Just too much homework

Ask any student whether or not they like the fact that homework is given and they will reply with a negative confirmation, usually followed by a crude comment. The truth of the matter is that there is no escaping the homework factor, but who is to say it cannot be given in moderation? Throughout the past week I have asked many students to average the amount of homework they have responsibility for in one night: I was provided with answers between 30 minutes to four hours! Four hours may sound a bit unbelievable, but think of it this way; we have four classes a day, if each teacher gives just one assignment that will take you roughly one hour; that is four hours of homework easy. This scenario is not including teachers who give more than just one hour of homework, or the classes that are more challenging than average. This much homework would not be such a problem if all anyone did after school was homework. We go to school for almost seven hours every day, what makes our advisors feel as though they are obligated to flood the rest of our day with school work?  Aside from school, high school students have fairly busy lives. A good majority of high school students work. No matter where we work, every weeknight during school our employer has to let us go home by 10 o’clock. Imagine if we started our homework immediately after we got home from work, some would be done by 11 o’clock, some by 2 o’clock a.m. Such a course of action only results in an exhausted student with a tiring routine. This is not including the students who participate in clubs, play sports, tutor younger children, and keep a job all at the same time. Not to mention, it would be nice to just have a few hours to hang out with our family and friends. We are teen-agers and we have responsibilities. Homework is, by all means, one of these responsibilities, but how do we go about managing any of our other responsibilities with the most important one being excessively handed to us? Such a surplus of homework is destined bring down participation, willingness, and eventually grades, all due to the tired student. Sooner or later the homework will become less of a priority and may not even be done. It seems to me that the leading problem with the overload of homework is that teachers do not realize that after their class we have three more classes to attend. Teachers do not communicate with other teachers as to what or how much homework they plan on giving their students each day, nor do we expect them to, all we ask is they simply take into consideration what the rest of our day may have in store for us. Our teachers are amazing, without them, we would know nothing. Not only do they teach us academics, they show us how to succeed by merely listening. As well as teaching students, I believe that our teachers could learn from their students. We do not mean to complain, we just want to show you how we can succeed if you would sometimes listen to us.