There are many cases were students have to stay up extra, or their days just fly by because they have piles of homework to do. To fix this problem homework should be optional so then students could choose if they need to do it, or are comfortable with the material. Homework’s purpose is supposed to be for practice, but if the practice is unneeded than why should it be mandatory? All throughout high school my homework was mandatory and would negatively affect my grade if I did not complete it. Countless times I found myself not needing to do the homework, and it would just waste my time. If only the homework was optional I would have been able to have lots of extra free time, instead of close to none.

According to CNN some students are doing more than three hours of homework a night and it is literally making them sick. Their stress levels are increased, and these same students have a higher risk of ulcers, migraines and other stomach problems. This should NEVER happen. No one should be induced with illness for doing too much homework. In most of these cases the students probably feel as if they don’t necessarily need to do the homework but are forced to unless they want to receive a zero for the assignment. Stanford news states that according to a study doing more than two hours of homework is actually counterproductive. They also say that too much homework has negative effects on well-being and behavior, and that these negatives can extend into a students’ life outside of school, including friends/family. Also Dr. Craig Canapari tells us that teenagers are being deprived of sleep due to the long tedious hours of homework. He says at the most kids get around eight hours of sleep assuming they have the average of 3.1 hours of homework which is slightly less than what they need, and in most cases students get a considerable amount less sleep than eight hours. All of these articles further prove my point that homework should be optional. If you feel like the homework is necessary and it helps you learn than do it. If not don’t. Homework is a tool to improve one’s performance, but alternatively it seems that nowadays it is hindering ones performance in and out of school.

The counter argument to homework being optional is that it is meant to be needed practice, and is supposed to be helpful. I do understand that it can be helpful, when done correctly. By that I mean picking and choosing the subjects of most difficulty and doing that homework oppose to doing unnecessary homework. If homework were to be made optional I think the stress levels and other physical health conditions of students across the world would improve. I also think we would see the average grade of students go up a little since they might be able to get good sleep for once. I highly suggest that the country at least tries to make homework optional and not graded.

Citations
Canapari, Craig. "Too Much Homework, Too Little Sleep: Structural Sleep Deprivation in Teens." Craig Canapari MD. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2014. http://drcraigcanapari.com/2012/10/11/too-much-homework-too-little-sleep-structural-sleep-deprivation-in-teens/
"Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework." Stanford University. Stanford, n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.                                                                                         http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/too-much-homework-031014.html
Enayati, Amanda. "Is Homework Making Your Child Sick?" CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 12 Nov. 2014.                                              http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/21/health/homework-stress/