How many hours does you high schooler spend on homework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine uses 4 hours each day and AP Government takes about two and half. I feel that is too much especially on one subject. Does AP Government, US/World History usually take that much time? I can't imagine how this is going to work in junior year.

I have very young kids now, but I took all AP classes my junior year and senior year in HS 25 years ago. I used to work 5 hours at night, plus one hour of study hall during the day. School would let out at 2:30 so I played sports until around 6-7pm (depending on whether we had a game/meet), and then started homework. AP Chem and AP Physics used to take me the most time, because I would have to do extra problems to make sure I really understood everything. Went to UPenn for undergrad and found it a breeze because I had learned how to work hard in high school. Graduated with honors.

I'd like my kids to do something similar because it's great to learn study techniques while still at home with the parents. That way, you can really take advantage of all the fun stuff college has to offer, while still doing well in a competitive environment.

But you do realize other kids have different experiences (2-3 hours of homeword vs 5 hours) with the same results. So you would do it all over again even though it was mostly for naught.

Majority of students change their major in college from Engineering and Biological sciences (pre-med) to something else. Why do you think that happens? These are the kids who took easier courses in easier programs with disinterested peers in HS and were getting straight "A"s. Well - the first Organic Chem/Calculus class in college (Ivy or State school) and they were shitting in their pants and dropping off like flies. For most of these students - where you are able to sift the wheat from the chaff is in STEM majors. Getting into a college is one goal of HS, but actually being able to handle college, is another less mentioned goal of your HS education.

On the other hand a ton of kids who came from the magnet programs and other competitive programs and have slogged in HS are able to handle these classes whether in Ivy or UMD/UVA. So, don't tell me that this work does not pay off. It will pay off in college when they pick a major that will actually get them a job, and be able to do well in that major. Now, if your kid wants to do "Women's study" in Harvard or "International Relations" in Brown - that may be a different thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want your kid working long hours, go ahead. No one really cares. I am sure your kid will be more than happy to support that. But don't blame your kid when college rejection letters arrive because even UMD is not given now days.

"Even UMD"...

But ok, let's say your kid doesn't get into College Park. Is a kid who goes to Frostburg State a failure? Is a parent whose kid goes to Frostburg State a failure?

Please. It does not really matter which college your kid goes to. For some careers - it is better to go to an Ivy, for some career paths - a state school is better. Having said that - it is important for kids to be able to excel in college. Especially in areas that are high demand and high paying. So, don't concentrate on schools, concentrate on Majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want your kid working long hours, go ahead. No one really cares. I am sure your kid will be more than happy to support that. But don't blame your kid when college rejection letters arrive because even UMD is not given now days.

What an anxiety-driven way to live. No wonder kids feel so stressed now. My APA Monitor on Psychology this month has a cover story on college students and stress, and I thought they should really be writing about high school students and stress.

NP here and I agree. The amount of pressure parents put on kids these days is ridiculous. Not everyone is cut out to work 12+hrs a day as a teenager and live a sane life. There was just a suicide at Wootton because of the pressures. They are kids. Teach them some time management, help them out if needed, and cut them some slack. So many parents push all these AP classes and then college on kids who don't even want to go or have any idea what they even want to do once they graduate. So many unemployed college-grads. Let them find their passion in life and work. Let them look back at high school with a few smiles and laughs. Geez.

Actually, Wooten teens are not committing suicide because they are in magnet programs. I would give more credence to your assertion if suicides were happening in Blair, Poolesville, RM magnet programs. Wooten suicides are happening because of family dynamics. Both parents with high paying careers and with little time for their kids. You cannot outsource parenting.

I do agree that for some of the children who are in competitive programs or with a large number of APs - a huge amount of time is being spent studying. And for the kids who want to go this route - an extremely supportive and nurturing home environment is a MUST.

There are kids who are taking 5 top of the line AP classes that work just as hard as Magnets. Just because someone is labeled in a program does not mean they are working harder than someone else. It also doesn't mean that Magnet kids have "nurturing" home environments and others don't. That is absurd. And by nurturing, do you mean paying for everything because they are too busy to work, making all their meals, checking their homework, doing their laundry, packing their lunches, doing their college applications, etc... What do you define as "nurturing" that suicidal kids are not getting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's a nasty little bit of parent-blaming there, PP.

Not nasty, just some unpleasant truths.
I question why only Wooten is in the news all the time if educational pressures are the issue behind these episodes? There are other programs in MCPS - where the pressure is immense and unrelenting, and while the kids are bemoaning their lack of sleep and social lives - they are not doing drastic things. There are many articles online about these incidents and no where has it been suggested that the academic rigor was the main culprit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
There are kids who are taking 5 top of the line AP classes that work just as hard as Magnets. Just because someone is labeled in a program does not mean they are working harder than someone else. It also doesn't mean that Magnet kids have "nurturing" home environments and others don't. That is absurd. And by nurturing, do you mean paying for everything because they are too busy to work, making all their meals, checking their homework, doing their laundry, packing their lunches, doing their college applications, etc... What do you define as "nurturing" that suicidal kids are not getting?

