The Importance of Homework: 5 Reasons to Do Your Assignments
Homework, many students believe, is really just busy work. It’s an excuse that professors use to keep their students busy. That’s really not the case however. There are five good reasons for being enthusiastic about doing your homework. Here they are:
- Reinforcing classroom learning
The most cited reason for giving homework is probably the most important. Whether students realize it or not, it’s actually necessary for them to do homework in order to cement their classroom lessons in their minds. It’s one thing to watch the professor do something, or to do it alongside them in class. Sitting down and using that knowledge on one’s own, however, makes it stick.
- Expanding on classroom learning
There’s not time for the professor to go over absolutely everything in class. Just as the student probably is assigned additional readings in a lit class, they also are assigned additional work to expand on their new knowledge in math classes. Classroom lessons are the foundation, and classroom time allows the students to ask the professor questions—but often the most important learning takes place during homework assignments.
- Learning to work independently
As one progresses through their education a greater and greater emphasis is placed on independent work. It helps the student to develop discipline and to learn responsibility. Doing homework teaches us to keep deadlines and to have the wherewithal to get a project done in an independent manner—a very important skill throughout life.
- Practice makes perfect
Sometimes it really is busy work, but busy work isn’t useless. When one practices the same things again and again, it reinforces the memory pathways in the brain. This ensures that it’s not simple memorization, which can fade quickly, but remains a skill that the student has for years to come. So, doing ten of the same type of problem may be tedious, but it’s not a worthless endeavor.
- Learning on one’s own, without outside help
Just as working independently is a skill, so is learning independently. When teachers give challenging homework which requires students to read and research, they’re not just being sadistic. Surprisingly, this is something which requires plenty of practice to learn how to do efficiently and effectively. It teaches students to investigate their resources and use them, and to acquire a love of learning for its own sake.