Homework and Time Management

By Jessica O’Donnell
Staff Writer

Have you ever thought, “We sit in class for hours a day to learn, why do we have to do more work when we go home?” We have always had homework. From a very young age, teachers have been sending students home with more work to do. And college is no exception.

But is the workload in college really fair? Students don’t all take the same classes. They all have to take core classes, but other than that, it is just major requirements. Students shouldn’t get an intense workload from core classes. Some students want to take their major classes because it is something they care about. However, in most cases, a Criminal Justice major probably wouldn’t want to take an algebra class, and an English major probably wouldn’t want to focus all of his or her time on a science class. In a lot of different cases, core classes take away from the work students want to do and are doing in their major classes.

A Chemistry major might have to go home and read chapters and memorize formulas, while an English major might have to write a few essays, and an Art major will have to do full art projects. Every major has its fair share of work, but it’s work the student might not mind doing.

Is it really fair for an English major to be assigned a five-page essay to write in , or an Art major to construct an entire project, or a Dance major to choreograph a new routine, in a short time? Yes, it is very strenuous, but the important words to remember are “time management.” Students should learn how learn how to plan out their week accordingly. Time management is one of the most important tools for balancing the workload of different classes. “As a photo student, you get a lot of shooting assignments usually from multiple classes, so if you can’t manage your workflow it will become overwhelming. Photography just takes a lot of time,” said Lindsey Bauer, a Photography major.

All majors are different, and the workload is different. Some people have classes five days a week, others just two days. It is almost impossible to judge which students have the heaviest workload. Some students can handle multiple assignments due in a week, while others could only handle one assignment per week.

Thankfully, other than core classes, students can enjoy the homework in their majors. After a certain time, most of the homework has to deal with a topic that the students finds interesting or important. When students find something that they enjoy doing, they probably won’t mind reading a few chapters, or writing a longer essay, because they are learning about a topic that they are interested in.