People taking 5 AP classes need to do more than a couple hours of homework. I have no idea what the suicidal kids are not getting at home but I am pretty sure that taking AP classes in Wooten HS should not be driving kids to kill themselves. Is it something in the school culture that is triggering this? You tell me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine uses 4 hours each day and AP Government takes about two and half. I feel that is too much especially on one subject. Does AP Government, US/World History usually take that much time? I can't imagine how this is going to work in junior year.

I have very young kids now, but I took all AP classes my junior year and senior year in HS 25 years ago. I used to work 5 hours at night, plus one hour of study hall during the day. School would let out at 2:30 so I played sports until around 6-7pm (depending on whether we had a game/meet), and then started homework. AP Chem and AP Physics used to take me the most time, because I would have to do extra problems to make sure I really understood everything. Went to UPenn for undergrad and found it a breeze because I had learned how to work hard in high school. Graduated with honors.

I'd like my kids to do something similar because it's great to learn study techniques while still at home with the parents. That way, you can really take advantage of all the fun stuff college has to offer, while still doing well in a competitive environment.

But you do realize other kids have different experiences (2-3 hours of homeword vs 5 hours) with the same results. So you would do it all over again even though it was mostly for naught.

Majority of students change their major in college from Engineering and Biological sciences (pre-med) to something else. Why do you think that happens? These are the kids who took easier courses in easier programs with disinterested peers in HS and were getting straight "A"s. Well - the first Organic Chem/Calculus class in college (Ivy or State school) and they were shitting in their pants and dropping off like flies. For most of these students - where you are able to sift the wheat from the chaff is in STEM majors. Getting into a college is one goal of HS, but actually being able to handle college, is another less mentioned goal of your HS education.

On the other hand a ton of kids who came from the magnet programs and other competitive programs and have slogged in HS are able to handle these classes whether in Ivy or UMD/UVA. So, don't tell me that this work does not pay off. It will pay off in college when they pick a major that will actually get them a job, and be able to do well in that major. Now, if your kid wants to do "Women's study" in Harvard or "International Relations" in Brown - that may be a different thing.

Wow, you may have worked like a dog in HS and college but you seem to be a bitter, unpleasant person now. It seems like there should be more to life than you experienced.

The Penn reference cracks me up - my brother also went to Penn 25+ years ago, and he failed a couple of classes in HS. Had stellar SATs though. So maybe your slog through HS back then wasn't actually necessary.

[Anonymous]

So, what are you guys having for lunch today?

[Anonymous]

Parents brag exaggerate how much homework their kids do in the same way that people exaggerate about how late they work.

C'mon people. It's Ok to admit that you don't work 15 hour days. You're still a good person with an important job. Similarly, it's Ok to admit that your kid does half an hour of homework a night. He or she is still a bright and nice kid who will get into a perfectly fine college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, what are you guys having for lunch today?

WTH?

Left over meatloaf from last night - my high performing kid won't eat, my high maintenance wife won't touch, even my dog Fido walked away... So, it's my turn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't want your kid working long hours, go ahead. No one really cares. I am sure your kid will be more than happy to support that. But don't blame your kid when college rejection letters arrive because even UMD is not given now days.

What an anxiety-driven way to live. No wonder kids feel so stressed now. My APA Monitor on Psychology this month has a cover story on college students and stress, and I thought they should really be writing about high school students and stress.

+1 million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very little. He does most of his homework at school (a mix of AP, honors, regular classes).

I spent a lot more time on homework when I was a kid. It worries me a little that he doesn't do much homework at home actually.

How does he get it done? Study hall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very little. He does most of his homework at school (a mix of AP, honors, regular classes).

I spent a lot more time on homework when I was a kid. It worries me a little that he doesn't do much homework at home actually.

How does he get it done? Study hall?

He gets a lot of it done in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very little. He does most of his homework at school (a mix of AP, honors, regular classes).

I spent a lot more time on homework when I was a kid. It worries me a little that he doesn't do much homework at home actually.

How does he get it done? Study hall?

He gets a lot of it done in class.

Clearly an outlier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, what are you guys having for lunch today?

Lunch was humdrum. Salmon for dinner though.

Cause the Omega - 3 is good for brain...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So HS students are spending this much time on homework with no electronics/texting/IM/etc. distractions? If so, that's ridiculous and not something I'm willing to subject my kid to. If it's this many hours but with a lot of electronic distractions, that's different.

Yes, my HS junior is spending that much time (5-6 hours) with no distractions. She sits in a study with no computer, just a desk facing a wall covered with peaceful posters & a shelf with candles (we created a homework area for her years ago because of her distractibility) and no electronics. She doesn't text/IM anyway (not an electronics person; she doesn't have Facebook or other social media accounts).

Right now her only distraction is our dog (admittedly, our dog is very cute).

As a breakdown, a typical night might be:

AP World History - 1 hour - summary outlines, readings, analyses
AP Calculus BC - 1 hour - problems
AP Chemistry - 1 hour - problem sets
AP Physics - 1 hour - online instructional videos and analyses
AP Language - 1 hour - writing

And then language and band, but if she's lucky, not much HW for those subjects.