How to Learn

How Much Time Do College Students Spend on Homework

by Jack Tai | Oct 9, 2019 | Articles

Does college life involve more studying or socializing?

Find out how much time college students need to devote to their homework in order to succeed in class.

We all know that it takes hard work to succeed in college and earn top grades.

To find out more about the time demands of studying and learning, let’s review the average homework amounts of college students.

HowtoLearn.com expert, Jack Tai, CEO of OneClass.com shows how homework improves grades in college and an average of how much time is required.

How Many Hours Do College Students Spend on Homework?

Classes in college are much different from those in high school.

For students in high school, a large part of learning occurs in the classroom with homework used to support class activities.

One of the first thing that college students need to learn is how to read and remember more quickly. It gives them a competitive benefit in their grades and when they learn new information to escalate their career.

Taking a speed reading course that shows you how to learn at the same time is one of the best ways for students to complete their reading assignments and their homework.

different reading techniques

However, in college, students spend a shorter period in class and spend more time learning outside of the classroom.

This shift to an independent learning structure means that college students should expect to spend more time on homework than they did during high school.

In college, a good rule of thumb for homework estimates that for each college credit you take, you’ll spend one hour in the classroom and two to three hours on homework each week.

These homework tasks can include readings, working on assignments, or studying for exams.

Based upon these estimates, a three-credit college class would require each week to include approximately three hours attending lectures and six to nine hours of homework.

Extrapolating this out to the 15-credit course load of a full-time student, that would be 15 hours in the classroom and 30 to 45 hours studying and doing homework.

These time estimates demonstrate that college students have significantly more homework than the 10 hours per week average among high school students. In fact, doing homework in college can take as much time as a full-time job.

Students should keep in mind that these homework amounts are averages.

Students will find that some professors assign more or less homework. Students may also find that some classes assign very little homework in the beginning of the semester, but increase later on in preparation for exams or when a major project is due. 

There can even be variation based upon the major with some areas of study requiring more lab work or reading.

Do College Students Do Homework on Weekends?

Based on the quantity of homework in college, it’s nearly certain that students will be spending some of their weekends doing homework.

For example, if each weekday, a student spends three hours in class and spends five hours on homework, there’s still at least five hours of homework to do on the weekend.

how much time do college students spend on homework

When considering how homework schedules can affect learning, it’s important to remember that even though college students face a significant amount of homework, one of the best learning strategies is to space out study sessions into short time blocks.

This includes not just doing homework every day of the week, but also establishing short study blocks in the morning, afternoon, and evening. With this approach, students can avoid cramming on Sunday night to be ready for class.

What’s the Best Way to Get Help with Your Homework?

In college, there are academic resources built into campus life to support learning.

For example, you may have access to an on-campus learning center or tutoring facilities. You may also have the support of teaching assistants or regular office hours.

That’s why OneClass recommends a course like How to Read a Book in a Day and Remember It which gives a c hoice to support your learning. 

Another choice is on demand tutoring.

They send detailed, step-by-step solutions within just 24 hours, and frequently, answers are sent in less than 12 hours.

When students have on-demand access to homework help, it’s possible to avoid the poor grades that can result from unfinished homework.

Plus, 24/7 Homework Help makes it easy to ask a question. Simply snap a photo and upload it to the platform.

That’s all tutors need to get started preparing your solution.

Rather than retyping questions or struggling with math formulas, asking questions and getting answers is as easy as click and go.

Homework Help supports coursework for both high school and college students across a wide range of subjects. Moreover, students can access OneClass’ knowledge base of previously answered homework questions.

Simply browse by subject or search the directory to find out if another student struggled to learn the same class material.

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Increased workload and loss of free time increases student stress

Maggie Kroeger , Opinion Editor | February 28, 2019

A stack of notebooks and textbooks meant to represent the amount of workload the average AP student has.

  • Maggie Kroeger

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   As the number of years one spends in school increases, so does the workload, arguably exponentially. In the sixth grade, the only worries are the bell schedule, learning how to do new math or writing one’s first short story. Jump five years to the beginning of junior year, and suddenly students are facing a mountain of work that wasn’t even fathomable in the sixth grade. While it is obviously expected for school workload to increase as students gain experience, the aspect that is most difficult is the ever-looming self, peer and advisor pressures.

    For junior Addison Gress, her first two years in high school proved to be fairly easy, but during junior year, that feeling changed.

    “Freshman and sophomore year were both really easy for me, and I didn’t have to try very hard to get good grades, but junior year is very stressful because it takes a lot of work and organization to do well in all of the AP classes,” Gress said.

    For students that begin to take college-level AP and honors courses, the pressure is really on. Then, students often increase their load by adding one more AP class than they should to impress college admissions boards. Even though they don’t technically have to start considering college until junior year, the real considerations come as early as eight grade.

    The mindset becomes “I need to take Pre-AP English 9 so that I can get into Pre-AP English 10 sophomore year so that I can do well in AP Language and Composition, which I can get college credit for and prepare to write college papers,” or “I’m going to work extra hard to get into Compact Math so that I can take Pre-Calculus sophomore year so that I can take Calculus 1 and 2, which will look good on college applications.” Then there’s the ACT, the Pre-ACT, ACT Prep, the PSAT, and a whole bunch of other tests with acronyms that are a major part of the golden ticket to college. Even the most perfectly organized and prepared student can’t keep track of all of these things 24/7.

    “One of the most stressful parts of high school for me is Calculus because it’s not only a big workload, but it also really challenges me. Overall, AP classes cause me a lot of stress. I do around two hours of homework every night, and I also work after school, am involved in my church and participate in A&M crew and soccer at De Soto High School,” Gress explained. “I’m also worried about the ACT because I’m not sure how well I’ll do, and I feel like it decides a lot about my future.”

    For junior Chase Culver, the stress and demands of school are at an all-time high.

    “The most stressful part of high school has been staying balanced with everything going on and not falling behind on my work,” Culver explained.

    Even freshman year, students quickly get lost in the rigor of their classes and the adjustment to high school, and the free time slowly begins to melt away like ice cream under the summer sun. Suddenly, they’re playing tennis, doing two hours of homework every night after practice and then studying for finals and going to debate tournaments on the weekends.

    “My workload for classes is pretty full, and I’m involved in 15 extracurricular activities,” Culver said. “My social life consists mainly of study groups and the duties that come with all of those extracurricular activities.”

    By the time junior year rolls around, two hours of homework turns into five, standardized tests dominate the weekends and students have to try to keep up with a varsity sport that has a demanding schedule, on top of clubs, activities, scholarships, volunteering and more. This may bring them to ask themselves, “When is the last time I talked to my mom and dad for more than 20 minutes?” or “When is the last time I saw my friends more than twice a month?”

    The point is that the decimation of free time and the exponential increase of workload creates a high increase of stress within students.  A 2015 study by New York University revealed that “nearly half of high school students reported feeling a great amount of stress on a daily basis,” and that “grades, homework and preparing for college were the greatest sources of stress for both genders.” This stress and workload is only supposed to prepare us for the rigor and demands of college life, and later the real world, but this preparation should not come at the cost of student’s mental health.

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Duke Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education

How Much Homework is Too Much?

When redesigning a course or putting together a new course, faculty often struggle with how much homework and readings to assign. Too little homework and students might not be prepared for the class sessions or be able to adequately practice basic skills or produce sufficient in-depth work to properly master the learning goals of the course. Too much and some students may feel overwhelmed and find it difficult to keep up or have to sacrifice work in other courses.

A common rule of thumb is that students should study three hours for each credit hour of the course, but this isn’t definitive. Universities might recommend that students spend anywhere from two or three hours of study or as much as six to nine hours of study or more for each course credit hour. A 2014 study found that, nationwide, college students self reported spending about 17 hours each week on homework, reading and assignments. Studies of high school students show that too much homework can produce diminishing returns on student learning, so finding the right balance can be difficult.

There are no hard and fast rules about the amount of readings and homework that faculty assign. It will vary according to the university, the department, the level of the classes, and even other external factors that impact students in your course. (Duke’s faculty handbook addresses many facets of courses, such as absences, but not the typical amount of homework specifically.)

To consider the perspective of a typical student that might be similar to the situations faced at Duke, Harvard posted a blog entry by one of their students aimed at giving students new to the university about what they could expect. There are lots of readings, of course, but time has to be spent on completing problem sets, sometimes elaborate multimedia or research projects, responding to discussion posts and writing essays. Your class is one of several, and students have to balance the needs of your class with others and with clubs, special projects, volunteer work or other activities they’re involved with as part of their overall experience.

The Rice Center for Teaching Excellence has some online calculators for estimating class workload that can help you get a general understanding of the time it may take for a student to read a particular number of pages of material at different levels or to complete essays or other types of homework.

To narrow down your decision-making about homework when redesigning or creating your own course, you might consider situational factors that may influence the amount of homework that’s appropriate.

Connection with your learning goals

Is the homework clearly connected with the learning goals of your students for a particular class session or week in the course? Students will find homework beneficial and valuable if they feel that it is meaningful . If you think students might see readings or assignments as busy work, think about ways to modify the homework to make a clearer connection with what is happening in class. Resist the temptation to assign something because the students need to know it. Ask yourself if they will actually use it immediately in the course or if the material or exercises should be relegated to supplementary material.

Levels of performance

The type of readings and homework given to first year students will be very different from those given to more experienced individuals in higher-level courses. If you’re unsure if your readings or other work might be too easy (or too complex) for students in your course, ask a colleague in your department or at another university to give feedback on your assignment. If former students in the course (or a similar course) are available, ask them for feedback on a sample reading or assignment.

Common practices

What are the common practices in your department or discipline? Some departments, with particular classes, may have general guidelines or best practices you can keep in mind when assigning homework.

External factors

What type of typical student will be taking your course? If it’s a course preparing for a major or within an area of study, are there other courses with heavy workloads they might be taking at the same time? Are they completing projects, research, or community work that might make it difficult for them to keep up with a heavy homework load for your course?

Students who speak English as a second language, are first generation students, or who may be having to work to support themselves as they take courses may need support to get the most out of homework. Detailed instructions for the homework, along with outlining your learning goals and how the assignment connects the course, can help students understand how the readings and assignments fit into their studies. A reading guide, with questions prompts or background, can help students gain a better understanding of a reading. Resources to look up unfamiliar cultural references or terms can make readings and assignments less overwhelming.

If you would like more ideas about planning homework and assignments for your course or more information and guidance on course design and assessment, contact Duke Learning Innovation to speak with one of our consultants .

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FACT SHEET: President   Biden Cancels Student Debt for more than 150,000 Student Loan Borrowers Ahead of   Schedule

Today, President Biden announced the approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan. The Biden-Harris Administration has now approved nearly $138 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 3.9 million borrowers through more than two dozen executive actions. The borrowers receiving relief are the first to benefit from a SAVE plan policy that provides debt forgiveness to borrowers who have been in repayment after as little as 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in student loans. Originally planned for July, the Biden-Harris Administration implemented this provision of SAVE and is providing relief to borrowers nearly six months ahead of schedule.

From Day One of his Administration, President Biden vowed to fix the student loan system and make sure higher education is a pathway to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity. Already, the President has cancelled more student debt than any President in history – delivering lifechanging relief to students and families – and has created the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever: the SAVE plan. While Republicans in Congress and their allies try to block President Biden every step of the way, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers, and is leaving no stone unturned in the fight to give more borrowers breathing room on their student loans.

Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, starting today, the Administration will be cancelling debt for borrowers who are enrolled in the SAVE plan, have been in repayment for at least 10 years and took out $12,000 or less in loans for college. For every additional $1,000 a borrower initially borrowed, they will receive relief after an additional year of payments. For example, a borrower enrolled in SAVE who took out $14,000 or less in federal loans to earn an associate’s degree in biotechnology would receive full debt relief starting this week if they have been in repayment for 12 years. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) identified nearly 153,000 borrowers who are enrolled in SAVE plan who will have their debt cancelled starting this week, and those borrowers will receive an email today from President Biden informing them of their imminent relief. Next week, the Department of Education will also be reaching out directly to borrowers who are eligible for early relief but not currently enrolled in the SAVE Plan to encourage them to enroll as soon as possible. This shortened time to forgiveness will particularly help community college and other borrowers with smaller loans and put many on track to being free of student debt faster than ever before. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE plan, 85 percent of future community college borrowers will be debt free within 10 years. The Department will continue to regularly identify and discharge other borrowers eligible for relief under this provision on SAVE. Over four million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment under the SAVE Plan Last year, President Biden launched the SAVE plan – the most affordable repayment plan ever. Under the SAVE plan, monthly payments are based on a borrower’s income and family size, not their loan balance. The SAVE plan ensures that if borrowers are making their monthly payments, their balances cannot grow because of unpaid interest. And, starting in July, undergraduate loan payments will be cut in half, capping a borrower’s loan payment at 5% of their discretionary income. Already, 7.5 million borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE Plan, and 4.3 million borrowers have a $0 monthly payment.  

