Why Does Homework Exist, Who Invented it, Does it Cause Stress

Most students hate homework and will even develop fear at the mention of it. Some students lack interest in homework.

Therefore, they do not appreciate its value and are not willing to do it. They would rather copy or hire a professional just to avoid handling their assignment. 

Teachers are also to blame for the hate students develop against homework. After school, students need time to rest and play.

However, some do not get to enjoy that gift education ought to offer, which is a chance to relax after studying for long hours. In place of rest, there is too much homework. 

But why does homework exist? Does it offer any value to students in their education? Is homework a bridge between learning institutions and home?

What are its advantages and disadvantages? Before that, it is important to know where homework came from. 

Who Invented Homework and Why

To date, it is still not clear who invented homework. However, several blogs regard Roberto Nevilis as the first educator to give students homework.

The assignment was to serve as punishment for the lazy students. Educators such as Horace Mann and Piny the Younger are also associated with homework invention.

It is important to know and understand the purpose of homework and how it benefits students. Many educators still fancy giving their students homework.

Despite various complaints from parents and students, they still consider homework as a big part of the education journey. The unrest and stress it causes to students does not bother such educators.

Students need to understand the knowledge educators are passing across. One of the best channels to ensure students master what they are learning is through remembering.

That is why homework does come in handy. It tests how a student understands a particular subject. The teacher formulates questions and expects the student to answer them at home.

Does Homework Cause Stress?

Dealing with too much homework can be very stressful. The pile of assignments at your disposal might be because of poor planning and procrastination.

Besides, it can also be because your teacher simply gave too much work. Those are likely possibilities that make assignments a bane for many students.

Homework can cause stress that will even affect the overall performance of students.

It reduces the time a student needs to be home relaxing, playing, and bonding with family.

Such an imbalance in life creates fatigue that impacts students’ performance negatively.

Instead of concentrating in class, the student might simply doze off, missing out on important lessons.

The anxiety of failing to do your homework correctly or on time might also result in stress. That fear that you have too much homework might cause stress.

As a student, you are bound to lack focus due to the mounting pressure. You alienate yourself from society to work on your assignment. The experience is nerve-racking and frustrating.

How to Manage Your Homework Stress

Too much homework breeds stress. It will take a toll on your social life and health. However, there are ways how you can manage homework stress. Below are some of the means you can use:

1. Time Management

Failing to do your assignment on time will bring stress. It is possible to develop anxiety because of expecting to face serious punishment for not completing the assignment.

You can also fail your final exam if it includes your homework. You might find yourself in such a situation due to poor time management.

You need to create enough time to work on your homework. Ensure you have a timetable where each assignment has its specific time.

Such planning ensures you can consistently complete your work and submit it on time. There is no disorganization that leads to a pile-up of assignments.

2. Be Attentive in Class

The homework stress might be because you do not have answers to the set questions. You cannot answer any single question in your assignment.

Therefore, you turn to postponing your assignment, forgetting you are reserving too much work. But if only you can be attentive in class, listen to your teacher and take notes, you will be safe.

You will get the knowledge to enable you to provide correct answers in your assignment.

3. Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination will bring a burden to you, which is too much homework. You will have a lot of assignments at your disposal with little time to do them.

Therefore, you run into a homework meltdown and you lack the concentration to do the work. Thus, stress comes in and you might be tempted to use other dubious means to mitigate the situation.

Copying or cheating might be the only option you have left. Stay clear from procrastination. Get to work on your assignment at the set time. Learn to motivate yourself to work on your homework.

Do not fall into temptations of postponing when you need to be working on your assignment. You will be able to complete your work on time without any stress.

4. Seek Homework Assistance

Do not stress yourself with too many assignments when you can get assistance. You can hire a professional to do the work on your behalf.

You can also work with an online tutor to guide you on planning and handling your assignment on time.

Such assistance ensures you can clear any backload in due time, hence avoiding the last-minute rush.

Advantages And Disadvantages of Homework

Homework has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. It plays a role that enhances education and can be a burden to students. 

Advantages

1. Tutors Can Track Students’ Progress

Teachers use homework to determine the understanding of subjects. They use questions that students have to give answers.

Through the answers, teachers can learn if indeed students took in the knowledge taught. The teacher can learn about each student’s strengths and weaknesses, hence providing the right mitigation measures.

2. Enhances Student’s Social Life

As students work on their assignments, their parents can come in to help. As the parents bond with their child, their self-esteem grows, and also the child becomes more social.

It will be crucial, especially when it comes to group work in school. Students can engage with each other and work together seamlessly.

3. Discipline 

Students require discipline to sit down and work on their assignments. As they do so regularly, they develop self-control and become self-driven. With improved discipline comes improved study skills.

They gather the courage to shut down distractions when they need to focus on a task. Such discipline goes a long way in enhancing their overall performance.

4. Time Management

Most students who have too much homework is because of poor time management. However, it becomes easy to set time aside to do your assignment if you have discipline.

You can even create a timetable to ensure you deal with your homework stress. 

Disadvantages

1. Stress

Too much homework creates stress and anxiety. It derives a student enough time to rest and play. The student has to keep figuring out how to complete their assignment on time.

Such an experience can rob them of happiness and cause frustration.

2. Fatigue

After school, students need sufficient time to rest. After too many school and extracurricular activities, they need to unwind. But that is not always the case. They have to deal with too much homework. 

3. Cheating

Some students resort to cheating to complete their homework on time. They might copy their friends’ work just to submit the homework in time.

Such behavior extends to exams. Instead of studying, some students decide to cheat to pass exams.

Conclusion

Students need to regard homework as an avenue of refreshing their minds and reading widely. However, too much homework can be stressful.

That is why teachers have to tone down the assignments they give. Students need to plan well to tackle their homework.