By Mihika Badjate
For many high school students, summer homework ends up at the very bottom of a long to-do list, under more urgent claims to their time, such as hanging out with friends, watching TV, or going to the beach. Then, before they know it, the last week of summer vacation has arrived, and they are struggling to get their school materials together, finish 600 pages of reading, and do all of the assignments they procrastinated on until then. In these hectic few days, the point of the homework is often lost. Rather than thinking critically about the material, students are just rushing through their work, anxious to finish it before school begins. So should schools assign summer homework in the first place?
There are definitely many positive aspects of summer homework. Having a few assignments to refresh students’ memory may make the transition back into the school year easier, and even keep them from forgetting the skills they learned in the previous school year. Some assignments, it can be argued, are even necessary to prepare students for the next school year. As students start taking more AP classes in high school, they may also see an increase in their summer homework load, because these college level courses may need some preparation beforehand. Especially when it comes to foreign languages, because in order to retain their vocabulary and communication skills, students may have to put in some work over summer.
However, having homework during vacation can also demotivate students, because summer should primarily be a time to relax and have fun. In my opinion, a little bit of homework is no problem, but high schools should refrain from overloading students with work, and instead give a few creative and engaging assignments that will not only get students back into the swing of the school year, but will also be fun!
