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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

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“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

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[ hohm -wurk ]

• schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork ).
• a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
• paid work done at home , as piecework.

to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

• school work done out of lessons, esp at home
• any preparatory study
• work done at home for pay

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Word history and origins.

Origin of homework 1

Idioms and Phrases

Example sentences.

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• establishment
• preparedness
• qualification

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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Definition of homework – Learner’s Dictionary

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• Go upstairs and do your homework.
• For your homework, please do exercise 3 on page 24.
• When I finish my homework, can I watch TV?
• Get on with your homework.
• She was trying to duck out of doing her homework.

(Definition of homework from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of homework

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• acquire/get/lack experience/training/(an) education
• receive/provide somebody with training
• develop/design/plan a curriculum/course/program/syllabus
• give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
• hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
• moderate/lead/facilitate a discussion
• sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
• go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
• be in the first, second, etc. grade (at school)
• study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
• finish/drop out of/quit school
• graduate from high school/college
• be the victim/target of bullying/teasing
• skip/cut/ ( informal ) ditch class/school
• cheat on an exam/a test
• get/be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/be suspended from school
• do your homework/a project on something
• work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/a paper
• finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies
• hand in/turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
• study/prepare/review/ ( informal ) cram for a test/an exam
• take/ ( formal ) sit for a test/an exam
• grade homework/a test
• do well on/ ( informal ) ace a test/an exam
• pass/fail/ ( informal ) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
• apply to/get into/go to/start college
• leave/graduate from college (with a degree in computer science)/law school
• study for/work towards a law degree/a degree in physics
• major/minor in biology/philosophy
• earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a Ph.D. in economics

Want to learn more?

Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

Definition of 'homework'

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homework in American English

Homework in british english, examples of 'homework' in a sentence homework, related word partners homework, trends of homework.

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Related terms of homework

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What Is Homework?

Homework is work that teachers give students to complete outside of the school day. Homework is meant to provide students with practice for what was learned in school or an extension of what was done in class. Students are expected to complete the homework and return to school with the completed homework assignment.

Why Do Teachers Give Homework?

Most teachers give students homework so that they can practice something that was taught to them during class.

For example, if a teacher is teaching students how to add decimal numbers then the homework assignment would be for students to try adding decimals at home independently.

In my science class I never give my students homework that isn’t meaningful or practice towards a learning standard.

Gone are the days of giving homework that is “busy work”.

Also, when students return the following day their homework assignment is incorporated into the lesson so they quickly figure out that completing homework is necessary.

Some teachers, myself included, will use homework as a formative assessment.

If you are unsure what formative assessments are then you need to check out this article I wrote recently.

What Does Homework Look Like?

Homework can be almost anything.

Some examples of homework may include a simple worksheet to complete, a long term project, research, reading, a journal entry, completing something online, a drawing, or the continuation of something started in school, and just about anything else.

Homework isn’t limited to one specific thing.

With my eight grade students I have assigned videos for them to watch, creating a slideshow, completing a CER (more about the CER here) , conduct a survey for data collection, and more.

I have even had them collect leaves to identify the following day in our science class!

If you are a teacher reading this make sure to make your homework assignments interesting and worthwhile, don’t just assign homework as busy work.

Do Teachers Have To Give Homework?

No, teachers don’t have to give homework.

Usually teachers have discretion whether or not they are going to assign homework.

Personally, the principal or school district I work for has no idea how often I assign homework or what I assign for homework.

This decision to give or not give homework solely comes down to the classroom teacher.

The Importance Of Homework

The importance of homework is a heavily debated topic these days.

On one hand you have teachers that will say it is necessary that students continue learning outside the classroom in order to be more successful inside the classroom.

On the other hand some teachers will say that homework isn’t necessary as long as students are working hard during the school day.

Another reason homework is seen as not necessary is because students these days are so busy out of school that they don’t have time to complete homework.

Who is right?

I’d say it’s probably somewhere in the middle.

There is nothing wrong with a little homework for students but it shouldn’t be assigned every night.

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I (Allen) am currently teaching at a public school in a western suburb of Chicago. My teaching career started in 2004. Some of my interests outside of teaching is being with my family, biking, playing video games, travelling, and making the Teacher Adviser website.

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We've got 18 definitions for HOMEWORK  »

What does homework stand for , what does homework mean this page is about the various possible meanings of the acronym, abbreviation, shorthand or slang term: homework ., what does homework mean.

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Couldn't find the full form or full meaning of HOMEWORK?

Maybe you were looking for one of these abbreviations:.

