by Bob Branco
When you were a student in high school or college, did you ever ask someone to write your homework assignments for you? I believe that this practice is much more common than we realize. For some reason, many students need this type of assistance.
I have my theories, but first, let me just say that I don’t think it’s necessary or moral to have someone do your homework for you. You should be able to do it yourself or ask the teacher to guide you. This is why we go to school. Some kids even go so far as to put ads on Craigslist looking for people to do the work for them. I think this is absolutely crazy. If I am in the same English class with my friend, and we’re both learning about the same writing techniques, why should he ask me to do his homework for him? What makes me better than him? He and I are learning the same things, so he should be able to write his own work, shouldn’t he?
I think part of the problem is procrastination. A lot of kids wait until the last minute before realizing that it’s time to do the work. They don’t think they can finish it so they panic and ask other students to bail them out. Another reason why this happens is because a percentage of students, especially those in college, believe that sports and extracurricular activities are much more important. As a result, they manage their time by delegating more important responsibilities. A third theory I have is that of a learning obstacle. A student may feel he isn’t smart enough or didn’t learn the lesson as well as the guy being asked to do the home work. Perhaps this type of student has low self esteem, or maybe he has a learning disability. He should ask the teacher for help. It’s not embarrassing. In the long run, the student will be better off, and his work ethic will improve.
My solution to the problem in question is very simple—realize your goal. In other words, why are you in the classroom? You’re not there to delegate authority. You are there to learn. If you have a learning disability or can’t grasp the material for other reasons, there is assistance available.
At the university I attended, there is a major tutoring department for students who had difficulty in English, Math and Science. Instructors are on hand to work with the kids one-on-one. All the student needs to do is motivate herself to at least attempt to get the help. If you always depend on others to do your assignments, where will it leave you down the road? How proactive will you be? How much of your lessons will you apply in real life, no matter what you decide to do with it?
Though it may be tough at times, we all need to learn to take the bull by the horns and just do what we need to do.
About the Author
Bob Branco resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is a self-published author of four books. He is a community organizer, tutors persons with visual impairments, and has written columns for local and international organizations. Bob’s web site is www.dvorkin.com/robertbranco/.