Today, the White House Council of Economic Advisers released an issue brief highlighting how low and middle-income borrowers enrolled in SAVE could see significant saving in terms of interest saved over time and principal forgiven as a result of SAVE’s early forgiveness provisions.

college student homework load

President Biden’s Administration has approved student debt relief for nearly 3.9 million Americans through various actions

Today’s announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s track record of taking historic action to cancel student debt for millions of borrowers. Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved debt cancellation for nearly 3.9 million Americans, totaling almost $138 billion in debt relief through various actions. This relief has given borrowers critical breathing room in their daily lives, allowing them to afford other expenses, buy homes, start businesses, or pursue dreams they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt. President Biden remains committed to providing debt relief to as many borrowers as possible, and won’t stop fighting to deliver relief to more Americans.

The Biden-Harris Administration has also taken historic steps to improve the student loan program and make higher education more affordable for more Americans, including:

  • Achieving the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than $60,000 a year achieve their higher-education goals.
  • Fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program so that borrowers who go into public service get the debt relief they’re entitled to under the law. Before President Biden took office, only 7,000 people ever received debt relief through PSLF. After fixing the program, the Biden-Harris Administration has now cancelled student loan debt for nearly 800,000 public service workers.
  • Cancelling student loan debt for more than 930,000 borrowers who have been in repayment for over 20 years but never got the relief they earned because of administrative failures with Income-Driven Repayment Plans.
  • Pursuing an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision striking down the Administration’s original debt relief plan. Last week, the Department of Education released proposed regulatory text to cancel student debt for borrowers who are experiencing hardship paying back their student loans, and late last year released proposals to cancel student debt for borrowers who: owe more than they borrowed, first entered repayment 20 or 25 years ago, attended low quality programs, and who would be eligible for loan forgiveness through income-driven repayment programs like SAVE but have not applied.
  • Holding colleges accountable for leaving students with unaffordable debts.

It’s easy to enroll in SAVE. Borrowers should go to studentaid.gov/save to start saving.  

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., homework wars: high school workloads, student stress, and how parents can help.

Winning the Homework Wars

Studies of typical homework loads vary : In one, a Stanford researcher found that more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive. The research , conducted among students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities, found that too much homework resulted in stress, physical health problems and a general lack of balance.

Additionally, the  2014 Brown Center Report on American Education , found that with the exception of nine-year-olds, the amount of homework schools assign has remained relatively unchanged since 1984, meaning even those in charge of the curricula don't see a need for adding more to that workload.

But student experiences don’t always match these results. On our own Student Life in America survey, over 50% of students reported feeling stressed, 25% reported that homework was their biggest source of stress, and on average teens are spending one-third of their study time feeling stressed, anxious, or stuck.

The disparity can be explained in one of the conclusions regarding the Brown Report:

Of the three age groups, 17-year-olds have the most bifurcated distribution of the homework burden. They have the largest percentage of kids with no homework (especially when the homework shirkers are added in) and the largest percentage with more than two hours.

So what does that mean for parents who still endure the homework wars at home?

Read More: Teaching Your Kids How To Deal with School Stress

It means that sometimes kids who are on a rigorous college-prep track, probably are receiving more homework, but the statistics are melding it with the kids who are receiving no homework. And on our survey, 64% of students reported that their parents couldn’t help them with their work. This is where the real homework wars lie—not just the amount, but the ability to successfully complete assignments and feel success.

Parents want to figure out how to help their children manage their homework stress and learn the material.

Our Top 4 Tips for Ending Homework Wars

1. have a routine..

Every parenting advice article you will ever read emphasizes the importance of a routine. There’s a reason for that: it works. A routine helps put order into an often disorderly world. It removes the thinking and arguing and “when should I start?” because that decision has already been made. While routines must be flexible to accommodate soccer practice on Tuesday and volunteer work on Thursday, knowing in general when and where you, or your child, will do homework literally removes half the battle.

2. Have a battle plan.

Overwhelmed students look at a mountain of homework and think “insurmountable.” But parents can look at it with an outsider’s perspective and help them plan. Put in an extra hour Monday when you don’t have soccer. Prepare for the AP Chem test on Friday a little at a time each evening so Thursday doesn’t loom as a scary study night (consistency and repetition will also help lock the information in your brain). Start reading the book for your English report so that it’s underway. Go ahead and write a few sentences, so you don’t have a blank page staring at you. Knowing what the week will look like helps you keep calm and carry on.

3. Don’t be afraid to call in reserves.

You can’t outsource the “battle” but you can outsource the help ! We find that kids just do better having someone other than their parents help them —and sometimes even parents with the best of intentions aren’t equipped to wrestle with complicated physics problem. At The Princeton Review, we specialize in making homework time less stressful. Our tutors are available 24/7 to work one-to-one in an online classroom with a chat feature, interactive whiteboard, and the file sharing tool, where students can share their most challenging assignments.

4. Celebrate victories—and know when to surrender.

Students and parents can review completed assignments together at the end of the night -- acknowledging even small wins helps build a sense of accomplishment. If you’ve been through a particularly tough battle, you’ll also want to reach reach a cease-fire before hitting your bunk. A war ends when one person disengages. At some point, after parents have provided a listening ear, planning, and support, they have to let natural consequences take their course. And taking a step back--and removing any pressure a parent may be inadvertently creating--can be just what’s needed.

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A New Report Reveals That Homework in the United States is an Easy Load

Two new reports debunk the notion that U.S. schoolchildren suffer from a growing homework load, with little time to play and just be kids.

The great majority of students at all grade levels now spend less than one hour studying on a typical day—an amount that has not changed substantially in at least twenty years, according to data analyzed by the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution and the RAND Corporation.

The research contradicts dramatic anecdotes of children overwhelmed with homework. The Brookings and RAND researchers collected and reviewed the best social science available on children’s homework, including data from surveys conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, and the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.

Even at the high school level, where more homework might be expected to prepare students for the demands of college or the workplace, only about a third of seventeen-year-olds spend an hour or more a day on homework.

The Brown Center on Education Policy conducted the study after a wave of dramatic news stories over the past few years described a backlash against homework. Since 2001, feature stories about onerous homework loads and parents fighting back have appeared in Time , Newsweek , and People magazines; the New York Times , Washington Post , Los Angeles Times , Raleigh News and Observer , and the Tampa Tribune ; and the CBS Evening News and other media outlets.

“The stories are misleading,” writes author Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center. “They do not reflect the experiences of a majority—or even a significant minority—of American schoolchildren.”

“Excessive homework is not a common problem,” writes Loveless in the report. “The critics of homework need to produce some very powerful evidence before policymakers start mandating reductions in homework or even banning it altogether. To date, the evidence put forth by homework critics has been weak.”

Across three different age groups, the percentage of students with less than an hour of daily homework has actually risen since 1984, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which for two decades has been asking a nationally representative sample of students questions about homework.

In 1999, 83 percent of nine-year-olds, 66 percent of thirteen-year-olds, and 65 percent of seventeen-year-olds reported having less than an hour of homework per night (see figure 1). In 1984, 81 percent of nine-year-olds, 63 percent of thirteen-year-olds, and 59 percent of seventeen-year-olds had reported spending that amount of time studying.

Another survey, the Third International Math and Science Study, finds that American high school students have one of the lightest homework loads in the world. Of twenty countries, the United States ranked near the bottom, tied for the next-to-last position. Students in France, Italy, Russia, and South Africa reported spending at least twice as much time on homework as American students.

The University of Michigan research does show an increase in the amount of homework given to children ages six to eight. But the increase of ten to eleven minutes a day is largely due to the fact that the baseline was low to begin with—only a third of children ages six to eight spent any time at all on studying in 1981.

“Why is it important to get the homework study right?” asks Loveless. “Mainly because it is positively associated with student learning.” Research shows that the relationship of homework with student achievement is positive for both middle and high school students and neutral for elementary school students.

Moreover, homework is a “barometer of the success—or the limits—of movements to raise academic standards,” write Brian Gill of RAND and Steven Schlossman of Carnegie Mellon University in the fall 2003 issue of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

“To succeed, academic excellence movements ultimately require students to invest effort in their studies; time spent on homework is a ground-level indicator of this effort,” say Gill and Schlossman.

Gill and Schlossman trace homework time trends of the past fifty years, finding that the only substantial increases in homework for high-school students occurred in the decade after Sputnik, when the nation launched an academic excellence movement motivated by competition with the Soviet Union. Homework time subsequently declined to pre-Sputnik levels, and the excellence movement of the 1980s and 1990s that followed the publication of “A Nation at Risk” caused surprisingly small increases in homework (see figure 8).

Ironically, the only increase in homework in the last two decades has happened precisely in the lower grade levels, where researchers believe it matters least for academic achievement, according to Gill and Schlossman.

Most parents feel the homework load is about right, and, of those who would like to change it, more parents would rather see more homework than less, according to a 2000 poll conducted by the Public Agenda Foundation. Only one out of ten parents believes there is too much homework.

When a homework problem exists, which can happen because children vary in their study habits, solutions should come from parents and teachers, not policymakers, Loveless says.

About the Brown Center on Education Policy and the Brookings Institution

Established in 1992, the Brown Center on Education Policy conducts research on topics in American education, with a special focus on efforts to improve academic achievement in elementary and secondary schools. The Brown Center is part of the Brookings Institution, a private, nonprofit organization devoted to research, education, and publication on important issues of domestic and foreign policy. The Institution maintains a position of neutrality on issues of public policy. Interpretations or conclusions in Brookings publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.

For a full copy of the report as well as information about other Brown Center events and publications, please visit the Brown Center’s website , or call Tucker Warren at 202/457-8100.

About RAND Education

RAND Education conducts independent research and analysis on education policy, including school reform and educational assessment and accountability. RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

About Brookings

Governance Studies

Brown Center on Education Policy

Ashley Edwards, Justin Ortagus, Jonathan Smith, Andria Smythe

February 22, 2024

Paul Bruno, Haeryun Kim

February 21, 2024

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These borrowers are likely to be eligible for Biden's new student loan forgiveness plan

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  • The Biden administration has been working on a new student loan aid package that could come as soon as this year.

While Biden first attempted to cancel student debt through an executive order, he has now turned to the rulemaking process.

  • Here's who may qualify.

Since the Biden administration's first student loan forgiveness plan was rejected at the Supreme Court , it has been working on creating a new, legally viable relief package.

That debt cancellation could come as soon as this year . The alternative plan, which has become known as  Biden's "Plan B ," could forgive the student debt for as many as 10 million people, according to  one estimate .

The U.S. Department of Education and the negotiators tasked with determining who will be eligible for the president's revised aid have identified five groups of borrowers.

1. Those who owe more than they borrowed

Borrowers with outstanding federal student loan balances that exceed what they originally borrowed may be among those who qualify for the cancellation.

A person's student debt can balloon for a number of reasons, said Nadine Chabrier , a senior policy and litigation counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending.

"Unfortunately, it is very common," Chabrier said.

More from Personal Finance: The best money advice I heard this year as a CNBC reporter Op-ed: Money dates are great — but not on Valentine's Day Black Americans face 'disproportionately steep hurdles' to homeownership

Student loan servicers, the companies the Education Department contract with to service its debt, have a record of steering consumers into forbearances and deferments, she said. These options for  struggling borrowers  can keep loans on hold for many years, but interest often continues to accrue. 

Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance, a trade group for federal student loan servicers, denied that the companies benefit by veering from the government's orders.

"We are incentivized to meet the requirements that the government sets, which includes giving borrowers the benefits that the law provides," Buchanan said. "We are audited, and get business or lose it based on meeting those standards."

Advocates have also said the interest rates on federal student loans are too high, especially for borrowers from the 1980s , who have rates exceeding 8%. Current fixed rates today can be nearly as high .

2. Borrowers in repayment for 20 years or more

Those who have been carrying their student debt for decades may also benefit.

With many of the Education Department's repayment plans requiring 20 years or more of payments, such stories are common. Millions of Americans older than 60 are still paying off their student loans , research finds.

"There is both financial harm and psychological harm of being in debt for decades, especially when it feels like there is no hope that it will ever be repaid," said Persis Yu , deputy executive director at the Student Borrower Protection Center.

3. Attendees of schools of questionable quality

In its revised relief package, the Biden administration notes it is looking to include student loan borrowers who attended career-training programs "that created unreasonable debt loads or provided insufficient earnings for graduates," as well as borrowers who attended institutions with high student loan default rates.

4. People eligible for forgiveness who haven't applied

The Education Department already has several programs that lead to student loan forgiveness, and as part of its new aid package, it is looking to identify those who may be eligible but just haven't applied.

For example, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, signed into law by then-President George W. Bush in 2007, allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans canceled after 10 years of on-time payments. In 2013, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimated that one-quarter of American workers  may be eligible .

However, the technical and often confusing requirements of the plan have acted as a barrier, experts say.

How Wall Street trades student loans

Student loan servicers also earn a fee per borrower per month, which advocates say discourages transparency around loan forgiveness opportunities.

"Instead of providing borrowers with access to the affordable pathway out of debt, decades of mismanagement and abuse have left these borrowers trapped in debt like hamsters on a hamster wheel with no way out," Yu said.