HOMEF - HOMELEARNING - HOMER - HOMES - HOMETZ - HOMEY - HOMEZI - HOMF - HOMG - HOMGO

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What is Full Form of Homework?: Decoding Academics

Homework, an integral part of the academic journey, often raises questions about its purpose and significance. Beyond being viewed as a routine task, homework plays a multifaceted role in education. This exploration “What is full form of Homework?” aims to decode “Homework” and unravel the various dimensions that contribute to its role in shaping academic and personal development.

What is Full Form of ‘Homework’!! – 08 Unique Signs 

‘Homework’ word is combination of 08 unique signs which are called:

• H : Reinforcing Learning at Home
• O : Opportunities for Independent Study
• M : Measurement of Student Understanding
• E : Extension of Classroom Learning
• W : Well-Managed Time and Work Habits
• O : Overcoming Challenges and Enhancing Skills
• R : Reflection and Reinforcement
• K : Key Considerations for Effective Homework

Discover first ‘H-O-M-E’: What is Full Form of ‘Homework’!!

H: reinforcing learning at home.

• Homework as a tool to reinforce classroom learning : At its core, homework serves as a tool to reinforce what students learn in the classroom. It provides an opportunity for them to practice and apply the concepts covered during lessons, solidifying their understanding through repetition.
• The importance of practice and repetition in knowledge retention : Practice and repetition are crucial in knowledge retention. Homework offers students the chance to revisit and reinforce what they’ve learned, contributing to the consolidation of information in their long-term memory.
• Fostering a connection between classroom and home learning : Homework fosters a connection between classroom and home learning. It extends the learning experience beyond the school walls, encouraging students to engage with educational material in the familiar environment of their homes.

O: Opportunities for Independent Study

• Encouraging students to delve into independent study : Homework provides opportunities for independent study. It encourages students to explore topics beyond the scope of classroom instruction, fostering a sense of curiosity and self-directed learning.
• The role of homework in promoting self-directed learning : Beyond structured lessons, homework empowers students to take charge of their learning. It promotes self-directed study habits, teaching them to seek information, analyze content, and cultivate the skills necessary for lifelong learning.
• Building essential skills for lifelong learning : Homework, through independent study, contributes to the development of essential skills for lifelong learning. Students acquire research skills, critical thinking abilities, and the capacity to learn independently—skills that extend well beyond their academic years.

M: Measurement of Student Understanding

• Homework as a formative assessment tool : Homework serves as a formative assessment tool. It provides educators with insights into students’ understanding of the material, allowing for ongoing evaluation and adjustment of instructional strategies to better meet individual needs.
• The role of homework in gauging individual student comprehension : Through homework assignments, teachers can gauge individual student comprehension. This personalized assessment helps identify areas of strength and weakness, enabling targeted support for each student’s learning journey.
• Informing instructional decisions through homework assessments : Homework assessments inform instructional decisions. Teachers can tailor their teaching approaches based on the feedback gathered from homework, creating a more responsive and effective learning environment.

E: Extension of Classroom Learning

• Going beyond the confines of the classroom : Homework extends learning beyond the confines of the classroom. It offers students the chance to delve deeper into topics, fostering a richer understanding that goes beyond the time constraints of regular lessons.
• Homework as an opportunity to explore topics in greater depth : For curious minds, homework provides an opportunity to explore topics in greater depth. It encourages students to pursue areas of interest, fostering a genuine passion for learning that transcends the requirements of formal education.
• Enhancing the overall educational experience : By extending classroom learning, homework enhances the overall educational experience. It adds depth to students’ understanding, encourages intellectual curiosity, and contributes to a more comprehensive and meaningful learning journey.

Also Read:  How Do You Start Homeschooling For Your Child?

Now discover ‘w-o-r-k’: what is full form of ‘homework’, w: well-managed time and work habits.

• Developing time management skills through homework assignments : Homework assignments contribute to the development of crucial time management skills. Students learn to allocate time effectively, balancing academic responsibilities with extracurricular activities and personal pursuits.
• Instilling discipline and a sense of responsibility : Regular completion of homework instills discipline and a sense of responsibility in students. Meeting deadlines, managing tasks, and taking ownership of one’s academic responsibilities are valuable habits that extend into various aspects of life.
• Preparing students for future academic and professional endeavors : The disciplined approach cultivated through homework prepares students for future academic and professional endeavors. Well-managed time and work habits become invaluable assets as individuals navigate the demands of higher education and their careers.

