In Hong Kong, students are often overloaded with schoolwork as schools think practice for students, to consolidate knowledge, is important. However, I think it’s time to consider the negative side of too much schoolwork.
First and foremost, being bombarded by schoolwork brings stress to students and overwhelms us. Students have many lessons to attend and things to do, such as tutoring, extracurricular activities and revision. Students don’t have enough time to do their schoolwork. Students may fear that there is not enough time to finish schoolwork before the deadline, since they think teachers will scold them for not handing in their schoolwork on time. Consequently, some students don’t like going to school as they fear facing the consequences of not finishing their tasks.
Second of all, overloaded schoolwork can affect students’ physical and mental health. Take my friends as an example: a group of fourteen-year-old teenagers often sleep after midnight due to overloaded schoolwork. Hence, they cannot concentrate and even fall asleep during class. As a result, they start losing track of their learning. This lack of sleep can become an issue. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers require eight to ten hours of sleep every day. With that being said, most teenagers don’t get the sleep we need. Nonetheless, even if one doesn’t sleep late, they can always feel tired, since they put a lot of concentration into their schoolwork, making it harder for them to focus once again. Even on weekends, students are overloaded with schoolwork as teachers tend to give more schoolwork than usual. Thus, students can’t relax even when they are supposed to. The pressure within them can cause serious mental health issues.
Nevertheless, this situation is not going to stop anytime soon, so how should we deal with overloaded schoolwork? The answer is time blocking, breaks in between tasks, and rewards. Time blocking, which means fitting different tasks into different periods of time, helps us manage our time effectively. While breaks can refresh our brains and help us feel the task is less boring, rewards can motivate us to continue and keep working. These three methods increase our work efficiency.
To sum up, being bombarded with schoolwork can be frustrating and even harm our mental and physical health, but we should also find the right methods to help ourselves. I do hope, however, that schools can change their perspective on the need for excessive amounts of schoolwork.
Your article is thoughtful and relatable for many students in Hong Kong and beyond. You clearly explain how too much schoolwork can cause stress, lack of sleep, and even affect students’ mental health. I appreciate how you not only talk about the problems but also suggest practical solutions like time blocking and taking breaks. Your honest reflections and helpful advice make this a meaningful and encouraging read. Well done!