5. Borrowers experiencing financial hardship

The Biden administration has also said it wants to forgive the debt of those experiencing financial hardship.

So far, it has proposed a set of factors that could identify struggling borrowers, such as those with student loan balances and required payments that are unreasonable relative to their household income, and people with high child care and health-care expenses.

It also said that financial hardship could be based on other debt obligations, disability or age, among other factors. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO:

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Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan offers 17 paths to relief.

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 16: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks from the Roosevelt Room of ... [+] the White House on February 16, 2024 in Washington, DC. The Biden administration announced new details on a proposed student loan forgiveness plan last week. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Education Department has released a detailed new student loan forgiveness proposal that could provide more than a dozen new pathways to debt cancellation.

The plan is part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to establish new student loan relief. After last summer’s Supreme Court ruling that nixed President Joe Biden’s first student debt cancellation initiative, officials have taken two parallel routes to enacting student loan forgiveness: reforming existing options to broaden access for millions of borrowers, and creating a new plan for wider relief.

The new student loan forgiveness plan will target specific groups of borrowers, according to draft plans released by the department. This includes those who have been in repayment for many years, borrowers who owe more than what they started with despite significant time in repayment, and students who attended predatory schools. The plan has not been finalized; detailed proposals are being evaluated in a series of public hearings, after which the Biden administration will finalize the governing regulations.

Last week, the department released draft regulations which — if enacted — could offer several new routes to student loan forgiveness based on 17 “indicators” of financial hardship. Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Student Loan Forgiveness Based On Low Income

According to the proposed regulations, Biden’s new student loan forgiveness plan could be available to those experiencing financial hardship in certain specific ways. This includes those who have low “household income” and minimal “assets.” The department could also consider “student loan total debt balances and required payments, relative to household income.”

Advocates have been pushing the Biden administration to consider automating student loan forgiveness under the new plan wherever possible. In certain instances, the Education Department could already have borrowers’ income information, such as in cases where they have been in an income-driven repayment plan. But to consider other factors, such as a assets (or lack thereof), borrowers may have to complete and submit some sort of form or application.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, student loan forgiveness related to high expenses and other debt obligations.

The draft plan also could allow student loan forgiveness for borrowers who are struggling due to unreasonable expenses, including those associated with federal student loans and other debts.

Under the draft regulations, the Education Department could consider the “current repayment status and other repayment history information,” suggesting that borrowers who have clearly struggled with repayment for years (or perhaps have paid a lot on their loans but haven’t made a dent in the balance) could be eligible. The regulations also provide that the department can evaluate the “type of loans and total debt balance owed for loans,” including for loans “not owed to the Department.” This could encompass private student loan debt, which typically is not factored in for other federal student loan relief programs, such as income-driven repayment other loan forgiveness options.

The department could also look at a borrower’s other financial obligations as indicators of hardship. The draft regulations include a provision for “total consumer debt balances and required payments, relative to household income,” as well as “high-cost burdens for essential expenses, such as healthcare, caretaking, and housing.”

Student Loan Forgiveness Based On Demonstrated Need

The proposed regulations, if enacted, would also allow the Education Department to consider borrowers for student loan forgiveness if they have already qualified for other government programs that are based on financial hardships. Since other government agencies may have already determined that a borrower qualifies for certain programs based on financial need, this could allow for automatic loan forgiveness in certain cases.

The draft regulations suggest indicators of hardship under this prong could include “receipt of a Pell Grant and other information from the FAFSA form” demonstrating that the borrower is low-income, as could the “receipt of means-tested public benefits.” Specific benefits are not referenced in the draft, but this could include food stamps, certain kinds of Social Security benefits, Medicaid, or healthcare subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.

Student Loan Forgiveness Tied To Personal Hardships

Personal hardships can also potentially be the basis for student loan forgiveness under the new Biden plan. The draft regulations say that indicators of hardship can include the borrower’s “age” and “disability” status. While there already is a disability discharge program for federal student loan borrowers, this option has a strict legal standard. The new plan could provide more flexibility for those who struggle with health issues (and perhaps are also elderly) but don’t necessarily have a “total and permanent disability” as contemplated by that existing program.

The new plan could also consider not only the borrower’s age, but the “age of the borrower’s loan based upon first disbursement or the disbursement of loans repaid by a consolidation loan .”

Loan Forgiveness Based On Student Outcomes

The draft rules released last week also would allow the Education Department to explore the “sector and level of institution attended,” and to consider student outcomes relative to “typical student outcomes at the last program attended.” This could provide a pathway to relief for someone who attended a school with low graduation or completion rates.

The proposal would also potentially consider “whether the borrower has completed any postsecondary certificate or degree program for which they received title IV, HEA financial assistance.” Failure to complete a degree or certificate program could be an indication of hardship (such as if medical or financial barriers interfered with the borrower’s ability to graduate). It could also indicate problems with the school itself, if available data suggests low graduation or completion rates.

Catch-All Provision For Student Loan Forgiveness

The regulations suggest that having one or more of the above indicators could provide a basis for student loan forgiveness under the new plan. But hardship is “not limited” to these indicators alone, according to the text. The Education Department could also consider “any other indicators of hardship identified by the Secretary,” as well as “the extent to which hardship is likely to persist.”

This could allow the administration to consider any number of other factors evidencing hardship as a potential basis for student debt relief, coupled with the extent and longevity of that hardship.

What’s Next For Biden’s Next Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

It’s important to note that so far, this is a student loan forgiveness proposal — not a finalized plan that is available now. Borrowers cannot apply at this time.

The Education Department will be holding a final round of negotiated rulemaking later this week to review the draft regulations pertaining to hardship indicators. Negotiated rulemaking is a process whereby a committee comprised of key stakeholders holds public meetings to evaluate proposed rules. The committee tries to reach consensus on regulatory text. If the committee ultimately agrees on the language, those rules would make it into the final regulatory text for the program. If not, the department can finalize the regulations largely independently of the committee.

The department is expected to publish final regulations for the new loan forgiveness program later this spring. After that, the initiative may not go live until mid-2025. However, the Biden administration is expected to provide for early implementation, perhaps as soon as this fall.

Further Student Loan Forgiveness Updates

Only 3 More Chances For Student Loan Forgiveness Under This Biden Plan

Switching Plans Could Be A Costly Student Loan Forgiveness Mistake For Some Borrowers

513,000 Borrowers Get Student Loan Forgiveness Due To Health Issues

4 Big Student Loan Forgiveness Updates As Biden Approves New Relief

Adam S. Minsky

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Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

A Stanford researcher found that students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society. More than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive, according to the study.

Denise Pope

Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

• Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

• Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

• Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative impacts on student well-being and behavioral engagement (Shutterstock)

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Biden-Harris Administration Approves $1.2 Billion in Loan Forgiveness for Over 150,000 SAVE Plan Borrowers

The Biden-Harris Administration today is announcing that it will automatically discharge $1.2 billion in loans for nearly 153,000 borrowers who are eligible for the shortened time to forgiveness benefit under President Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan. This action comes as 7.5 million borrowers are now enrolled in SAVE, 4.3 million of whom have a $0 monthly payment.

“With today’s announcement, we are once again sending a clear message to borrowers who had low balances: if you’ve been paying for a decade, you’ve done your part, and you deserve relief,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Under President Biden’s leadership, our Administration has now approved loan forgiveness for nearly 3.9 million borrowers, and our historic fight to cancel student debt isn’t over yet.”

President Biden announced in January that his Administration was accelerating the shortened time to forgiveness component of the SAVE Plan nearly six months earlier than anticipated in order to provide borrowers the relief they have earned as quickly as possible. For a borrower to be eligible for this forgiveness they must be enrolled in the SAVE Plan, have been making at least 10 years of payments, and have originally taken out $12,000 or less for college. For every $1,000 borrowed above $12,000, a borrower can receive forgiveness after an additional year of payments. All borrowers on SAVE receive forgiveness after 20 or 25 years, depending on whether they have loans for graduate school. The benefit is based upon the original principal balance of all Federal loans borrowed to attend school, not what a borrower currently owes or the amount of an individual loan. 

“As of today, we have approved loan relief for nearly 3.9 million borrowers who were counting on the Biden-Harris Administration to fix the broken student loan system and provide the forgiveness they earned and have been waiting for,” said U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal. “For too long the system did not work for borrowers, even when they were eligible for loan forgiveness. Today’s announcement shows that President Biden’s commitment to student debt cancellation continues to deliver.”

Borrowers will begin receiving emails from President Biden today telling them they are approved for forgiveness and will not need to take any further action to receive relief. In the coming days servicers will process the forgiveness and borrowers will see their loans forgiven on their accounts. Moving forward, borrowers who meet the eligibility criteria for forgiveness under the SAVE Plan will have their loans automatically discharged with no action needed on their part. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) will continue to identify and discharge the loans on a regular basis. Next week, the Department will start emailing borrowers who can become eligible for this forgiveness if they switch onto SAVE. No action is needed by borrowers who have already enrolled in SAVE.

Borrowers who believe they meet these criteria are strongly encouraged to immediately sign up for SAVE at StudentAid.gov/save .

An Unparalleled Track Record of Student Debt Cancellation

The Biden-Harris Administration has fought tirelessly to provide borrowers the relief they have earned. In total, the Administration has now approved debt cancellation for nearly 3.9 million hard-working Americans totaling almost $138 billion in relief. Many of these borrowers planned their lives and families around the promise of forgiveness through programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). The Administration also secured the largest increase to Federal Pell Grants in a decade and finalized new rules to protect borrowers from career programs that leave graduates with unaffordable debts or insufficient earnings.

To date the Biden-Harris Administration has also approved:

  • $56.7 billion for more than 793,000 borrowers through fixes to PSLF.
  • $45.6 billion for 930,500 borrowers through improvements to income-driven repayment.
  • $11.7 billion for 513,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability. This includes providing automatic discharges off a data match with the Social Security Administration
  • $22.5 billion for 1.3 million borrowers through closed school discharges, borrower defense, and related court settlements.

The Biden-Harris Administration is currently writing proposed regulations that would make more borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness and this week will hold another session of negotiated rulemaking to discuss a proposal to provide loan forgiveness for borrowers experiencing hardship. These efforts are part of President Biden’s commitment to finding an alternative path to student debt relief in the wake of last year’s Supreme Court decision striking down the Administration’s original student debt relief plan. The Department is also conducting negotiated rulemaking on regulations that will strengthen institutional quality and program integrity to ensure students are well served by their colleges and that the federal student aid programs work in their best interest.

Additional Borrowers Enrolled in SAVE

There are now 7.5 million borrowers enrolled in the SAVE Plan, of whom 4.3 million have a $0 payment. The SAVE Plan is the most-affordable repayment plan for low- and middle-income borrowers and puts many on a path to earlier forgiveness.

The SAVE Plan protects borrowers from runaway interest and balances larger than what they originally took out. The improved application allows for a borrower’s income to be shared with the Internal Revenue Service so that they do not have to recertify on an annual basis.

The Department will implement the remaining full benefits of the SAVE Plan in July 2024, which will further reduce monthly payments from 10 percent of a borrower’s discretionary income to 5 percent.

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The correlation between homework load and academic burnout among college students

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2024, International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation

Academic burnout is characterized by stress and emotional exhaustion, which can affect not only students' physical and mental health but also their behavior, mindset, and academic performance. This study analyzes the correlation between college students' homework load and academic burnout. The correlational research design was used to measure the perceived burnout among college students, which aims to gain more objective comprehension of the subject matter. The researchers collected data from a sample of 60 college students with the use of simple random sampling from the different universities in Cebu City. By administering surveys that assessed homework load and levels of burnout using two standardized questionnaires: The Impact of Homework Assignments on Student's Learning Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey. Inferential Analysis shows a p-value of 0.141, which indicates that there is no significant correlation between homework load and academic burnout. These findings suggest that the future researchers must explore more potential factors and its impact on student's well-being. The result recommends of using other factors that contribute to academic burnout, such as part-time jobs and extracurricular activities that will give a more comprehensive analysis. Further, the interventions that target time management skills and stress reduction techniques would be greatly beneficial in helping students to manage their homework and avoid burnout.

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INTRODUCTION: Academic burnout has been widely reported in recent decades in different countries among students. Today’s students are facing dual stress in their academic endeavor i.e., higher academic expectations and perceived pressure from their parents. The aim of the study is to assess the level of academic burnout among the plus two students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was done among secondary level students in a school of Bharatpur municipality. The study was conducted during October 2021 and December 2021among plus two level students. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Burnout was measured by using a 25 items tool comprising different types of burnout. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed at 5% level of significant. RESULTS: Of total; 62.2% and 7.4% students had mild and moderate burnout respectively. Median value of total burnout was 56 out of the maximum value 125. There was strong significant correlation betw...

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Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal

Psychology and Education , Angel Joy B. Lacson , Michelle R. Magos

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, procrastination has become commonplace due to changes in teaching and learning, which trigger students' academic burnout. As a result, it has increased the intensity of procrastination among students who are enrolled in online learning programs. As a result, students have difficulty as a result of the rapid change from in-person learning to online learning. The study investigates the relationship between academic burnout and procrastination among 150 grade 12 senior high school students. Hence, this study employed a correlational design. Based on the inferential analysis, the r coefficient of 0.71 indicates a high positive correlation between the variables. The p-value of 0.00, which is less than 0.05, leads to the decision to reject the null hypothesis. Hence, a significant relationship exists between academic burnout and academic procrastination among grade 12 senior high school students.