O: Overcoming Challenges and Enhancing Skills

• The role of homework in overcoming academic challenges : Homework is a tool for overcoming academic challenges. It provides an opportunity for students to confront difficulties, seek clarification, and engage with the material until they achieve a satisfactory level of understanding.
• Enhancing critical skills such as problem-solving and analytical thinking : Homework assignments often involve problem-solving and analytical thinking. Students are challenged to apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations, honing critical skills that are essential for success in academics and beyond.
• Nurturing resilience and a positive attitude towards challenges : Facing and overcoming challenges in homework assignments nurtures resilience. Students develop a positive attitude towards challenges, understanding that overcoming obstacles is an inherent part of the learning process.

R: Reflection and Reinforcement

• Encouraging reflection on learning experiences : Homework encourages students to reflect on their learning experiences. Through assignments, they can consider how new information connects with their existing knowledge, fostering a deeper and more meaningful understanding.
• Homework as a tool for reinforcing key concepts : Key concepts introduced in class are reinforced through homework assignments. Repetition, coupled with thoughtful reflection, reinforces essential knowledge, contributing to the retention and application of learned material.
• Connecting past and present knowledge for a comprehensive understanding : Homework serves as a bridge connecting past and present knowledge. This connection enhances students’ overall comprehension, allowing them to build a comprehensive understanding of subjects over time.

K: Key Considerations for Effective Homework

• Tailoring homework assignments to educational objectives : Effective homework aligns with educational objectives. It is purposefully designed to reinforce specific concepts, assess understanding, and contribute to the achievement of learning goals.
• Balancing the workload to avoid overwhelming students : A balanced homework approach considers the workload’s appropriateness. Assignments should challenge students without overwhelming them, striking a balance that encourages engagement and prevents academic burnout.
• Encouraging a collaborative approach between educators, students, and parents : Collaboration is key for effective homework. Educators, students, and parents should work collaboratively to support the learning process, ensuring that assignments align with educational goals and contribute positively to students’ development.

Also Read: What is a Montessori Preschool Program?

In conclusion, the full form of “Homework” encompasses its multifaceted role as a tool for Reinforcing learning at home, providing Opportunities for independent study, serving as a Measurement of student understanding, being an Extension of classroom learning, promoting Well-managed time and work habits, aiding in Overcoming challenges and enhancing skills, facilitating Reflection and reinforcement, and considering Key considerations for effective implementation.

Hey, if you are looking for your child development then know more from the expert regarding your child education – The Real School

Q1: What is the primary purpose of homework in education? A: The primary purpose of homework in education is to reinforce classroom learning, provide opportunities for independent study, assess student understanding, extend classroom learning, develop time management skills, overcome challenges, encourage reflection, and consider key educational objectives.

Q2: How does homework contribute to the development of essential skills for lifelong learning? A: Homework contributes to the development of essential skills for lifelong learning by encouraging independent study, fostering critical thinking and analytical skills, and promoting habits such as time management and resilience. These skills are valuable for continuous learning beyond formal education.

Q3: What role does homework play in connecting past and present knowledge for students? A: Homework serves as a tool for connecting past and present knowledge by reinforcing key concepts over time. This connection enhances students’ overall comprehension and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of subjects.

Q4: How can educators ensure that homework assignments are effective and aligned with educational goals? A: Educators can ensure effective homework assignments by tailoring them to educational objectives, balancing the workload to avoid overwhelming students, and encouraging a collaborative approach with students and parents. Alignment with educational goals ensures that homework contributes positively to students’ development.

Q5: Why is reflection considered an important aspect of homework? A: Reflection is crucial in homework as it encourages students to contemplate their learning experiences. It helps them connect new information with existing knowledge, reinforcing key concepts and fostering a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the material.

Also Read:  What is The Real Full Form of School? Unveiling Mystery

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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What’s the point of homework?

Deputy Dean, School of Education, Western Sydney University

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Homework hasn’t changed much in the past few decades. Most children are still sent home with about an hour’s worth of homework each day, mostly practising what they were taught in class.

If we look internationally, homework is assigned in every country that participated in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012.

Across the participating countries, 15-year-old students reported spending almost five hours per week doing homework in 2012. Australian students spent six hours per week on average on homework. Students in Singapore spent seven hours on homework, and in Shanghai, China they did homework for about 14 hours per week on average.

Read more: Aussie students are a year behind students 10 years ago in science, maths and reading

Shanghai and Singapore routinely score higher than Australia in the PISA maths, science and reading tests. But homework could just be one of the factors leading to higher results. In Finland, which also scores higher than Australia, students spent less than three hours on homework per week.

So, what’s the purpose of homework and what does the evidence say about whether it fulfils its purpose?

Why do teachers set homework?

Each school in Australia has its own homework policy developed in consultation with teachers and parents or caregivers, under the guiding principles of state or regional education departments.

