Wakeup. Go to school. Go to work. Do my homework. Go to sleep. Repeat. As a senior in high school, I have a very busy life. This year is definitely harder than anyone ever told me. I know taking AP classes and other advanced classes always comes with a huge workload, but it shouldn’t make me want to just quit completely.  I normally spend around 4 hours a night doing my homework. Sometimes more, rarely less. Budgeting my time has been the biggest issue with my busy schedule. Not to mention the fact that most weeks, I tend to work around 20-30 hours and don’t get home before 11:00 those nights.  With all of the homework I have, taking one study hall is not nearly enough; I can work consistently through the period and still not complete half of my assignments. Since this is the only designated time given to work on homework at school, I think all teachers should change the amount of not needed school work students are assigned. 

Yes, if I sign up for an AP class, then I should expect the work that comes along with it. But, two hours of Biology homework a night should never be allowed, especially since that isn’t the sole class I am taking. I want to actually enjoy my senior year and spend a little time with friends, but, the amount of homework by I am given by my teachers prohibits me and all of my friends from making that happen. This is why there should be no homework or a monitored amount given to each student.  I am not saying for teachers to start doing a background check on students to see what they actually do with their time outside of school, but act into consideration of the kids who are busy or that work, and have other responsibilities in their life besides school alone.  All of my friends are either tied up with their job, or occupied by other extracurricular activities such as sports or other hobbies. I don’t know of anyone who just vegetates and stares at the wall for hours upon hours at night because they have absolutely nothing to do.  Unfortunately, daily tasks like keeping my room clean, or catching up with my family to see how their lives are going just don’t have any room in my busy homework schedule.

Working while going to school is my only option.  I wasn’t raised in a family where everything was just handed to me, I have to work for what I own.  One example is my car. I wouldn’t be able to drive if it wasn’t for the fact that I bought my own car.  Monthly payments, car insurance, and gas alone take most of my paycheck, and couldn’t be paid for at all if it weren’t for me working the amount I do.  But, along with the job comes the issue of dealing with my education.  Working takes away from me starting my hours of homework at a decent time and this contributes to my lack of sleep, which is never good for anyone. Researchers have proven that students reporting to get A’s and B’s get an average of at least 40 minutes more sleep per night than students who get C’s, D’s, and F’s.   This is the same for sports. Practice is normally every day and lasts for hours, and game days keep students out even longer. Certain exceptions shouldn’t be made solely for students who work and play sports alone. This wouldn’t be fair to everyone and would take too much time just figuring out everyone daily schedules. Teachers need start being more considerate of how much work they actually give the students outside of class, because even though school is a top priority, there are other things that students must do to survive in this world in which we live.

"Sleep Deprivation May Be Undermining Teen Health." Http://www.apa.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Jan. 2015.