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

CHUI SEONG LIM

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between perfectionism, self-efficacy, coping strategies and academic burnout among Malaysian undergraduates in higher education institutions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 251 respondents who were public and private university undergraduates. Partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to investigate the influences of coping strategies, perfectionism and self-efficacy on academic burnout among undergraduates.FindingsThe results showed that all independent variables, namely coping strategies, perfectionism and self-efficacy are statistically correlated to academic burnout.Research limitations/implicationsThis article provides an empirical framework for explaining the academic burnout of undergraduates’ based on the review of related career works of literature.Practical implicationsTo provide insights in order to improve understanding of existing stress models and provide pra...

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Yuly Suárez-Colorado , Jorge Enrique Palacio Sañudo

Ahmad Vahabi

BACKGROUND: Burnout is a state of mental and emotional fatigue; and is a result of chronic stress syndrome, high pressure, time constraints, and lack of necessary resources to perform the assigned duties and tasks. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between student stressor factors and academic burnout among the students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in year 2016. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the study population was the students in Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Among them, 500 persons were selected using stratified sampling method with proportional allocation. The research tools were student stressor factors and academic burnout questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: There was a positive and statistically significant relationship between academic burnout with three domains of stressors for students including academic stressors (r = 0.32, P < 0.01), learning environment stressor...

Psychology and Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major shift that was evident with the innovation of telecommunication and maximizing the available resources to still manage to do things regardless of the limitations and restrictions. The surge of internet engagement led people to spend time in the cyber community, resulting in engagement with various social media platforms perceived as the only way to cope with social interaction restrictions. This study employed a descriptive correlational method, purposive sampling technique for one hundred fifty-one (151) students, from 1st year to 4th year College of Arts and Sciences students of UE-Manila. The result showed that the burnout established no significant difference to the demographics; age (p = 0.52 ≤ 41.33), sex (p = 0.34 ≤ 9.49), socioeconomic status (p = 0.54 ≤ 15.51), year level (p = 0.20 ≤ 21.03), parental status (p = 0.94 ≤ 15.51); perceived stress to the demographic age (p = 0.65 ≤ 23.69), sex (p = 0.82 ≤ 5.99), socioeconomic status (p = 0.16 ≤ 9.49), year level (p = 0.22 ≤ 12.59), parental status (p = 0.16 ≤ 9.49); and online disinhibition (p = 0.13 ≤ 21.03), parental status (p = 0.39 ≤ 9.49). Only burnout and perceived stress had a positive correlation, while online disinhibition findings show no correlation.

Journal of Medical Education

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Background: Academic burnout is one of the most important problems throughout all levels of the education system. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between time management and academic burnout with the mediating role of test anxiety and self-efficacy beliefs among university students in 2019. Methods: The study was a descriptive correlation performed by path analysis. The statistical population included all students of Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz and 222 of which were selected as the sample of the study using convenience sampling. The research instruments included the Academic Burnout Questionnaire, the Time Management Questionnaire, the test anxiety inventory, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. The proposed model was evaluated using path analysis with AMOS software. Results: A direct and positive relationship was observed between time management and self-efficacy beliefs (β = 0.345, P = 0.0001) and between test anxiety and academic burnout (β = 0.515, P = 0.0001). The relationship between time management and test anxiety (β =-0.586, P=0.001) and between self-efficacy beliefs and academic burnout (β =-0.305, P = 0.0001) was negative. The relationship between time management and academic burnout was not significant (β =-0.051, P = 0.425). The results indicated that test anxiety and self-efficacy beliefs had a mediating role in the relationship between time management and academic burnout (β =-3.964, P = 0.001). Conclusions: According to research results, the proposed model had good fitness and is considered an important step in identifying the effective factors in students' academic burnout.

Fatih Veyis

The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediator role of school burnout between academic stress and academic motivation in high school students. In the recent years, academic stress and school burnout have been considered among the problems that affect students in many ways. The study group consists of 690 high school students studying at various high school types. Academic stress, school burnout and academic motivation scales were used to collect data. Correlation analysis and structural equation model were used for data analysis. The findings of the study showed that academic stress and school burnout significantly predicted academic motivation and that school burnout had a full mediating role between academic stress and academic motivation. As a result, it is considered that school burnout is an important risk factor for students who have experienced academic stress and it is necessary to include the mediator role of school burnout in the studies aimed at reducing academic stress and improving motivation. The findings obtained from the research were discussed in line with the literature.

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Student burnout is a serious problem in higher education. It is associated with harmful consequences, such as decreased engagement, performance, and motivation, which can lead to dropout. The job demand-resource model of burnout is a comprehensive framework to grasp the factors related to the emergence of burnout. Although numerous studies claim its suitability in explaining burnout in work environments, its applicability in the educational context is less explored. The study aimed to analyze the structure and reliability of the newly developed University Demand-Resource Questionnaire (UDRQ) and to explore the links between its subscales and symptoms of student burnout. Using the online survey method, 743 Hungarian undergraduate students participated in the data collection. The student version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory was used in addition to the UDRQ. In the data analysis procedure, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were uti...

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Course Load - Advising FAQ

Students usually take 4 credits per semester.

4 academic courses, which is usually a total of 4.0 or 4.5 credits. Examples:

  • Four 1-credit courses
  • Three 1-credit courses and a 1.5 credit intensive language course
  • Two 1-credit courses and a 2-credit Honors seminar

Yes. They need their advisor's permission, with the Carry Extra or Less form . The form describes important considerations like academic progress and financial aid eligibility . If a student takes 3 credits, it is important that they pass all three credits. Sometimes three credits can be wise, especially if a student is struggling with extenuating circumstances or with managing a 4-credit course load.

No, unless a student has already completed 8 semesters of full-time enrollment. The full-time enrollment threshold at Swarthmore is 3.0 credits per semester, with part-time enrollment meaning enrolling in fewer than 3 credits in a semester. College policy does not allow part-time enrollment during a student's first eight semesters of enrollment (College Catalog 4.1). 

If a request for part-time enrollment is related to a documented disability or chronic medical condition, then a student could talk about a disability accommodations request and a related petition process with Student Disability Services staff and Dean Eric Jensen. Disability accommodations are not retroactive and that process takes time and coordination, so it would be important to make any requests as far in advance as possible.

Yes, but… Five credits can be overwhelming. It is allowed, but not recommended. Taking more than 5 credits is allowed, but is generally a bad idea. To take more than 5 credits, they need their advisor's permission with the Carry Extra or Less form . The form describes important considerations like extra tuition charged when a student exceeds 10 attempted credits in one academic year and some additional scenarios. 

PE does not count toward course load. PE is counted in units, not academic credits. Each half-semester PE course counts as one PE unit. PE is not recorded on the official transcript.

Both kinds of courses can be taken for academic credit. And, both kinds of courses have a non-academic credit option. Music ensemble courses can be taken for 0.5 credit or 0.0 credit. Dance repertory/ensemble courses can be taken for 0.5 academic credit or 2 units of PE (Physical Education). Dance technique courses can be taken for 0.5 academic credit, 0 credit, or 2 units of PE. Examples of Music ensemble courses include Chorus, Orchestra and Gamelan. Examples of Dance technique courses include Ballet, Yoga and Taiko.

  • During pre-registration, the cap is 4.5 credits. Students can also pre-register for PE units, which don’t count toward the credit cap.
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College Homework: What You Need to Know

  • April 1, 2020

Samantha "Sam" Sparks

  • Future of Education

Despite what Hollywood shows us, most of college life actually involves studying, burying yourself in mountains of books, writing mountains of reports, and, of course, doing a whole lot of homework.

Wait, homework? That’s right, homework doesn’t end just because high school did: part of parcel of any college course will be homework. So if you thought college is harder than high school , then you’re right, because in between hours and hours of lectures and term papers and exams, you’re still going to have to take home a lot of schoolwork to do in the comfort of your dorm.

College life is demanding, it’s difficult, but at the end of the day, it’s fulfilling. You might have had this idealized version of what your college life is going to be like, but we’re here to tell you: it’s not all parties and cardigans.

How Many Hours Does College Homework Require?

Stress from homework

Here’s the thing about college homework: it’s vastly different from the type of takehome school activities you might have had in high school.

See, high school students are given homework to augment what they’ve learned in the classroom. For high school students, a majority of their learning happens in school, with their teachers guiding them along the way.

In college, however, your professors will encourage you to learn on your own. Yes, you will be attending hours and hours of lectures and seminars, but most of your learning is going to take place in the library, with your professors taking a more backseat approach to your learning process. This independent learning structure teaches prospective students to hone their critical thinking skills, perfect their research abilities, and encourage them to come up with original thoughts and ideas.

Sure, your professors will still step in every now and then to help with anything you’re struggling with and to correct certain mistakes, but by and large, the learning process in college is entirely up to how you develop your skills.

This is the reason why college homework is voluminous: it’s designed to teach you how to basically learn on your own. While there is no set standard on how much time you should spend doing homework in college, a good rule-of-thumb practiced by model students is 3 hours a week per college credit . It doesn’t seem like a lot, until you factor in that the average college student takes on about 15 units per semester. With that in mind, it’s safe to assume that a single, 3-unit college class would usually require 9 hours of homework per week.

But don’t worry, college homework is also different from high school homework in how it’s structured. High school homework usually involves a take-home activity of some kind, where students answer certain questions posed to them. College homework, on the other hand, is more on reading texts that you’ll discuss in your next lecture, studying for exams, and, of course, take-home activities.

Take these averages with a grain of salt, however, as the average number of hours required to do college homework will also depend on your professor, the type of class you’re attending, what you’re majoring in, and whether or not you have other activities (like laboratory work or field work) that would compensate for homework.

Do Students Do College Homework On the Weekends?

Again, based on the average number we provided above, and again, depending on numerous other factors, it’s safe to say that, yes, you would have to complete a lot of college homework on the weekends.

Using the average given above, let’s say that a student does 9 hours of homework per week per class. A typical semester would involve 5 different classes (each with 3 units), which means that a student would be doing an average of 45 hours of homework per week. That would equal to around 6 hours of homework a day, including weekends.

That might seem overwhelming, but again: college homework is different from high school homework in that it doesn’t always involve take-home activities. In fact, most of your college homework (but again, depending on your professor, your major, and other mitigating factors) will probably involve doing readings and writing essays. Some types of college homework might not even feel like homework, as some professors encourage inter-personal learning by requiring their students to form groups and discuss certain topics instead of doing take-home activities or writing papers. Again, lab work and field work (depending on your major) might also make up for homework.

Laptop

Remember: this is all relative. Some people read fast and will find that 3 hours per unit per week is much too much time considering they can finish a reading in under an hour.The faster you learn how to read, the less amount of time you’ll need to devote to homework.

College homework is difficult, but it’s also manageable. This is why you see a lot of study groups in college, where your peers will establish a way for everyone to learn on a collective basis, as this would help lighten the mental load you might face during your college life. There are also different strategies you can develop to master your time management skills, all of which will help you become a more holistic person once you leave college.

So, yes, your weekends will probably be chock-full of schoolwork, but you’ll need to learn how to manage your time in such a way that you’ll be able to do your homework and socialize, but also have time to develop your other skills and/or talk to family and friends.

College Homework Isn’t All That Bad, Though

studying

Sure, you’ll probably have time for parties and joining a fraternity/sorority, even attend those mythical college keggers (something that the person who invented college probably didn’t have in mind). But I hate to break it to you: those are going to be few and far in between. But here’s a consolation, however: you’re going to be studying something you’re actually interested in.

All of those hours spent in the library, writing down papers, doing college homework? It’s going to feel like a minute because you’re doing something you actually love doing. And if you fear that you’ll be missing out, don’t worry: all those people that you think are attending those parties aren’t actually there because they, too, will be busy studying!

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News & Updates

Cant decide on a major here’s 10 subjects you could study, are you an aspiring doctor consider these important career options, the ultimate guide to planning fraternity parties with unique themes.

Watch CBS News

Biden administration is forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for 153,000 borrowers. Here's who qualifies.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

February 21, 2024 / 5:00 AM EST / CBS News

The Biden administration on Wednesday said it is automatically forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for 153,000 borrowers. Loan holders whose debt will be discharged will receive an email from President Joe Biden today informing them of the forgiveness, the Department of Education said. 

The debt relief is the latest push from the White House to address the nation's $1.77 trillion in student debt after the Supreme Court last year  invalidated  the Biden administration's plan for broad-based student loan forgiveness. That plan would have helped more than 40 million borrowers each wipe away up to $20,000 in debt.

With this latest round, the Biden administration said it has approved loan relief for nearly 3.9 million borrowers, many of whom have been repaying their debt for decades. The 153,000 borrowers who qualify for the latest debt forgiveness are those who are enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan and who have made at least 10 years of payments.