For instance, according to the New South Wales homework policy “… tasks should be assigned by teachers with a specific, explicit learning purpose”.

Homework in NSW should also be “purposeful and designed to meet specific learning goals”, and “built on knowledge, skills and understanding developed in class”. But there is limited, if any, guidance on how often homework should be set.

Research based on teacher interviews shows they set homework for a range of reasons. These include to:

establish and improve communication between parents and children about learning

help children be more responsible, confident and disciplined

practise or review material from class

determine children’s understanding of the lesson and/or skills

introduce new material to be presented in class

provide students with opportunities to apply and integrate skills to new situations or interest areas

get students to use their own skills to create work.

So, does homework achieve what teachers intend it to?

Do we know if it ‘works’?

Studies on homework are frequently quite general, and don’t consider specific types of homework tasks. So it isn’t easy to measure how effective homework could be, or to compare studies.

But there are several things we can say.

First, it’s better if every student gets the kind of homework task that benefits them personally, such as one that helps them answer questions they had, or understand a problem they couldn’t quite grasp in class. This promotes students’ confidence and control of their own learning.

Read more: Learning from home is testing students' online search skills. Here are 3 ways to improve them

Giving students repetitive tasks may not have much value . For instance, calculating the answer to 120 similar algorithms, such as adding two different numbers 120 times may make the student think maths is irrelevant and boring. In this case, children are not being encouraged to find solutions but simply applying a formula they learnt in school.

In primary schools, homework that aims to improve children’s confidence and learning discipline can be beneficial. For example, children can be asked to practise giving a presentation on a topic of their interest. This could help build their competence in speaking in front of a class.

Homework can also highlight equity issues. It can be particularly burdensome for socioeconomically disadvantaged students who may not have a space, the resources or as much time due to family and work commitments. Their parents may also not feel capable of supporting them or have their own work commitments.

According to the PISA studies mentioned earlier, socioeconomically disadvantaged 15 year olds spend nearly three hours less on homework each week than their advantaged peers.

Read more: 'I was astonished at how quickly they made gains': online tutoring helps struggling students catch up

What kind of homework is best?

Homework can be engaging and contribute to learning if it is more than just a sheet of maths or list of spelling words not linked to class learning. From summarising various studies’ findings, “good” homework should be:

personalised to each child rather than the same for all students in the class. This is more likely to make a difference to a child’s learning and performance

achievable, so the child can complete it independently, building skills in managing their time and behaviour

aligned to the learning in the classroom.

If you aren’t happy with the homework your child is given then approach the school. If your child is having difficulty with doing the homework, the teacher needs to know. It shouldn’t be burdensome for you or your children.

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What Does Homework Stand For?

• Post by: Professor Conquer
• Last updated on: March 10, 2022

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We’ve all heard of homework, right? And we all know what that’s going to entail when it’s assigned to us. But there’s more to it than just that. In fact, the term ‘homework’ can refer to many different things, and it starts with understanding that the word can be an acronym and just work in general.

So, we’re going to look at just what does homework stand for and even things like what does school stand for. You might find it interesting, and you might have your ideas of just what it could mean (especially if you think about your own experiences with homework).

First Thing First: What is Homework (Actually)?

Of course, let’s start with the basics and what homework is. We probably all know the answer to this one because we’ve all had to do homework before. Homework is work that you are assigned in your classes that you have to do at home. It’s an assignment of some type that could be short, like a single worksheet, or long, like a report or even a thesis.

You’re assigned homework practically from the first time you go to school. Preschoolers and kindergarteners often have homework, and as you get higher and higher in school, that homework gets more complex and more extensive. You’ll find yourself spending hours every night getting your homework done.

When you get into college, that doesn’t end. You’ll still have homework that needs to be completed. And your teachers may assign you projects to get done short-term (like for the next class) as well as long-term (like for the end of the term. So overall, you’ll spend a lot of your life working on homework of some type. And the unfortunate part is that your homework will generally not be exciting , but it will take a lot of time and effort.

Why is Homework Important?

If you ask the students, especially younger students, they would tell you that homework is just there to make their life miserable. However, older students generally understand that it’s about helping them learn the material and understand it so they can move on to the next lesson (though they still don’t like it).

If you ask the teachers, they would tell you that homework is essential because it helps cement the students’ knowledge in their classes. When the teacher assigns homework, it’s so the students are able to practice what they’ve learned in class. In addition, by doing the homework at home and turning it in, the teacher can see if they understand the subject.

If the students do well, it means they know what they’re doing, and it’s time to move on. If they don’t, then it means they need more time and more focus on that subject before they can move on. The homework is the only way the teacher can know what the students understand before giving them a test.

