The discussion about the actual necessity of homework is a tale as old as time. Year after year brings new slacking students, testy teachers and exhausted overachievers.

The concept of homework is something the teachers and administrators of the world argue for wholeheartedly. The actuality of homework causes distress, breakdowns, tears and inevitable failure all around the world.

The truth of the matter is that most of the time, homework is a complete waste of time. Practice is useful, while busywork is frustrating at best. The hours I spend curled up on my bed reading chapter after chapter, making seemingly endless piles of flashcards, calculating hundreds of the same equation and writing enough essays to fill a novel have taken a considerable amount of time out of the life that I should be enjoying.

My schedule a few nights ago went something like this: the final bell rang, marking the end of the school day. I went home and took a practice test for approximately two hours. I then did an hour of volunteering for a class, ate dinner, and spent the next four and a half hours reading, writing, studying and testing, putting me to bed at 11:30.

This was for two classes.

While this isn’t awful–I got a full six hours of sleep! Gee whiz!–I did absolutely nothing that I wanted to be doing.

I am sixteen! In less than two years, I will be at college, paying thousands of dollars to spend hours studying things I want to be studying. Now, however, I am a junior in high school. I am supposed to be spending this time taking a tentative step towards adulthood, not spending all my “free” time inside with my nose in a book. Who do these people think I am?

Teachers, having been in my position only a few decades ago, try to encourage me to get involved in extracurriculars to improve college applications and expand my interests.

The question, then, becomes when? When on earth do I have time to stop doing things I hate and do the things I love?

I could write that essay later and skip the math homework for tonight in order to go to rehearsal and still have time to study for the huge chemistry exam. Or I could stay up until three and get it all done, leaving me an exhausted, pissed-off wreck the next day.

Failing my classes is not an option. Getting no sleep is not an option. And being involved in activities outside of schoolwork is required.

In other words, there is absolutely no way to win.

The solution should be obvious. Homework need to be cut down to what is absolutely necessary, and even then, it should be optional. If I feel confident about the subject matter learned in class, work outside is unnecessary and unhelpful. Homework should be something that can be expanded for students that need it but doesn’t take hours out of a competent student’s life.

If I want to spend an hour practicing for voice lessons and hang out with my family after dinner, I don’t want to spend the whole time feeling nervous about wasting precious minutes that I could be devoting to important work like logarithms and biochemistry. I’m sure I’ll see how important that is when I pursue a career in theater.

Let’s be honest. In the long run, is it going to be better for me to I learned how to read textbooks or to spend time doing things that make me happy?