"[I]f you've been paying for a decade, you've done your part, and you deserve relief," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in the statement.

Who qualifies for this new debt forgiveness? 

The Biden administration said 153,000 borrowers who are enrolled in the SAVE plan are eligible. 

Those who are eligible have been enrolled in repayment plans for at least 10 years and originally borrowed $12,000 or less for college, the Education Department said. 

For every $1,000 borrowed above $12,000, a borrower can receive forgiveness after an additional year of payments, the department added. 

What steps do borrowers have to take?

None, according to the Education Department. 

People receiving a loan discharge will get an email from Biden today about their loan forgiveness, and don't need to take further action. Servicers will process the forgiveness in the next few days, and borrowers will see their loans forgiven in their accounts, according to the statement.

What is the SAVE plan?

The SAVE plan is income-driven repayment program, or IDR, that was created by the Biden administration. IDRs peg a borrower's monthly payment to their income, lowering their financial burden.

The SAVE plan was designed to fix some problems with older IDR programs, such as allowing interest to snowball on a borrower's debt. 

All borrowers enrolled in SAVE can receive forgiveness after 20 years or 25 years of repayments, but the White House has developed the  shorter 10-year forgiveness period for people with smaller balances.

Borrowers can apply for the SAVE plan  here .

How many people are enrolled in SAVE?

There are currently 7.5 million borrowers enrolled in SAVE, the Education Department said on Wednesday. About 4.3 million of those have a $0 monthly payment. 

  • Student Debt

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

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Coursework/GPA

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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)! 

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find: 

  • A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
  • A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them 
  • A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you . 

So let’s get started! 

body-stack-of-textbooks-red

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

  • If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
  • If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
  • If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
  • If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

body-procrastination-meme

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

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If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

  • A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
  • B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away. 
  • C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C. 

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels 

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

body-unmotivated-meme

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

  • Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
  • Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
  • Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
  • Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

body-focus-meme

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, y ou get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes. 

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!) 

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Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast 

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.) 

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later. 

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too. 

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What’s Next? 

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!) 

Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!

Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.

Connect With a Tutor Now

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Biden Chips Away at Student Loan Debt, Bit by Bit, Amid High Expectations

The president announced another $1.2 billion in forgiveness, bringing the total canceled to $138 billion. But the piecemeal efforts have garnered him little praise.

Biden Announces Student Loan Forgiveness for 150,000 Borrowers

The plan will cancel $1.2 billion in debt for people enrolled in the save repayment program, who took out $12,000 or less and have made payments for at least 10 years..

Folks, I’m happy to have been able to forgive these loans because when we realize and relieve Americans of their student debt, they’re free to chase their dreams. I’m proud to announce our SAVE plan. We are immediately canceling the debt, loans for over 150,000 borrowers, nearly six months ahead of schedule. I promise you, I’m never going to stop fighting for hard working American families. So if you qualify, you’ll be hearing from me shortly. Thousands of people per month – about 25,000 a month or every two months – will be paid in a 50,000 basis but are eligible for relief. And they’ll be getting a letter from me letting them know they’re qualified. And when they get that letter, your debt is going to be forgiven.

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By Zolan Kanno-Youngs

Reporting from Culver City, Calif.

After the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s plan to cancel billions of dollars in student loan debt, borrowers wondered how he would make good on his promise to tackle debt burdening millions of Americans.

The answer: He would do it bit by bit.

Mr. Biden on Wednesday canceled $1.2 billion in student loan debt , bringing the total amount that he has wiped out during his time in office to $138 billion for 3.9 million borrowers. It is a far cry from his initial plan, which would have canceled up to $400 billion in debt for about 43 million borrowers.

But even Mr. Biden’s critics acknowledge that he has gone further than any of his predecessors in relieving the debt burden for millions of borrowers.

“It’s good for the economy as a whole,” Mr. Biden said on Wednesday, speaking to a small crowd at a library in Culver City, Calif. “By freeing millions of Americans from the crushing debt of student loan programs, it means they can finally get on with their lives.”

To work around the Supreme Court decision, Mr. Biden has pursued a more piecemeal approach , tweaking existing programs long plagued by bureaucratic delays. The debt cancellation he announced on Wednesday was an example of that, affecting about 150,000 borrowers enrolled in what is known as the SAVE plan , an income-driven repayment program, who have lower balances and have made payments for at least a decade.

While his administration has periodically announced such limited forms of debt cancellation in the past year, Mr. Biden’s stop to personally address the issue during a fund-raising swing through California appeared to reflect a White House intent on getting more credit for it. Democratic allies have been pleading for the administration to emphasize debt cancellation to galvanize crucial constituencies, including the young voters and Black borrowers who disproportionately shoulder such debt.

“The most common experience of student debt statistically is you file for relief, you thought you were going to get it and then the Supreme Court knocked it down and Biden is touting relief and you didn’t get any relief,” said Braxton Brewington, the press secretary for the Debt Collective, an advocacy group focused on student debt cancellation.

Representative James E. Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat who helped resurrect Mr. Biden’s ailing 2020 primary campaign, said he was concerned that so many voters were focusing on the sprawling package Mr. Biden had failed to deliver rather than what he had done.

“Everywhere I went, students were saying to me, ‘Joe Biden didn’t keep his promise on student debt relief,’” Mr. Clyburn said. “Nobody was talking about the successes.”

The struggle illustrates a broader challenge facing the White House, according to interviews with Democratic officials, loan relief advocates and voters. In many ways, Mr. Biden has become a victim of the high expectations set by his initial sprawling proposals, leaving many voters disappointed over what he has failed to pass even as he has notched substantial policy wins on a number of fronts.

The president made the most ambitious investment to combat climate change in history, but polls have found that most Americans are unaware of his signature climate law. Despite a major stimulus bill and large investments in infrastructure and health, voters believe he has not accomplished much . And even many voters who supported Mr. Biden in 2020 are not impressed with the economy, despite falling inflation falls and unemployment near historic lows.

But Mr. Biden’s aides believe the student debt cancellation can be a way to quickly improve the lives of some Americans and help turn the tide on his low approval numbers.

The more limited measures have helped public service workers and those with disabilities. Last week, the Education Department also released a proposal that would cancel student debt for additional borrowers who experience “hardship” in paying off college loans.

In the round announced on Wednesday, people in the SAVE plan who originally borrowed up to $12,000 and who have made at least 10 years of qualifying monthly payments will have their debt wiped out.

In a sign of the struggle to get credit for the efforts, the administration sent an email from Mr. Biden to affected borrowers on Wednesday letting them know their debt would be erased this week.

“If you qualify, you’ll be hearing from me shortly,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Brewington said Mr. Biden’s workaround approach had been “better than any other administration” on student debt.

But he said it would be challenging for Mr. Biden to convince voters that he had delivered on student debt commitments when only a sliver of the tens of millions of people who initially thought they might benefit have had their debt canceled.

The fact that Mr. Biden took more than a year to announce his broad plan to forgive student debt only raised expectations among voters, Mr. Brewington said. After forecasting that he would cancel some student debt during the 2020 campaign, Mr. Biden agonized over the decision, repeatedly pressing his staff members for data showing that it would not be a giveaway for the wealthy.

“I get they want to talk about the work they’ve done on student debt, and I think they’re trying to have some nuance, but to a degree, it’s just not going to land with so many people,” Mr. Brewington added. “Especially when you’re saying ‘promises kept.’ I mean, good gracious.”

Mr. Biden’s ability to energize voters over the student debt cancellation is also made more difficult by the tumultuous rollout of a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Delays and glitches have hampered colleges’ ability to offer aid packages that millions of students — particularly low-income students — rely on to make college decisions.

Republicans have seized on that bungled rollout to accuse the White House of prioritizing campaign promises over carrying out policy.

In a letter sent to Education Secretary Miguel A. Cardona last month, Representatives Virginia Foxx of North Carolina and Burgess Owens of Utah accused the department of focusing “its time and resources on transferring student debt to taxpayers rather than on faithfully implementing the laws enacted by Congress.”

To show the effect of his student loan relief efforts, Mr. Biden made an unannounced campaign stop last month at the home of Eric Fitts, a 49-year-old educator in North Carolina who had about $125,000 in student loans canceled. Rather than pay the debt, he plans on investing in the college fund for his two sons — who ate with Mr. Biden — and starting a real estate business.

Speaking of his debt, Mr. Fitts said he told Mr. Biden “how much of a burden it was and how much of a barrier it was for certain things and opportunities.”

But Ashley Pizzuti, a student debt relief advocate chosen by the administration to help negotiate on a regulation for more forgiveness, said she understood why Mr. Biden was facing more frustration than praise over student loans.

“There’s a lot of really upset people rightfully because they were told they were going to get this forgiveness and it was taken back,” Ms. Pizzuti said of Mr. Biden’s plan that was blocked by the Supreme Court. “And a lot of people blame Biden for that.”

The result, Ms. Pizzuti said, is “he didn’t live up to what he said he would live up to.”

Erica L. Green contributed reporting from Washington.

Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent, covering President Biden and his administration. More about Zolan Kanno-Youngs

clock This article was published more than  9 years ago

Homework hurts high-achieving students, study says

college student homework load

This won’t come as any surprise to many teenagers but here goes: A new study finds that a heavy homework load negatively impacts the lives of high school students in upper middle-class communities, resulting in excess stress, physical problems and little or no time for leisure.

What’s too much homework? According to the study,  published in the Journal of Experimental Education , 4,317 students in  10 high-performing California high schools — six private and four public — had an average of 3.1 hours of homework a night. (I know high school kids who do close to twice that amount.)

Homework is one of those perennial topics about which there are many “expert” opinions on its benefits and drawbacks but no conclusive body of research proving either side. What research there is casts big doubt on the notion that a lot of homework is a good thing — and indicates that any homework other than reading in elementary school has benefit. Harris Cooper, a well-known homework researcher, who is a professor of education and psychology at Duke University, says that no more than two hours of homework a night should be assigned to students in high school. Author Alfie Kohn argues that there is no research to show that homework in elementary and middle school has any benefit and that the correlation between homework and academic achievement in high school is at best weak. So this is the context in which this latest study was conducted.

  The researchers  set out to look at the relationship between homework load and student well-being in the upper middle class advantaged communities (where median household income is more than $90,000, and 93 percent of students go to college) because it is there that homework is largely accepted as having value.  The study notes that there are limitations to the sample of students used in the study — with all of them attending privileged, high-performing schools — but they said they felt it was worthwhile to investigate the stresses of homework on this population of students.

The co-authors of the study are Mollie Galloway of Lewis and Clark College, an assistant professor who is the director of research and assessment for the graduate school of education; Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education;  and Jerusha Conner, an assistant professor of education at Villanova University. Their report says:

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is “inherently good” (Gill & Schlossman, 2001, p. 27), and instead suggest that researchers, practitioners, students, and parents unpack why the default practice of assigning heavy homework loads  exists, in the face of evidence of its negative effects.”

To conduct the study they used data from surveys as well as the answers to open-ended questions to explore student well-being, attitudes about homework and engagement in school.  The mean age of the participants was 15.7 years, with ninth graders representing the largest sample, 28.1 percent. Tenth graders were 22.8 percent; eleventh graders, 23.6 percent; and seniors 19.4 percent; while 6.2 percent did not report their grade level. About 85 percent self-reported their ethnicity: 48 percent were European American; 38 percent Asian or Asian American; 4 percent Hispanic; 2 percent African American, and 0.5 percent Native American. Ten and a half percent of students checked multiple categories or “other,” and 4 percent did not mark anything in this category.

Also, no relationship was found between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

Their study found that most students said their homework is only “somewhat useful” in helping them learn the material and prepare for tests. But it leads to a host of problems, the study says:

* Stress. –Less than 1 percent said homework was not a stressor, and 56 percent indicated homework is a primary cause of stress. –Forty three percent listed tests as a primary stressor –About 33 percent listed grades and/or getting good grades as a primary stressor. –More than 15 percent reported parental expectations and the college application process as stresses.

* Health Issues Consequences –Many students wrote that homework causes them to sleep less than they should and leads to “headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems” as well as a lack of balance in their lives.

Most experienced distress and/or lacked time to engage in important life tasks outside of school. The majority (72%) reported being often or always stressed over schoolwork …and many reported that they experienced physical symptoms due to stress (82% reported experiencing at least one physical symptom in the past month, with 44% of the sample experiencing three or more symptoms). Overall, students reported getting less sleep than the National Sleep Foundation’s (2000) recommended 8.5 to 9.25 hours per night for healthy adolescent development. On average, students in our sample reported 6.80 hours of sleep on school nights … and 68% stated that schoolwork often or always kept them from getting enough sleep each night. Many (63%) reported that the amount of work they received often or always made it challenging to spend time with family and friends, and a similar percent (61%) indicated that they had been forced to drop an activity they enjoyed because of their school workload.

* Engagement — Time spent on homework — There was no relationship between “homework hours and students’ enjoyment of schoolwork, and open-ended responses revealed students will often do work they see as ‘pointless,’ ‘useless’ and ‘mindless’ because their grades will be affected if they do not.”