Having homework repeatedly makes sure that the students don’t forget anything. So, teachers may go back to older subjects or mix old and new topics on homework assignments or for longer projects. This ensures that the students know what they’re doing and remember the things they’ve learned rather than just short-term memorization.

What Does the Acronym Homework Stand For?

Now that we’ve looked at what homework is and what it all means let’s look at what some people associate the word with. It’s not always about the assignments students take home to work on for school. Instead, the word is often used as an acronym, though it’s typically not a positive one.

The most common acronym that is associated with HOMEWORK is:

Half of My Energy Wasted on Random Knowledge.

It’s likely that this comes about because most students have several hours of homework to do once they get home from school. So, as a result, they’re spending a whole lot of energy at school and then spending a whole lot more energy at home to get their additional schoolwork done.

Since homework is definitely not fun and it’s not something that most students want to spend all of their time doing, they consider it a waste of energy. And since a lot of the subjects that students learn in school don’t feel applicable to everyday life, it’s usually about learning some random knowledge. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t help students feel better about the time they are spending.

13 Funny Homework Acronyms

Okay, so the main acronym for the word homework isn’t a positive one, but some other ones are just as silly or ridiculous as the first. So, let’s look at some of the funny acronyms that people have come up with for HOMEWORK.

• Hours of my existence wasted on random knowledge
• Half of my evening wasted on ridiculous knowledge
• Hours of my energy wasted on random knowledge
• How our minds evolve weirdly onto random knowledge
• Half of my evening wasted on retarded knowledge
• Half of my eternity wasted on retarded knowledge
• Half of my energy wasted on rare knowledge
• Hours of my energy wasted on repulsive knowledge
• Half of my eternity wasted on regretful knowledge
• Having one make effort working on retaining knowledge
• Having one make effort working on retarded knowledge
• Hours of mental exorcism with our raging knowledge
• Hours of more education without ordinary regretful kids

You can see  these acronyms and others here.

As you can tell, most of the acronyms that people come up with are not positive, and they are primarily about wasting time, wasting energy, and learning a lot of things that aren’t that important.

Since most students don’t see the actual benefit of homework, it’s easy to see why they would come up with acronyms associated with homework being a waste. But they are fun to read through and interesting to think about. Not to mention you should try to come up with some of your own. Maybe the next time you’re sitting down to work on homework.

For those who haven’t seen it before, you might also be wondering what does school stand for, and the results are pretty similar.

• Six cruel hours of our life
• Seven crap hours of our life
• Seven crappy hours of our lives
• Stupidly cruel hours of our lifetime
• Small citizens house of official learning

Best Homework Jokes

Ever wanted to make a joke about your homework but couldn’t think of one? Well, there are plenty of jokes out there about what homework means and what many people think about it. Just take a look:

• Why did the boy eat his homework?
• Because his teacher said it was a piece of cake
• Because you can’t drink and derive
• Because if you add 4+4, you get ate.
• Can I copy your homework? I ate mine.
• Bring it on
• Because they’re always swimming in schools
• Who let the homework-eating dogs out?
• Because it doesn’t know how to do it itself.
• Who’s there?
• Dewey really have homework on the first day?
• Howl we finish our homework on time?
• Canoe help me with my homework?
• Honeydew who?
• Honeydew, your homework before you go outside
• I would do my math homework, but I’ve already got my own problems
• I wanted to turn in my bartending homework, but I was absinthe.
• teacher replied, ‘no, why?’
• Because I haven’t done my homework

You can find these and even  more jokes just like these here.

Wrapping Things Up: What Does Homework Stand For?

Homework can have a different meaning to different people, but overall it’s something people have strong feelings about. So if you’re looking at homework and thinking that it has to have some meaning, you’ll now know that it does—one that’s a little more formal and several that other students make up.

Professor Conquer

Professor Conquer started Conquer Your Exam in 2018 to help students feel more confident and better prepared for their tough tests. Prof excelled in high school, graduating top of his class and receiving admissions into several Ivy League and top 15 schools. He has helped many students through the years tutoring and mentoring K-12, consulting seniors through the college admissions process, and writing extensive how-to guides for school.

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

• Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
• Fair Labor Standards Act
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Ronnie O’Sullivan closes on last-eight spot after Maguire beats Murphy

• O’Sullivan leads Ryan Day 10-6 after two sessions of last-16 clash
• Maguire holds off late Murphy fightback to secure 13-9 victory

Ronnie O’Sullivan opened up a 10-6 lead over Ryan Day to move within three frames of another World Snooker Championship quarter-final appearance.

O’Sullivan, aiming for a record-breaking eighth Crucible success, built on a 5-3 first-session lead by making Day pay for a succession of missed chances.

