Is Winter Break actually “Break”?

By Rumaan Hashmi, Features Editor

I walked into first period, excitement coursing through me as I realized it was the last day before Winter Break. As soon I looked at the board, my heart plummeted. There it was: Due After Break.

Of course, I thought, never is a break an actual “break.”

High school students attend school for almost eight hours a day for five days a week, and barely do they get a free afternoon to just relax and watch some TV. The life of a high schooler consists of waking up at six in the morning, going to school, coming back home, and doing homework for most of the evening.

Speaking from experience, homework usually takes 1-to-2 hours to complete every night. At a certain point the objective of homework transforms to completion instead of understanding as frustration and hastiness takes over.

Even on the weekends students are given work to do that deprives them of having a bit of freedom from school.

Should students be given homework over break?

Almost all students would have a direct answer to this: NO.

Winter break is a time for families and friends to spend time together away from the business of school and work; therefore, being given work to do over this period of freedom just seems redundant and pointless.

On the other hand, students feel that being given some homework can help to refresh what was learned and ensure that it is not forgotten. But, if this is to happen, there should be no more than several minutes of work given as it should not take up too much time.

Being given homework over break increases stress of school, and the thought of going back following winter break is almost overwhelming.

Students work so hard already on a daily basis, balancing homework, work, family/ friends, and “me” time (which students barely get). These reasons, among others, are why, as per the definition of break, students should not be given any homework to do as it gives them a time to relax and be stress free away from school.