Lately, at Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA), some students have been struggling with their homework workload, finding it difficult to manage their time effectively. Despite efforts to stay organized, such as using planners, attending after-school sessions, and collaborating with peers, the workload can still feel overwhelming. The challenge lies not only in completing tasks but in maintaining consistent academic performance under pressure.

While students recognize that academic rigor is an essential part of learning, when major projects and tests coincide, it can lead to unnecessary stress and reduced productivity. 

Students have described the workload as overly time-consuming.

“I spend a solid, like six or seven hours on homework each day,” freshman Kenneth Heng said. “I think it is relatively planned out, like what I receive in class and how much I put into homework.” 

Even when assignments are planned out, some students still struggle to complete everything on time, as heavy workloads or difficulty understanding the material can hinder their progress in completing the homework.

“Because, sometimes I’ll just be like, cooking on my homework,” freshman Carlos Miguel Hombrebueno said. “It covers up my schedule, and I had to do something else, so I just can’t finish.”

Something that students also suggest is to spread out the due dates, rather than having everything due in one day. Instead, the teacher can separate it.

“I’d say just decrease it, not really decrease, but just spread it out more, and I think that would help a lot, because students will have less pressure on their workload,” Heng recommended. 

Students may feel stressed by homework, which can affect their daily time management. Sometimes the work can force students to change their plans and miss out on opportunities outside of school.

“I actually had a lot of other plans to do, but my homework is just too much, and I had to do my homework instead of my other plans,” Heng said.

Heng’s experience shows how homework can easily cut into a student’s personal time, but teachers sometimes point out that assignments aren’t as much as students think or feel, and that students often misjudge the actual workload compared to how it feels.

“In my class, I try to give students less than 20 minutes for homework. If there are more than 10 problems, then I try to give students time in class to complete them,” said Crystal Guevara, math teacher. “The goal is that students are working on the skill of time management and revisiting prior information, because in college, students are usually required to do homework outside of class time.”

Packed due dates combined with poor time management can make it hard for students to balance school work with other plans and responsibilities, often leaving them stressed and unable to keep up with everything they need to do.