A missed yellow from Day proved costly as O’Sullivan made an 82 clearance and, although the Welshman replied by winning a scruffy frame, the seven-time world champion did not have to get out of second gear to dominate.

The Rocket reached the break 8-4 ahead as Day’s carelessness was further punished with breaks of 65 and 89. The pattern remained the same after the interval as O’Sullivan cashed in on more mistakes with frame-winning breaks of 56 and 96.

But Day – who has not beaten O’Sullivan since 2011 – responded superbly with efforts of 77 and 75 to keep his faint hopes alive when the action resumes on Monday afternoon.

Stephen Maguire secured his spot in the last eight by beating Shaun Murphy 13-9. The pair have feuded for two decades after an incident in which Maguire was penalised a frame for forgetting his chalk and the Scot held off a late fightback from Murphy to seal victory.

He resumed on Sunday morning with a 10-6 overnight lead and continued his quest to reach the quarter-finals with a break of 68 before Murphy pulled a frame back. Maguire then moved within one frame of victory but Murphy continued to battle, a 67 break earning him the following frame before he took the first after the mid-session interval to trail by three.

However, Maguire sealed victory in style, hitting the only century of the match with a 127 to set up a quarter-final meeting with David Gilbert.

Maguire told the World Snooker Tour website: “[Murphy] looked like he was comfortable in that session, so I was starting to get geared up for a comeback and a close finish. Once I got my chance, I finished pretty well there.

“Me and Dave [Gilbert] get on and we’ve grown up with each other for the best part of 30 years. He is a great player. He’s not had a great season by his standards. I’m probably the same, so we are coming into a good game at the right time.

“The quarter-finals are the pressure matches. I’ve won a couple and lost a couple. It is a match you don’t want to lose in because that arena changes and it does become the best in the world with the one table.”

During Saturday’s session Murphy fist-pumped after winning a frame and Maguire admitted it provided him with some motivation. “Shaun made a mistake. He knows me well enough and I get down on myself,” Maguire said. “He won a frame I should’ve won and I was sitting there hating myself when the fist-pump came out and I thought ‘You’re having it’, and all my attention went on that.

“It was satisfying beating a player as good as Shaun is in the last 16 of the world championship.”

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Mark Allen edged 9-7 ahead in his last-16 meeting with John Higgins in a tight encounter. After an even start, back-to-back wins in the 11th and 12th frames put Higgins 7-5 in front, but Allen then took control by winning the next four frames on the bounce – which included a 94 break – to lead by two. They will play to a finish on Monday evening.

Stuart Bingham fended off Jack Lisowski ’s comeback to also take a 9-7 lead into Monday’s session. Bingham extended his lead to 6-3 after taking the ninth frame, but Lisowski responded by taking the next three to claw his way back into contention. However, Bingham, the world champion in 2015, finished strongly to take a two-frame advantage into the final session.

Kyren Wilson looked in fine form as he built a 10-6 lead over the Crucible debutant Joe O’Connor . Wilson has had a poor season and slipped to world No 12, but extended his 6-2 overnight lead to leave him in a strong position to reach a quarter-final against Allen or Higgins.

• World Snooker Championship
• Ronnie O'Sullivan

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Looking to submit this year's FAFSA? Here is how the application works and its eligibility

Do you attend college or have a dependent who plans to? If so, you should consider filling out the Free Application for Student Aid, commonly called FAFSA .

By completing the FAFSA, it can provide students – and their families – new sources to fund post-secondary eduction. This includes various grants, loans, scholarships or work-study programs based on personal status.

Over 17.6 million FAFSA forms are completed each year, according to the Department of Education. However, some of the available money is handed out on a first come, first serve basis. So, it's a good idea to file your application sooner than later to help pay for your education.

A new, updated version of the FAFSA was recently launched for the 2024-2025 academic year . Here's how the form works.

What is FAFSA?

The FAFSA is a form for students and families to complete in order to receive federal student aid to fund post-secondary education. Each year, a new FAFSA must be submitted so that aid can be given during said academic year.

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Previously, the FAFSA form was available starting Oct. 1, but this changed for the 2024-2025 academic year . The form was updated and its questions were reduced to just 36 from the previous 108. The new FAFSA was made available periodically starting at the end of 2023 .

FAFSA is not mandatory, but it is free and helps students and families get assistance based on eligibility. Individuals' financial statuses and other factors are considered in order to tailor and grant aid.

Additionally, states and colleges use FAFSA information to award their own grants, scholarships and loans. Some may have separate deadlines for this, so be sure to keep track.