Students who spent more hours on homework tended to be more behaviorally engaged in school, but were simultaneously more stressed about their school work and tended to report more physical symptoms due to stress, fewer hours of sleep on school nights, less ability to get enough sleep, and less ability to make time for friends and family.

From the report:

Part of the study says:

No time for anything but school.  The voices of these students reflect a primary challenge faced by many in our study:  if students have several hours of homework per night, how can they find time for other endeavors in their lives (including extracurricular activities, leisure, and social time)?  Some expressed that they “never seem to have enough time.”  One adolescent stated: Now I understand the expression “not enough hours in a day.”  In a day, I want to be able to do homework/study, have time with friends and family, and do activities that are important to me.  I don’t always feel I have enough time for this, and I feel pressured. Because of homework load, tests, and quizzes, students reported, for example: Students recognized that spending so much time on homework meant that they were not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills.  One questioned, “Most people have no social life because of all the homework they do; how is that helping them in the real world?”  Another explained, “I’m struggling between trying to maintain [my grades, but] more to maintain my identity, soul, and sanity!  Teachers don’t seem to teach students that there’s more to life than…hours of homework a night.” The inability to balance or juggle the overload of homework, along with the number of other out-of-school activities or interests was the single most-often provided response by students when describing homework as a stressor (30% mentioned this lack of balance due to homework).  One student described her homework load as “plenty manageable… If I never try to do anything else!”

college student homework load

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Biden’s Plan B on Student Loan Forgiveness Is a Massive and Improbable Success

The administration has wiped out $136.6 billion—and counting—in debt since the supreme court blocked its first attempt..

The Supreme Court’s rejection of President Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation plan last year was a major blow to his agenda. While the White House pledged it would still trudge forward and find another solution to grant widespread debt relief, Biden warned it would be a lengthy process. In the meantime, however, the president has wasted no time making critical changes to existing federal student loan programs to follow through on his campaign promise. As of Feb. 23, these actions have resulted in $136.6 billion in canceled federal student loan debt for 3.5 million borrowers and counting. A series of seemingly modest changes to the system have, little by little, added up to a head-spinning sum. And more is coming—including another sweeping program that could cancel hundreds of billions in debt for tens of millions of Americans.

About 40 percent of that forgiveness came from changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, where borrowers who work in federal, state, local, or tribal government or at a nonprofit are eligible for loan forgiveness after making payments for 10 years. For years, this program was notoriously difficult to navigate and at one point had denial rates upward of 99 percent . Betsy DeVos , Donald Trump’s secretary of education, enacted so many roadblocks that it was virtually impossible for most borrowers to obtain the debt relief owed to them by law. By contrast, Miguel Cardona, Biden’s secretary of education, has revamped and streamlined the program. Cardona expanded which payments are eligible to count toward forgiveness and halted penalties for borrowers who make late or partial payments. The result was a massive $56.7 billion in forgiven loans that benefited 793,000 borrowers. And these numbers are expected to only grow as the agency reviews applications for the program on a rolling basis.

The administration has also prioritized relief for lower-income borrowers, making critical improvements to the income-driven repayment program that has already canceled $45.6 billion in student loan debt for 930,500 borrowers. And on Wednesday, Biden announced an additional $1.2 billion in relief. His Education Department replaced the old, beleaguered Revised Pay As You Earn program with a new Saving on a Valuable Education plan , or SAVE plan, which has proved to be an immense success. The program targets borrowers who took out federal loans for $12,000 or less and automatically cancels their loans after 10 years while halting monthly interest charges for many borrowers. For every $1,000 borrowed above $12,000, forgiveness eligibility increases by one year. This plan addresses the biggest drivers of the student debt crisis—small loan balances and accrued interest.

The SAVE plan is important—in some ways, revolutionary—because 53 percent of borrowers actually owe less than $20,000. Many of these borrowers attended community college and are in low- and middle-income households. And overall, most borrowers in default originally borrowed $12,000 or less. The SAVE plan frees struggling borrowers who’ve made payments for 10 years, wiping out their loans in one fell swoop. All in clear accordance with existing law.

Biden’s Education Department has also been cracking down on shady colleges that scammed hundreds of thousands of students, including the former DeVry University , the University of Phoenix , ITT Technical Institute , and Corinthian Colleges Inc. DeVos made it gratuitously difficult for victims of higher education scams to get relief on their outstanding loans; she was even held in contempt for continuing to collect debt from attendees of a shuttered for-profit college in direct violation of federal court order. By contrast, Cardona has already canceled $22.5 billion for 1.3 million borrowers who went to schools that closed abruptly or broke the law. He has also proactively sought out borrowers who have a total and permanent disability using data from the Social Security Administration and canceled their debt, an initiative that has wiped out $11.7 billion in debt for 513,000 people.

Of course, there are millions of borrowers who don’t fall under these categories; they are not in an income-driven repayment plan, didn’t attend a sham school, and don’t have a total or permanent disability. But the Biden administration is still working on a solution for them, too: A major new rule by the Education Department could wipe out hundreds of billions of dollars for millions of Americans. After the Supreme Court prevented the Biden administration from using the HEROES Act for this purpose, it pivoted to a different path that runs through the Higher Education Act. This law gives the Education Department broad authority to forgive individual student loans, but the process is notoriously onerous : The agency must engage in “negotiated rulemaking,” a yearslong slog that involves multiple public meetings involving various stakeholders followed by a lengthy public comment period. (This plodding pace is the main reason why the administration first tried to use the HEROES Act, which would’ve automatically erased loans with a single executive action.) The Education Department held yet another meeting on Thursday and Friday to move the ball forward; it has already put forth a draft proposal that would allow the agency to cancel debt for almost anyone experiencing financial hardship, defined very broadly.

It’s impossible to say whether this gambit will survive the conservative judiciary. But it is undoubtedly on firmer legal footing than Biden’s Plan A. And the Education Department’s relentless push forward marks a stark contrast with the agency’s approach under Trump. DeVos used her final days in office to commission a dubious memo that cut off relief for millions of borrowers, screwing over tens of millions of Americans on her way out the door. Throughout her tenure, she used every tool at her disposal to preserve every last penny of debt. Biden’s policies are a 180-degree turn, and they have proved extraordinarily successful in the face of persistent judicial resistance.

Student debt relief advocates have good reason to be disappointed with the Supreme Court, but they have no cause to scorn the president. When legal pressure forced him to restart loan payments last year, the Education Department instituted a 12-month on-ramp to excuse those who could not yet afford payments. When the courts blocked his stab at one-time relief, the agency rolled out a series of policies that reduced or zeroed out billions in debt for millions of people. And at this moment, the agency is plowing ahead with a program that could wipe hundreds of billions of debt off the books in the coming years. The pace of progress may be frustratingly slow. But in light of the fierce pushback from conservative lawmakers and judges at every turn, the benefits to borrowers have been an improbable achievement.

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Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups, and COVID-19

Georgia barbayannis.

1 Department of Neurology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States

Mahindra Bandari

Xiang zheng.

2 Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States

Humberto Baquerizo

3 Office for Diversity and Community Engagement, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States

Keith W. Pecor

4 Department of Biology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, United States

Associated Data

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Academic stress may be the single most dominant stress factor that affects the mental well-being of college students. Some groups of students may experience more stress than others, and the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic could further complicate the stress response. We surveyed 843 college students and evaluated whether academic stress levels affected their mental health, and if so, whether there were specific vulnerable groups by gender, race/ethnicity, year of study, and reaction to the pandemic. Using a combination of scores from the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS) and the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), we found a significant correlation between worse academic stress and poor mental well-being in all the students, who also reported an exacerbation of stress in response to the pandemic. In addition, SWEMWBS scores revealed the lowest mental health and highest academic stress in non-binary individuals, and the opposite trend was observed for both the measures in men. Furthermore, women and non-binary students reported higher academic stress than men, as indicated by PAS scores. The same pattern held as a reaction to COVID-19-related stress. PAS scores and responses to the pandemic varied by the year of study, but no obvious patterns emerged. These results indicate that academic stress in college is significantly correlated to psychological well-being in the students who responded to this survey. In addition, some groups of college students are more affected by stress than others, and additional resources and support should be provided to them.

Introduction

Late adolescence and emerging adulthood are transitional periods marked by major physiological and psychological changes, including elevated stress (Hogan and Astone, 1986 ; Arnett, 2000 ; Shanahan, 2000 ; Spear, 2000 ; Scales et al., 2015 ; Romeo et al., 2016 ; Barbayannis et al., 2017 ; Chiang et al., 2019 ; Lally and Valentine-French, 2019 ; Matud et al., 2020 ). This pattern is particularly true for college students. According to a 2015 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment survey, three in four college students self-reported feeling stressed, while one in five college students reported stress-related suicidal ideation (Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; American Psychological Association, 2020 ). Studies show that a stressor experienced in college may serve as a predictor of mental health diagnoses (Pedrelli et al., 2015 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Karyotaki et al., 2020 ). Indeed, many mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorder, begin during this period (Blanco et al., 2008 ; Pedrelli et al., 2015 ; Saleh et al., 2017 ; Reddy et al., 2018 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ).

Stress experienced by college students is multi-factorial and can be attributed to a variety of contributing factors (Reddy et al., 2018 ; Karyotaki et al., 2020 ). A growing body of evidence suggests that academic-related stress plays a significant role in college (Misra and McKean, 2000 ; Dusselier et al., 2005 ; Elias et al., 2011 ; Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ; Hj Ramli et al., 2018 ; Reddy et al., 2018 ; Pascoe et al., 2020 ). For instance, as many as 87% of college students surveyed across the United States cited education as their primary source of stress (American Psychological Association, 2020 ). College students are exposed to novel academic stressors, such as an extensive academic course load, substantial studying, time management, classroom competition, financial concerns, familial pressures, and adapting to a new environment (Misra and Castillo, 2004 ; Byrd and McKinney, 2012 ; Ekpenyong et al., 2013 ; Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ; Ketchen Lipson et al., 2015 ; Pedrelli et al., 2015 ; Reddy et al., 2018 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Freire et al., 2020 ; Karyotaki et al., 2020 ). Academic stress can reduce motivation, hinder academic achievement, and lead to increased college dropout rates (Pascoe et al., 2020 ).

Academic stress has also been shown to negatively impact mental health in students (Li and Lin, 2003 ; Eisenberg et al., 2009 ; Green et al., 2021 ). Mental, or psychological, well-being is one of the components of positive mental health, and it includes happiness, life satisfaction, stress management, and psychological functioning (Ryan and Deci, 2001 ; Tennant et al., 2007 ; Galderisi et al., 2015 ; Trout and Alsandor, 2020 ; Defeyter et al., 2021 ; Green et al., 2021 ). Positive mental health is an understudied but important area that helps paint a more comprehensive picture of overall mental health (Tennant et al., 2007 ; Margraf et al., 2020 ). Moreover, positive mental health has been shown to be predictive of both negative and positive mental health indicators over time (Margraf et al., 2020 ). Further exploring the relationship between academic stress and mental well-being is important because poor mental well-being has been shown to affect academic performance in college (Tennant et al., 2007 ; Eisenberg et al., 2009 ; Freire et al., 2016 ).

Perception of academic stress varies among different groups of college students (Lee et al., 2021 ). For instance, female college students report experiencing increased stress than their male counterparts (Misra et al., 2000 ; Eisenberg et al., 2007 ; Evans et al., 2018 ; Lee et al., 2021 ). Male and female students also respond differently to stressors (Misra et al., 2000 ; Verma et al., 2011 ). Moreover, compared to their cisgender peers, non-binary students report increased stressors and mental health issues (Budge et al., 2020 ). The academic year of study of the college students has also been shown to impact academic stress levels (Misra and McKean, 2000 ; Elias et al., 2011 ; Wyatt et al., 2017 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Defeyter et al., 2021 ). While several studies indicate that racial/ethnic minority groups of students, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American students, are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and suicidality than their white peers (Lesure-Lester and King, 2004 ; Lipson et al., 2018 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Kodish et al., 2022 ), these studies are limited and often report mixed or inconclusive findings (Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Kodish et al., 2022 ). Therefore, more studies should be conducted to address this gap in research to help identify subgroups that may be disproportionately impacted by academic stress and lower well-being.

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a major stressor that has led to a mental health crisis (American Psychological Association, 2020 ; Dong and Bouey, 2020 ). For college students, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes and disruptions to daily life, elevated stress levels, and mental and physical health deterioration (American Psychological Association, 2020 ; Husky et al., 2020 ; Patsali et al., 2020 ; Son et al., 2020 ; Clabaugh et al., 2021 ; Lee et al., 2021 ; Lopes and Nihei, 2021 ; Yang et al., 2021 ). While any college student is vulnerable to these stressors, these concerns are amplified for members of minority groups (Salerno et al., 2020 ; Clabaugh et al., 2021 ; McQuaid et al., 2021 ; Prowse et al., 2021 ; Kodish et al., 2022 ). Identifying students at greatest risk provides opportunities to offer support, resources, and mental health services to specific subgroups.

