, this method is far less effective in terms of long term memory.
In defense of students like myself, who more often than not, push homework and studying to the side until the last moment, we truly don’t have that kind of time. Many of us do not have multiple days a week in which we go home, and sit down to study. I often don’t walk through the doors of my own house until 9 PM on weekdays. I leave school at 2:36pm, struggle with the traffic for about twenty minutes, race to the gym, and do my best to make it to work by 4.
If there were time to completely, carefully, and thoughtfully do every assignment handed to me, I would take the time to thoroughly learn concepts. However, due to the amount of homework I receive from each of my eight classes, along with maintaining a job, physical activity, and more than 6 hours of sleep, gradual and through learning is off the table.
