Seriously, what is your kid's homework load?
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Anonymous
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For an academically-focused kid that wants to do well and is taking the usual AP course load. Please list the school and average hours per night and on the weekends. I searched the old threads and details are super vague.
Asking mostly for 9th/10th as we have a rising 9th grader. Assuming everything gets more intense for junior year, where ever you are. |
Anonymous
| For my kid, she did about 1-2 hours a night freshman and sophomore year with honors and AP courses. Junior and Senior year, she did more like 2-3 hours a night. I think she took 12-13 AP classes in total. But, she had a job where basically she just sat at a desk for a few hours a night, so she could get a lot of her homework and reading for pleasure done then. She also probably did a few hours each weekend. She played a sport and was involved in theater. I thought it was too much, but she liked being that busy. |
Anonymous
| Almost none, and they are taking 2 AP classes. Well, I think they have *some* but they do most of it in school. |
Anonymous
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I have a junior at a non-W, “run of the mill” MCPS HS. Freshman year was almost none except for APUSH, which was maybe 4 hours a week (it was Covid year, so hard to say how representative that was) and last year was maybe an hour a night. This year he spends a good 3 hours a night and much of his weekend time on homework. Many weekends he spends 5-6 hours each day. Also, he plays an instrument and practices 45 min or more 5-6 days a week in addition to the more typical homework.
I think he may be a more extreme example, as he tends to do more than is asked, and to do each and every piece of every question, even when it is ridiculous (he has one teacher in particular who gives poorly worded assignments). Anyway, he definitely does a LOT of homework. Far more than I ever did. And for classes it’s a mix of AP and IB. |
Anonymous
| I have a 9th grader. No APs but honors bio and Algebra II. They finish all their homework during class. If I had known it would be this easy, I would have encouraged an AP class. I discouraged it because I thought it would be a lot to make the transition to high school and take an AP. I forget which AP was recommended. In 10th grade, they will take 3 APs, so I hope there’s a more appropriate amount of homework. DCC. |
Anonymous
| What about the magnets like Blair stem? We have two middle schoolers and would be very interested in knowing how much more the Magnet kids do (if more). |
Anonymous
Yea, I had the same thought when my HGC DC transitioned from HGC to home MS, but it was easier than HGC (now called CES). 9th graders can take AP gov and AP cs - meets the tech credit. My non STEM DC is taking both. My older DC told younger DC to take APCS because it's known as the easiest AP class to get the gpa bump. Younger DC is getting an A/B, but hates the class. |
Anonymous
you should start a separate thread for magnets. |
Anonymous
Why? Is it that different? |
Anonymous
| When my oldest was starting HS, MCPS was doing a parent night where they addressed these issues. It was very helpful in making decisions. You might want to check if it’s still happening. We’re in the NEC. |
Anonymous
yes.. I have one in magnet and one not. Workload is very different. OP is asking about not magnet, which is the vast majority of students. |
Anonymous
blair magnet 2-3 is typically hrs per night except if you take functions at 2-4 more, also scales up if you pile on a lot of hard APs like AP Lang + AP World Civ etc |
Anonymous
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It depends on executive function, OP, which is why the same workload will be done slower and quicker depending on the student.
My 12th grader with terribly slow processing speed (measured at the FOURTH percentile!) is up until 3am to finish work. The only reason we allow him to take AP classes is that he has HFA, and is very rigid about work, so it doesn't actually matter whether it's easy work or hard work, it will take the exact same amount of time - so, he might as well load up on the interesting and challenging ones! Also, I suspect what he finds easy and hard are very different from what other people find easy and hard. My middle schooler is in advanced tracks for math and language (she'll take pre-calc in 9th grade) and doesn't actually work at home. She finishes everything during the school day. At the same age, my teen was already spending hours on homework, so I imagine that my younger kid will be able to lead a normal life with challenging extra-curriculars in high school, and that if she ever goes to bed at 3am, it will be rare and due to illness or a particularly tight schedule, or just goofing off. |
Anonymous
| Two kids, same school. One usually can get all homework done before other can get started. YMMV. |
Anonymous
Thanks. I am interested in hearing more from magnet families about homework too since I’m sure it can vary like all things can. |