The overall aim of this study was to assess academic stress and mental well-being in a sample of college students. Within this umbrella, we had several goals. First, to determine whether a relationship exists between the two constructs of perceived academic stress, measured by the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (PAS), and mental well-being, measured by the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (SWEMWBS), in college students. Second, to identify groups that could experience differential levels of academic stress and mental health. Third, to explore how the perception of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic affected stress levels. We hypothesized that students who experienced more academic stress would have worse psychological well-being and that certain groups of students would be more impacted by academic- and COVID-19-related stress.

Materials and Methods

Survey instrument.

A survey was developed that included all questions from the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being (Tennant et al., 2007 ; Stewart-Brown and Janmohamed, 2008 ) and from the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ). The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale is a seven-item scale designed to measure mental well-being and positive mental health (Tennant et al., 2007 ; Fung, 2019 ; Shah et al., 2021 ). The Perception of Academic Stress Scale is an 18-item scale designed to assess sources of academic stress perceived by individuals and measures three main academic stressors: academic expectations, workload and examinations, and academic self-perceptions of students (Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ). These shorter scales were chosen to increase our response and study completion rates (Kost and de Rosa, 2018 ). Both tools have been shown to be valid and reliable in college students with Likert scale responses (Tennant et al., 2007 ; Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ; Ringdal et al., 2018 ; Fung, 2019 ; Koushede et al., 2019 ). Both the SWEMWBS and PAS scores are a summation of responses to the individual questions in the instruments. For the SWEMWBS questions, a higher score indicates better mental health, and scores range from 7 to 35. Similarly, the PAS questions are phrased such that a higher score indicates lower levels of stress, and scores range from 18 to 90. We augmented the survey with demographic questions (e.g., age, gender, and race/ethnicity) at the beginning of the survey and two yes/no questions and one Likert scale question about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of our survey.

Participants for the study were self-reported college students between the ages of 18 and 30 years who resided in the United States, were fluent in English, and had Internet access. Participants were solicited through Prolific ( https://prolific.co ) in October 2021. A total of 1,023 individuals enrolled in the survey. Three individuals did not agree to participate after beginning the survey. Two were not fluent in English. Thirteen individuals indicated that they were not college students. Two were not in the 18–30 age range, and one was located outside of the United States. Of the remaining individuals, 906 were full-time students and 96 were part-time students. Given the skew of the data and potential differences in these populations, we removed the part-time students. Of the 906 full-time students, 58 indicated that they were in their fifth year of college or higher. We understand that not every student completes their undergraduate studies in 4 years, but we did not want to have a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students with no way to differentiate them. Finally, one individual reported their age as a non-number, and four individuals did not answer a question about their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This yielded a final sample of 843 college students.

Data Analyses

After reviewing the dataset, some variables were removed from consideration due to a lack of consistency (e.g., some students reported annual income for themselves and others reported family income) or heterogeneity that prevented easy categorization (e.g., field of study). We settled on four variables of interest: gender, race/ethnicity, year in school, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Table 1 ). Gender was coded as female, male, or non-binary. Race/ethnicity was coded as white or Caucasian; Black or African American; East Asian; Hispanic, Latino, or of Spanish origin; or other. Other was used for groups that were not well-represented in the sample and included individuals who identified themselves as Middle Eastern, Native American or Alaskan Native, and South Asian, as well as individuals who chose “other” or “prefer not to answer” on the survey. The year of study was coded as one through four, and COVID-19 stress was coded as two groups, no change/neutral response/reduced stress or increased stress.

Characteristics of the participants in the study.

Our first goal was to determine whether there was a relationship between self-reported academic stress and mental health, and we found a significant correlation (see Results section). Given the positive correlation, a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) with a model testing the main effects of gender, race/ethnicity, and year of study was run in SPSS v 26.0. A factorial MANOVA would have been ideal, but our data were drawn from a convenience sample, which did not give equal representation to all groupings, and some combinations of gender, race/ethnicity, and year of study were poorly represented (e.g., a single individual). As such, we determined that it would be better to have a lack of interaction terms as a limitation to the study than to provide potentially spurious results. Finally, we used chi-square analyses to assess the effect of potential differences in the perception of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress levels in general among the groups in each category (gender, race/ethnicity, and year of study).

In terms of internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha was 0.82 for the SMEMWBS and 0.86 for the PAS. A variety of descriptors have been applied to Cronbach's alpha values. That said, 0.7 is often considered a threshold value in terms of acceptable internal consistency, and our values could be considered “high” or “good” (Taber, 2018 ).

The participants in our study were primarily women (78.5% of respondents; Table 1 ). Participants were not equally distributed among races/ethnicities, with the majority of students selecting white or Caucasian (66.4% of responders; Table 1 ), or years of study, with fewer first-year students than other groups ( Table 1 ).

Students who reported higher academic stress also reported worse mental well-being in general, irrespective of age, gender, race/ethnicity, or year of study. PAS and SWEMWBS scores were significantly correlated ( r = 0.53, p < 0.001; Figure 1 ), indicating that a higher level of perceived academic stress is associated with worse mental well-being in college students within the United States.

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SWEMWBS and PAS scores for all participants.

Among the subgroups of students, women, non-binary students, and second-year students reported higher academic stress levels and worse mental well-being ( Table 2 ; Figures 2 – 4 ). In addition, the combined measures differed significantly between the groups in each category ( Table 2 ). However, as measured by partial eta squared, the effect sizes were relatively small, given the convention of 0.01 = small, 0.06 = medium, and 0.14 = large differences (Lakens, 2013 ). As such, there were only two instances in which Tukey's post-hoc tests revealed more than one statistical grouping ( Figures 2 – 4 ). For SWEMWBS score by gender, women were intermediate between men (high) and non-binary individuals (low) and not significantly different from either group ( Figure 2 ). Second-year students had the lowest PAS scores for the year of study, and first-year students had the highest scores. Third- and fourth-year students were intermediate and not statistically different from the other two groups ( Figure 4 ). There were no pairwise differences in academic stress levels or mental well-being among racial/ethnic groups.

Results of the MANOVA.

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SWEMWBS and PAS scores according to gender (mean ± SEM). Different letters for SWEMWBS scores indicate different statistical groupings ( p < 0.05).

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SWEMWBS and PAS scores according to year in college (mean ± SEM). Different letters for PAS scores indicate different statistical groupings ( p < 0.05).

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SWEMWBS and PAS scores according to race/ethnicity (mean ± SEM).

The findings varied among categories in terms of stress responses due to the COVID-19 pandemic ( Table 3 ). For gender, men were less likely than women or non-binary individuals to report increased stress from COVID-19 (χ 2 = 27.98, df = 2, p < 0.001). All racial/ethnic groups responded similarly to the pandemic (χ 2 = 3.41, df = 4, p < 0.49). For the year of study, first-year students were less likely than other cohorts to report increased stress from COVID-19 (χ 2 = 9.38, df = 3, p < 0.03).

Impact of COVID-19 on stress level by gender, race/ethnicity, and year of study.

Our primary findings showed a positive correlation between perceived academic stress and mental well-being in United States college students, suggesting that academic stressors, including academic expectations, workload and grading, and students' academic self-perceptions, are equally important as psychological well-being. Overall, irrespective of gender, race/ethnicity, or year of study, students who reported higher academic stress levels experienced diminished mental well-being. The utilization of well-established scales and a large sample size are strengths of this study. Our results extend and contribute to the existing literature on stress by confirming findings from past studies that reported higher academic stress and lower psychological well-being in college students utilizing the same two scales (Green et al., 2021 ; Syed, 2021 ). To our knowledge, the majority of other prior studies with similar findings examined different components of stress, studied negative mental health indicators, used different scales or methods, employed smaller sample sizes, or were conducted in different countries (Li and Lin, 2003 ; American Psychological Association, 2020 ; Husky et al., 2020 ; Pascoe et al., 2020 ; Patsali et al., 2020 ; Clabaugh et al., 2021 ; Lee et al., 2021 ; Lopes and Nihei, 2021 ; Yang et al., 2021 ).

This study also demonstrated that college students are not uniformly impacted by academic stress or pandemic-related stress and that there are significant group-level differences in mental well-being. Specifically, non-binary individuals and second-year students were disproportionately impacted by academic stress. When considering the effects of gender, non-binary students, in comparison to gender-conforming students, reported the highest stress levels and worst psychological well-being. Although there is a paucity of research examining the impact of academic stress in non-binary college students, prior studies have indicated that non-binary adults face adverse mental health outcomes when compared to male and female-identifying individuals (Thorne et al., 2018 ; Jones et al., 2019 ; Budge et al., 2020 ). Alarmingly, Lipson et al. ( 2019 ) found that gender non-conforming college students were two to four times more likely to experience mental health struggles than cisgender students (Lipson et al., 2019 ). With a growing number of college students in the United States identifying as as non-binary, additional studies could offer invaluable insight into how academic stress affects this population (Budge et al., 2020 ).

In addition, we found that second-year students reported the most academic-related distress and lowest psychological well-being relative to students in other years of study. We surmise this may be due to this group taking advanced courses, managing heavier academic workloads, and exploring different majors. Other studies support our findings and suggest higher stress levels could be attributed to increased studying and difficulties with time management, as well as having less well-established social support networks and coping mechanisms compared to upperclassmen (Allen and Hiebert, 1991 ; Misra and McKean, 2000 ; Liu, X et al., 2019 ). Benefiting from their additional experience, upperclassmen may have developed more sophisticated studying skills, formed peer support groups, and identified approaches to better manage their academic stress (Allen and Hiebert, 1991 ; Misra and McKean, 2000 ). Our findings suggest that colleges should consider offering tailored mental health resources, such as time management and study skill workshops, based on the year of study to improve students' stress levels and psychological well-being (Liu, X et al., 2019 ).

Although this study reported no significant differences regarding race or ethnicity, this does not indicate that minority groups experienced less academic stress or better mental well-being (Lee et al., 2021 ). Instead, our results may reflect the low sample size of non-white races/ethnicities, which may not have given enough statistical power to corroborate. In addition, since coping and resilience are important mediators of subjective stress experiences (Freire et al., 2020 ), we speculate that the lower ratios of stress reported in non-white participants in our study (75 vs. 81) may be because they are more accustomed to adversity and thereby more resilient (Brown, 2008 ; Acheampong et al., 2019 ). Furthermore, ethnic minority students may face stigma when reporting mental health struggles (Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Lee et al., 2021 ). For instance, studies showed that Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American students disclose fewer mental health issues than white students (Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ; Lee et al., 2021 ). Moreover, the ability to identify stressors and mental health problems may manifest differently culturally for some minority groups (Huang and Zane, 2016 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ). Contrary to our findings, other studies cited racial disparities in academic stress levels and mental well-being of students. More specifically, Negga et al. ( 2007 ) concluded that African American college students were more susceptible to higher academic stress levels than their white classmates (Negga et al., 2007 ). Another study reported that minority students experienced greater distress and worse mental health outcomes compared to non-minority students (Smith et al., 2014 ). Since there may be racial disparities in access to mental health services at the college level, universities, professors, and counselors should offer additional resources to support these students while closely monitoring their psychological well-being (Lipson et al., 2018 ; Liu, C. H., et al., 2019 ).

While the COVID-19 pandemic increased stress levels in all the students included in our study, women, non-binary students, and upperclassmen were disproportionately affected. An overwhelming body of evidence suggests that the majority of college students experienced increased stress levels and worsening mental health as a result of the pandemic (Allen and Hiebert, 1991 ; American Psychological Association, 2020 ; Husky et al., 2020 ; Patsali et al., 2020 ; Son et al., 2020 ; Clabaugh et al., 2021 ; Lee et al., 2021 ; Yang et al., 2021 ). Our results also align with prior studies that found similar subgroups of students experience disproportionate pandemic-related distress (Gao et al., 2020 ; Clabaugh et al., 2021 ; Hunt et al., 2021 ; Jarrett et al., 2021 ; Lee et al., 2021 ; Chen and Lucock, 2022 ). In particular, the differences between female students and their male peers may be the result of different psychological and physiological responses to stress reactivity, which in turn may contribute to different coping mechanisms to stress and the higher rates of stress-related disorders experienced by women (Misra et al., 2000 ; Kajantie and Phillips, 2006 ; Verma et al., 2011 ; Gao et al., 2020 ; Graves et al., 2021 ). COVID-19 was a secondary consideration in our study and survey design, so the conclusions drawn here are necessarily limited.