FAFSA eligibility

Anyone can apply to receive federal student aid. Even if you think you're ineligible, you may discover otherwise by completing the form. There is no harm in applying.

According to the Department of Education , the basic eligibility requirements for the FAFSA include:

• Having a need for financial aid and/or federal student-aid programs.
• Being a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.
• Having a valid Social Security Number.
• Being enrolled or accepted into an eligible degree or certificate program.
• Keeping "satisfactory academic progress" in a college or trade school.

How to apply for FAFSA

The FAFSA form is available online through the Department of Education's site .

If you have a preexisting FSA ID and password, log into your account to begin a new form. If you need to create an account, all you need is a social security number and email and be able to answer some questions to confirm your identity.

If you don't have a social security number, you can create a FSA ID if either of these is true:

• I’m a parent or spouse of a student who is completing the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid  (FAFSA ® ) form , and  I don’t have an SSN .
• I’m a citizen of the Freely Associated States and need to complete the FAFSA form online.

Note: FSA IDs created without a social security number have limited functionality.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA form will apply for college attendance between July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 .

You can submit for up to 20 schools to receive your information.

Other information you need to complete the application includes: 

• Your parents' or contributor(s)'s information, including Social Security numbers, birthdates, emails and names. NOTE: if the parent or spouse is completing their own section and doesn't have a social security number (SSN), the SSN will be blank and disabled. If the parent or spouse has an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), they should add it to the FAFSA form. If they don’t have an ITIN, they should leave that question blank.
• Federal tax information, tax documents or tax returns , including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student. 
• Income and asset information

The federal deadline for the FAFSA form is June 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Central time. Any corrections or updates must be completed before 11:59 p.m. Central time on Sept. 14, 2025 .

NOTE: States, schools, and the federal government have their own  FAFSA deadlines . Be sure to check those deadlines and submit your FAFSA form in time.

What is SAI number?

The Student Aid Index , or SAI, distinguishes a student's eligibility by number. The number is used by an institution's federal aid office to "determine how much federal student aid you would receive if you attended the school."

The number is based on your FAFSA form and the financial information given. It does not reflect a dollar amount of aid eligibility. In fact, a negative SAI number means a student has a higher financial need.

The institution will take your SAI number and subtract it from the cost of attendance to determine financial aid.

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USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From " What is net pay? " to " What causes inflation? " to " What is debt? " – we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our  Just Curious section  to see what else we can answer.

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What to make of totalenergies’ $2 billion share buyback.

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TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne. (Photo: Christophe Archambault)

TotalEnergies investors were given a treat at the unveiling of the company's latest quarterly financials on Friday (April 26, 2024).

Noting that oil prices had remained elevated above its expectations for the first three months of the year, the French energy major authorized a $2 billion share buyback for the upcoming quarter.

And that's not all. TotalEnergies also hiked its first interim dividend to €0.79 ($0.84) per share; an increase of nearly 7% alongside authorizing the buyback.

Such overtures aimed at keeping shareholders happy came despite the company's adjusted net income falling by 22% on an annualized basis to $5.1 billion over the quarter.

TotalEnergies' cash flow was also down 15% on the same quarter last year, coming in $8.2 billion. However, the said declines are from a historically higher base recorded in the corresponding quarter in 2023, given the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy prices at the time.

All things considered, the company's published earnings are still above market expectations. In tandem with crowd pleasing dividend and buyback announcements, the financials will likely be price positive for TotalEnergies' shares.

At Friday's close, the company's share price was up 2.09% or €1.42 to €69.48 for the session, up €1.93 or 2.86% for the week, and up €6.01 or 9.47% on the month. The trend reinforces growing investor confidence in the company which is celebrating the 100th year of its founding in 2024.

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TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanné said the results were broadly indicative of headline trading in line with the company ambitions, and "in a context of sustained oil prices and refining margins but softening gas prices."

Another one for New York?

In a rising trend of European supermajor bosses looking at U.S. markets to get more bang for their bucks, Pouyanné said in an earnings call, following the publication of his company's results, that TotalEnergies is "seriously" examining the potential for a primary listing in New York, due to a bigger and somewhat friendlier investor base.

"U.S. shareholders are buying, European shareholders are not so buying, so we must think of it," he said. The TotalEnergies boss is expected to report to the company's board on the matter by September this year.

Pouyanné comments on a primary New York listing echo those of rival Shell's Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan. The boss of the British energy giant also recently said that he was open to a primary listing move to New York from London should his objective of a higher valuation not be met in the U.K.

Elsewhere, TotalEnergies said its oil and gas production averaged 2.46 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), on the back of a 6% quarter-on-quarter growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, and from its start-ups at Brazil's Mero 2 and Nigeria's Akpo West.

