Stages of a Stressful Homework

HOMEWORK- SHOULD IT BE BANNED: PART II

After coming to a conclusion that homework can be worthwhile as well as another thing for the students to sweat about, this post illuminates the stages a student goes through when completing a homework- before, during and after.

Before receiving a bundle of homework the students, generally, are seen trying to enjoy the last minutes of their freedom and sovereignty. Once having obtained homework from one subject, they try to prepare themselves for the upcoming war. By the end of school, they are already analyzing how much of their play time will be compromised in trying to complete the homework. Even though, some humane teachers don’t ask for the submission of the homework the following day straightaway, but majority of the students prefer completing the homework beforehand due to their own explicit reasons, one of which being the fact that teachers give extra marks to those who submit homework and assignments before the deadline.

The student, after reaching home, is thinking of the homework while he should be relaxing or be doing something else. For instance, I have to debate over whether I should take a nap after school or not depending upon the amount of homework given. However, this can be counted as an advantage, too. While the homework is stuck on the minds of the students, they also start taking interest in it and look forward to it more often since it becomes a habit and soon it is no longer a burden (however, I am not one of those soulless students who find homework interesting).

This interest makes them focus on what content is being taught in the class so that they are able to complete their homework without many difficulties, nevertheless the student might as well be taking an effort to complete the homework just so that their time to play isn’t reduced to less than ten minutes. Parents can’t complain about that as long as their children are concentrating, right?

If you thought that if a student pays attention in the class then the homework isn’t much of a stress, then let me correct you; even students who pay attention in the class go through all sorts of complications during the process of solving the homework. They have to pay less attention to the too-frequent vibration of their phones and televisions, also the alluring shouts of their colony friends begging them to come down and play- mixed with a tinge of jealousy. However, that isn’t another excuse for parents to seize students’ phones and friends. The reason being the fact that it (phone) helps them stay focused because every time they see the phone they are reminded of the homework and they (friends) help them stay in touch with the real world. In other words, they (phones and friends) are important for the student to stay sane.

Another beneficial thing about homework at this stage is that while doing the homework the student is able to develop the focusing and productivity skills, also the homework urges the students to write the correct answers on their own- without the help of an adult (not that I am ignoring the fact that homework prove to be a waste of time, sometimes).

A drawback here is that to complete the homework, most of the students sit at their table and complete it and if the homework is too lengthy they sit at the same place for hours- in the same bad posture. Also if, for example, they sit on their table again after homework to play on the computer or read books or any such activity- they again spend time in a bad posture, at the same place, sitting. This leads to accumulation of fat, fatigue as well as neck pains or head aches. As long as you don’t sit in the right posture, accept this as a distressing disadvantage.

One other thing I notice every time I sit to complete my assignments is the fact that all the things like chores or errands- or anything that one is supposed to do but has not yet done it, come to one’s mind making the process of homework more like torture.

That moment. That moment, when you are on the last part of the last question of the last exercise of your last homework is inexplicable. It feels as if it wasn’t until then only that you realized that God exists and helped you complete the homework without Satan descending on Earth. Well, that is till you spill milk/water/juice/glue/or any such thing that completely destroys all your hard work in a jiffy (honestly, just thinking about that happening gives me the creeps). Unless that happens to you, you feel like a blessed new-born child who came to Earth to preach the teachers that students do not deserve all the tension of homework. And if that does happen to you. . . I suggest you open a window in your room before you stomp something or stab somebody (that is unless you break the window while opening it).

These are the before, during and after of solving a homework- or many in that case, that a student typically goes through. I hope that the students out there are able to relate with this post and as for parents, I hope you have been able to feel the pain of the students these days or otherwise able to refresh the memories of childhood homework- if there ever was such a nightmare back then. . .