Across the Issaquah School District (ISD), high school students have reported an increasing homework load over the years, with some even spending over three hours every night. However, the amount of time some students have reported working on homework has increased disproportionately. This brings up the question of whether there are other factors at play that affect procrastination.
Across the ISD, students have claimed to have worked on homework for over 10 hours every week. Yet, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. high school students spend an average of 6.8 hours every week on homework, which is less than an hour every day.
However, the claim of students spending over 10 hours every week on homework might not be completely untrue either.
As students move up in grade level, the rigor of the courses they take also increases. According to the City Honors School District, junior IB Diploma students can expect up to three and a half hours of homework every night. This is one explanation for the students’ perception of the increased workload.
Alternatively, the increased time spent on homework could be attributed to an increase in the time spent thinking about homework, not the workload itself.
Skyline freshman Thomas Z., who is taking honors courses this year said, “I spend 25 minutes doing schoolwork every day while thinking about schoolwork for more than 25 minutes.” He also went on to mention how he believes his friends spend 15% more time thinking about schoolwork than doing it.
Nevertheless, despite experiencing different causes for procrastination, its effects are identical for students worldwide: increased stress. This feeds into a negative feedback loop where if the student procrastinates, they become more stressed, causing mental health issues and an even longer time spent distracting themselves from doing the homework that they needed to complete.
For many students, a reason for procrastination is the prioritization of other desires over completing their required work. Although I personally believe that this is necessary from time to time, we must learn to balance how we use our desires to maintain both a fulfilling social and academic life.
In the words of Skyline chemistry teacher Dr. Anu Kamath, “you cannot game the system for too long” as “the answer lies in your future,” meaning that extensive procrastination might only result in bad grades now but might also impact career prospects in the future.
Although this process is difficult and tedious, even for IB students, it is important to believe that it can be addressed. First and foremost, acknowledge the difficulty in breaking the cycle of procrastination. This is essential in establishing a healthy state of mind. However, the reason for procrastination may be physical for some and mental for others, making individualized reflection and planning crucial in building any positive life habits, especially with addressing procrastination.
Remember, our life is in our own hands, so let’s make the most of it together.