However, a marginal decline in the company's headline output - to between 2.4 million boepd and 2.45 million boepd - should be expected in the second quarter due to planned maintenance. Some of the declines will be partially offset by production upticks at Mero 2 in Brazil and Tyra in Denmark, TotalEnergies added.

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Mega-cap tech earnings kick off this week. Here's what Wall Street is looking out for.

• Wall Street is gearing up for the highlight of earnings season this week. 
• Mega-cap names that make up the Magnificent Seven will begin reporting, starting with Tesla. 
• Investors are looking for Elon Musk to soothe fears after a tough stretch, while AI will be front and center more broadly. 

Investors are gearing up for what's become the main event of earnings season in recent quarters, zeroing in on mega-cap firms as they unveil their first-quarter results.  

Despite recent dips, investors are hoping major tech giants can keep the momentum rolling, with artificial intelligence in focus as the technology continues to captivate Wall Street. 

"I think the next few weeks, this is a 'get out the popcorn moment' for tech," Dan Ives, senior equity analyst at Wedbush Securities, told Bloomberg TV last Thursday, adding that this earnings period will be a "flex the muscles moment" for tech companies and a "golden buying opportunity" for investors. 

Excitement is high as investors look for the next catalyst to help spur fresh gains for stocks amid a dreary stretch and a sell-off sparked by still-hot inflation and geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East.  

Here's what Wall Street is focusing on as the first crop of mega-cap titans gets ready to report. 

Tesla — April 23

Elon Musk's car company is causing investors a lot of stress heading into earnings, with a laundry list of woes on the radar, including a dive in vehicle sales  in the first quarter, controversy over Musk's $56 billion pay package , and recent layoffs that saw the company axe over 10% of its staff.

The stock is down 40% year-to-date, and a slew of banks have downgraded their outlook for the shares as it pivots from a more affordable vehicle model and toward initiatives like robotaxis and full self-driving tech. 

However, Wedbush's Dan Ives said he still remains bullish but emphasized that Musk must address key issues during the earnings call next week to keep investors from fleeing the stock. 

That includes explaining China's growth decline, providing clear guidance on growth, margins, and cash flow, confirming the development status of Model 2, and detailed plans for AI.

Alphabet — April 23

Bank of America is bullish on the Google parent heading into earnings, saying in a note on Thursday that limited job openings indicate cost management, but analysts foresee 13% upside potential above Wall Street's 11% growth estimates, thanks to robust YouTube performance. 

Additionally, the bank thinks highly of Google's robust search results, seeing them as the second catalyst for a recovery in AI sentiment after the March lows, especially with the Google I/O developer event still on the horizon.

"AI use does pose long-term competitive risks for Google, but in 2024 Google (and peers) are likely to see AI monetization improvements," the note said. 

Meta — April 24

Meta recently dropped its latest AI chatbot, Llama 3 , flexing its muscles with performance over industry benchmarks with upgraded reasoning skills.

JPMorgan analysts led by Doug Anmuth warned that Mark Zuckerberg's company may be headed for a slowdown after the first quarter, driven by tough comparisons and a perceived lack of fresh catalysts compared to 2023.

"We believe slower growth is well-anticipated, & likely taken into account in META's undemanding multiple," Anmuth wrote. 

Even though generative AI still dominates investor chatter, the buzz is shifting towards recognizing its early wins in coding efficiencies and cost savings rather than new revenue streams and product upgrades, the analysts said. 

" META is an exception, w/ implementation of AI in the ad stack perceived as an important contributor to growth," the note said. 

Microsoft – April 25

Microsoft is seen by Wall Street as a heavy hitter in AI going into earnings, as the company is gearing up to triple its GPU count in 2024, aiming to stack up 1.8 million AI chips by year-end.

Bank of America is upbeat on the tech giant's April 25 earnings release, bumping its earnings estimate by 1% , fueled by strong performance in Azure and Microsoft 365 segments. 

Meanwhile, the bank kept its $480 price target unchanged, signaling a potential upside of 20% from where the stock was trading late Friday. 

Despite a hefty 37x projected 2025 free cash flow ratio, the bank believes Microsoft's value will remain steady thanks to the rapid growth of the AI sector, which is expected to reach $944 billion by 2027. 

Amazon — April 30

"Amazon is our Best Idea, even as it is most owned across our coverage," JPMorgan's analysts wrote in the note.

The bank anticipates that Amazon Web Services will be a bright spot for the first quarter. 

"Easing optimizations, new workload deployment, favorable comps, & very early GenAI monetization should support AWS accel through 2024," Anmuth said. 

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

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