The implications of this study are that college students facing increased stress and struggling with mental health issues should receive personalized and specific mental health services, resources, and support. This is particularly true for groups that have been disproportionately impacted by academic stress and stress due to the pandemic. Many students who experience mental health struggles underutilize college services due to cost, stigma, or lack of information (Cage et al., 2020 ; Lee et al., 2021 ). To raise awareness and destigmatize mental health, colleges can consider distributing confidential validated assessments, such as the PAS and SWEMWBS, in class and teach students to self-score (Lee et al., 2021 ). These results can be used to understand how academic stress and mental well-being change over time and allow for specific and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups. In addition, teaching students healthy stress management techniques has been shown to improve psychological well-being (Alborzkouh et al., 2015 ). Moreover, adaptive coping strategies, including social and emotional support, have been found to improve the mental well-being of students, and stress-reduction peer support groups and workshops on campus could be beneficial in reducing stress and improving the self-efficacy of students (Ruthig et al., 2009 ; Baqutayan, 2011 ; Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ; Freire et al., 2020 ; Green et al., 2021 ; Suresh et al., 2021 ). Other interventions that have been effective in improving the coping skills of college students include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness mediation, and online coping tools (Kang et al., 2009 ; Regehr et al., 2013 ; Molla Jafar et al., 2015 ; Phang et al., 2015 ; Houston et al., 2017 ; Yusufov et al., 2019 ; Freire et al., 2020 ). Given that resilience has also been shown to help mediate stress and improve mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions focusing on enhancing resilience should be considered (Surzykiewicz et al., 2021 ; Skalski et al., 2022 ). Telemental health resources across colleges can also be implemented to reduce stigma and improve at-risk students' access to care (Toscos et al., 2018 ; Hadler et al., 2021 ). University campuses, professors, and counselors should consider focusing on fostering a more equitable and inclusive environment to encourage marginalized students to seek mental health support (Budge et al., 2020 ).

Limitations

While our study has numerous strengths, including using standardized instruments and a large sample size, this study also has several limitations due to both the methodology and sample. First, the correlational study design precludes making any causal relationships (Misra and McKean, 2000 ). Thereby, our findings should be taken in the context of academic stress and mental well-being, and recognize that mental health could be caused by other non-academic factors. Second, the PAS comprised only the perception of responses to academic stress, but stress is a multi-factorial response that encompasses both perceptions and coping mechanisms to different stressors, and the magnitude of stress varies with the perception of the degree of uncontrollability, unpredictability, or threat to self (Miller, 1981 ; Hobfoll and Walfisch, 1984 ; Lazarus and Folkman, 1984 ; Wheaton, 1985 ; Perrewé and Zellars, 1999 ; Schneiderman et al., 2005 ; Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015 ; Schönfeld et al., 2016 ; Reddy et al., 2018 ; Freire et al., 2020 ; Karyotaki et al., 2020 ). Third, the SWEMSBS used in our study and the data only measured positive mental health. Mental health pathways are numerous and complex, and are composed of distinct and interdependent negative and positive indicators that should be considered together (Margraf et al., 2020 ). Fourth, due to the small effect sizes and unequal representation for different combinations of variables, our analysis for both the PAS and SWEMSBS included only summed-up scales and did not examine group differences in response to the type of academic stressors or individual mental health questions.

An additional limitation is that the participants in our study were a convenience sample. The testing service we used, prolific.co, self-reports a sample bias toward young women of high levels of education (i.e., WEIRD bias) (Team Prolific, 2018 ). The skew toward this population was observed in our data, as 80% of our participants were women. While we controlled for these factors, the possibility remains that the conclusions we draw for certain groups, such as nonbinary students, ethnic/racial minorities, and men, may not be as statistically powerful as they should be. Moreover, our pre-screening was designed to recruit undergraduate level, English-speaking, 18–30-year-olds who resided in the United States. This resulted in our participant demographics being skewed toward the WEIRD bias that was already inherent in the testing service we used. Future research will aim to be more inclusive of diverse races/ethnicities, sexual orientations, languages, educational backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, and first-generation college students.

Another limitation of our study is the nature of satisficing. Satisficing is a response strategy in which a participant answers a question to satisfy its condition with little regard to the quality or accuracy of the answer (Roberts et al., 2019 ). Anonymous participants are more likely to satisfice than respondents who answer the question face-to-face (Krosnick et al., 2002 ). We sought to mitigate satisficing by offering financial incentives to increase response rates and decrease straight-lining, item skipping, total missing items, and non-completion (Cole et al., 2015 ). Concerns of poor data quality due to surveys offering financial incentives found little evidence to support that claim and may do the opposite (Cole et al., 2015 ). On the other hand, social desirability bias may have influenced the participant's self-reported responses, although our anonymous survey design aimed to reduce this bias (Joinson, 1999 ; Kecojevic et al., 2020 ).

Future Studies

Future studies should replicate our study to validate our results, conduct longitudinal cohort studies to examine well-being and perceived academic stress over time, and aim for a more representative student sample that includes various groups, including diverse races/ethnicities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic backgrounds, languages, educational levels, and first-generation college students. Additionally, these studies should consider examining other non-academic stressors and students' coping mechanisms, both of which contribute to mental health and well-being (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984 ; Freire et al., 2020 ). Further explorations of negative and other positive indicators of mental health may offer a broader perspective (Margraf et al., 2020 ). Moreover, future research should consider extending our work by exploring group differences in relation to each factor in the PAS (i.e., academic expectations, workload and examinations, and self-perception of students) and SWEMBS to determine which aspects of academic stress and mental health were most affected and allow for the devising of targeted stress-reduction approaches. Ultimately, we hope our research spurs readers into advocating for greater academic support and access to group-specific mental health resources to reduce the stress levels of college students and improve their mental well-being.

Utilizing two well-established scales, our research found a statistically significant correlation between the perceived academic stress of university students and their mental well-being (i.e., the higher the stress, the worse the well-being). This relationship was most apparent among gender and grade levels. More specifically, non-binary and second-year students experienced greater academic burden and lower psychological well-being. Moreover, women, non-binary students, and upper-level students were disproportionately impacted by stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Studies regarding broad concepts of stress and well-being using a questionnaire are limited, but our study adds value to the understanding of academic stress as a contributor to the overall well-being of college students during this specific point in time (i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic). Competition both for admission to college (Bound et al., 2009 ) and during college (Posselt and Lipson, 2016 ) has increased over time. Further, selective American colleges and universities draw applicants from a global pool. As such, it is important to document the dynamics of academic stress with renewed focus. We hope that our study sparks interest in both exploring and funding in-depth and well-designed psychological studies related to stress in colleges in the future.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by Institutional Review Board at Rutgers University. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

GB and MB contributed to conceptualization, study design, IRB application, manuscript drafting, and revision. XZ participated in the conceptualization and design of the questionnaires. HB participated in subject recruitment and questionnaire collection. KP contributed to data analysis, table and figure preparation, manuscript drafting, and revision. XM contributed to conceptualization, study design, IRB application, supervision of the project, manuscript drafting, and revision. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

This study was made possible by a generous donation from the Knights of Columbus East Hanover Chapter in New Jersey.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Shivani Mehta and Varsha Garla for their assistance with the study. We also thank all the participants for their efforts in the completion of the study.

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IMAGES

  1. 4 Tips for Students to Get Rid of Homework Load

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VIDEO

  1. teacher vs student Homework kyu nhi kiya #ytshorts #comedy #funnyshorts #teacher#funnyvideos

COMMENTS

  1. How Much Time Do College Students Spend on Homework

    In college, a good rule of thumb for homework estimates that for each college credit you take, you'll spend one hour in the classroom and two to three hours on homework each week. These homework tasks can include readings, working on assignments, or studying for exams.

  2. How false reports of homework overload in America have spread so far

    I was horrified by what I saw, delivered to millions of Wikipedia users: "High schoolers reported doing an average of 2.7 hours of homework per weeknight, according to a study by The Washington...

  3. Increased workload and loss of free time increases student stress

    Tweet. As the number of years one spends in school increases, so does the workload, arguably exponentially. In the sixth grade, the only worries are the bell schedule, learning how to do new math or writing one's first short story. Jump five years to the beginning of junior year, and suddenly students are facing a mountain of work that wasn ...

  4. How Much Homework is Too Much?

    A 2014 study found that, nationwide, college students self reported spending about 17 hours each week on homework, reading and assignments. Studies of high school students show that too much homework can produce diminishing returns on student learning, so finding the right balance can be difficult.

  5. Homework in America

    March 18, 2014 18 min read Downloads 2014 Brown Center Report on American Education Part II of the 2014 Brown Center Report on American Education Homework! The topic, no, just the word itself,...

  6. FACT SHEET: President Biden Cancels Student Debt for more than 150,000

    Today, President Biden announced the approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for almost 153,000 borrowers currently enrolled in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan.

  7. Homework Wars: High School Workloads, Student Stress, and How Parents

    Studies of typical homework loads vary: In one, a Stanford researcher found that more than two hours of homework a night may be counterproductive.

  8. A New Report Reveals That Homework in the United States is an Easy Load

    Another survey, the Third International Math and Science Study, finds that American high school students have one of the lightest homework loads in the world. Of twenty countries, the United...

  9. Biden's student loan forgiveness plan: Here's who may be eligible

    Those who have been carrying their student debt for decades may also benefit. With many of the Education Department's repayment plans requiring 20 years or more of payments, such stories are common.

  10. Biden's New Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Offers 17 Paths To ...

    The plan is part of a broader effort by the Biden administration to establish new student loan relief. After last summer's Supreme Court ruling that nixed President Joe Biden's first student ...

  11. Academics should rethink the way they assign homework (opinion)

    A student taking a 16-hour course load should devote roughly 32 hours a week to homework, spending a total of 48 hours each week dedicated to academics.

  12. Nearly 153,000 people will be notified that their student loan ...

    Nearly 153,000 student loan borrowers currently enrolled in a new repayment plan launched by the Biden administration are expected to get an email Wednesday notifying them that their remaining ...

  13. How Academic and Extracurricular Workload and Stress Impacts the Mental

    Academic workload is characterized as the student's major, course work and future graduate school and/or career path plans. Extracurricular involvement can pertain from anything to intramural sports to being the President of a student organization.

  14. Stanford research shows pitfalls of homework

    The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper ...

  15. More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research

    • Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

  16. Biden-Harris Administration Approves $1.2 Billion in Loan Forgiveness

    An Unparalleled Track Record of Student Debt Cancellation The Biden-Harris Administration has fought tirelessly to provide borrowers the relief they have earned. In total, the Administration has now approved debt cancellation for nearly 3.9 million hard-working Americans totaling almost $138 billion in relief.

  17. The correlation between homework load and academic burnout among

    This study analyzes the correlation between college students' homework load and academic burnout. The correlational research design was used to measure the perceived burnout among college students, which aims to gain more objective comprehension of the subject matter. The researchers collected data from a sample of 60 college students with the ...

  18. (PDF) Investigating the Effects of Homework on Student Learning and

    Homework assignments can help consolidate knowledge, improve understanding, and develop problem-solving skills. When used appropriately, homework can be an effective tool for reviewing and...

  19. PDF Homework, Motivation, and Academic Achievement in a College ...

    al., 2000; Laidra et al., 2007). Knowing why students do homework and how doing homework influences academic achievement can help instructors structure assignments to maximize completion, help students recognize and overcome demotivating factors, and provide evidence for the value of including homework assignments in college level curriculum.

  20. Course load

    College policy does not allow part-time enrollment during a student's first eight semesters of enrollment (College Catalog 4.1). If a request for part-time enrollment is related to a documented disability or chronic medical condition, then a student could talk about a disability accommodations request and a related petition process with Student ...

  21. College Homework: What You Need to Know

    While there is no set standard on how much time you should spend doing homework in college, a good rule-of-thumb practiced by model students is 3 hours a week per college credit. It doesn't seem like a lot, until you factor in that the average college student takes on about 15 units per semester.

  22. Students' Achievement and Homework Assignment Strategies

    The main objective of this research is to analyze how homework assignment strategies in schools affect students' academic performance and the differences in students' time spent on homework. Participants were a representative sample of Spanish adolescents ( N = 26,543) with a mean age of 14.4 (±0.75), 49.7% girls.

  23. PDF Effects of Academic Workload on the Burnout of Students during Online

    The content analysis revealed the following categories of effects of academic workload on student burnout during online classes: work is hurried and rushed, workloads are challenging to manage during online classes, feeling discouraged, irritated, stressed, and annoyed, feeling burnout, and feeling fatigued.

  24. Biden administration is forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for

    The debt relief is the latest push from the White House to address the nation's $1.77 trillion in student debt after the Supreme Court last year invalidated the Biden administration's plan for ...

  25. How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

    You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you've got SAT studying to do. It's just more fun to watch people make scones. D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you're reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time. 5.

  26. Biden Cancels $1.2 Billion in Student Loan Debt for 150,000 Borrowers

    transcript. Biden Announces Student Loan Forgiveness for 150,000 Borrowers The plan will cancel $1.2 billion in debt for people enrolled in the SAVE repayment program, who took out $12,000 or less ...

  27. Homework hurts high-achieving students, study says

    March 13, 2014 at 2:55 p.m. EDT. This won't come as any surprise to many teenagers but here goes: A new study finds that a heavy homework load negatively impacts the lives of high school ...

  28. Student loan forgiveness: Biden's new strategy is a massive and

    Politics Biden's Plan B on Student Loan Forgiveness Is a Massive and Improbable Success The administration has wiped out $136.6 billion—and counting—in debt since the Supreme Court blocked ...

  29. Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations

    Survey Instrument. A survey was developed that included all questions from the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being (Tennant et al., 2007; Stewart-Brown and Janmohamed, 2008) and from the Perception of Academic Stress Scale (Bedewy and Gabriel, 2015).The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale is a seven-item scale designed to measure mental well-being and positive mental health ...