Every student looks forward to Spring Break. A time to relax, catch up on sleep, and for many, get a headstart on assignments.

It isn’t uncommon to receive a significant amount of homework to work on over the week off. When teachers assign work over break, it’s usually followed by groaning from students. The workload is usually even tougher for AP classes; the AP test is fast approaching and review is in full swing.

Even though the work is a nuisance to some, it is argued that the work helps keep students learning. A famous Duke University study on homework concluded that students should get no more than 10 minutes per grade level, meaning a first-grader should be assigned up to 10 minutes and a 12th-grader no more than 120 minutes, the Washington Post reports.
Students have their own ideas on what the homework situation should be during breaks.

Sophomore Kameron Koslowski thinks that “the reading is the only legitimate homework over break.” . He did get assigned some homework over break, but he held it off until the last minute because that is what he does. He did read an entire book over break assigned for english, but now he doesn’t know what to do in the class because he is way ahead of everyone.

Junior Katie Glavey says “I think that the idea behind homework over spring break isn’t sound; it isn’t a break, especially if you’re confused on what’s going on in class. You can’t get any help from teachers when no one is at school.”

Spring “break” isn’t always a legitimate break for many students. Getting assigned upwards of 4 hours of homework for a supposed week off doesn’t allow students to destress.

I see the idea of how having students practice what they’ve learned over break could help them retain knowledge, but how are students supposed to prepare for the final stretch of the year when they’re still doing work?