Homework Blocks the Way to Success

Why is homework necessary? Students are not happy receiving homework, and teachers are not happy when the given homework is not completed, so why not just give no homework at all? In Massachusetts, there are schools called Sudbury Valley Schools, where students are educated without homework. I argue that homework isn't required for students to have advanced education and to succeed in career.

It is true that homework helps you in schoolwork, but to have a successful life, it isn't necessary to accomplish in academics. Many notable 'heroes' have failed in academics. For example, Thomas Edison, who invented the lightbulb, and who invented more inventions than any other man on earth, attended school for only 3 months. Albert Einstein was a genius to figure out the Theory of Relativity, but his academic grades didn't support his intelligence. Including Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, John D. Rockefeller, the richest man in history, Henry Ford, the man who invented automobiles, and Steven Spielberg, director of countless great movies, despite these people's failure in school, their dream of what they desired to do and making a fortune were both accomplished.

Another reason why homework isn't necessary is because it affects students' health. Dr. Denise Pope states that amount of time students use to do their homework is 3 hours and half minutes on average, and if this is continued, it can give the students sleep disorders, ulcers and headaches, affecting the students both mentally and physically. Also, homework has affect on students' obesity. The amount of homework given have significantly increased over the last 30 years. At the same time, percentage of obese students aged from 12 ~ 19 have increased from 5% to 18% over the last 30 years. This data shows that the percentage of child obesity and amount of homework has increased simultaneously. It proves that child obesity and amount of homework is related; homework can lead to obesity, so it should be banned.

School takes up half of a student's day. If students didn't have any homework, they can do so many things for the remaining time. They can improve their relationship with their friends or family; it is important for kids who are growing to have a solid relationship with the people around them. They can exercise or play sports to stay healthy and fit. They can also watch TV, read books, or any other sources that will provide them with more information and knowledge, which can help them later in their academics. Also mostly, to relax and rest. Students are tired after studying for a long time at school and if they do something additional, for example after-school activities, girl/boy scouts, relaxation is required. By not doing homework, students can develop themselves much more, and also helps them much more than doing homework.

It should be the school's responsibility if the school can't teach the students what they are required to learn in time. Also, I think homework should be an optional task for students who want to develop themselves further into learning. If I had the choice, I would consider extending school time to teach more, but force no homework to be done so that students are able to achieve what they desire to do.

It is the Courage to Continue that Counts

"Success is not the final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." (Winston Churchill) No matter what obstacles you encounter or how dreadful your situation is, you must keep working hard to achieve your goal. You must never give up.


If you never give up, and keep working towards your goal, you will achieve what you desire. 1890, in Henryville, Indiana, a male baby was born in a very poor family. His mother remarried to another man who abused him all the time, so he runs away from home at an age of 12. Later he does any kind of labor he could do and he opens up a business at an age of 22, but unfortunately squanders all his money. However, he never gives up and again opens up another business, but becomes broke again after an economic crisis. When he becomes 40, he is desperate to look for other jobs, but he loses his son. Despite his miserable life, he finds a way out and starts cooking chicken dishes, and becomes successful enough to open up a restaurant but at 49, goes bankrupt again. As a result, he suffers from a mental illness, and his wife who couldn't stand living with him anymore, leaves him. Afterwards, he comes up with an important decision and he starts collecting money by doing work, and on his 65th birthday, he buys himself an old truck to travel all over america and sell his recipe of method on how to fry chickens. He gets turned down over 1000 times but finally at the age of 68, he signs a contract to sell his chicken. Furthermore, at the age of 74, he opens up a first-ever franchise restaurant which now stands proud all around the world. This man's name is 'Colonel Harland Sanders' with his restaurant called 'Kentucky Fried Chicken(KFC)'. Even though Colonel Sanders' life was horrible in the beginning, his indefatigable personality led him to success in his life. He faced so many obstacles and had gone through so many difficult times, but he knew that giving up was the least thing he wanted to do, and at last, achieved his goal. He also quoted, "I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best that there was in me. And I have done that ever since, and I win by it. I know."

Tenacity is very important to everyone's life. Without tenacity, you will never achieve anything you desire. Thomas Edison was very famous for not giving up. He had many difficulties, and even if he failed countless times, he didn't give up. Thomas Edison was not a good student. All the teachers didn't like him because he was always curious, and asked many questions that wasn't related to class. As a result, he could go to school only for 3 months in his whole life. Thomas' family became very poor, so he started working when he turned 12. Also, he suffered a disease that made one of his ear become deaf. Despite his difficulties, he never gave up. Additionally, when Thomas Edison invented the carbon filament light bulb, he had failed millions of times. Even if he failed so many times, he never gave up. As a result, he could invent the light bulb. He also quoted, "I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." Thomas Edison has invented over 1000 inventions in all, which is the most inventions invented by one inventor in the world. The only reason it was possible for him to do that was his tenacity, and his effort.

People with disabilities need more effort. It requires them to never give up and work harder to overcome their disability. In Korea, there is a pianist called Lee Hee-Ah. When she was born, she only had four fingers in total, and she didn't have any leg under her knee. When she was young, she started learning how to play the piano in order to strengthen her fingers. But as time went by, she couldn't stop playing her piano, because she loved to play the piano too much. As her skills developed more and more, the difficulty of the pieces she practiced became harder and harder, too. Afterwards, it was too hard for Hee-ah to play those pieces, and she felt frustrated, because she kept thinking that if she had 10 fingers, she could play these pieces easily. However, Hee-ah never gave up. She knew that she had to practice and work harder to become better at playing the piano. She failed to play the pieces countless times, but she tried even harder every time she failed. As a result, she became a very successful and famous pianist. Now, she travels all around the world, giving hopes for people who have disabilities, and telling them not to give up. Hee-ah knew not to give up at her most desperate situation, and to work hard to achieve her dreams. Therefore, she overcame her obstacles, and successfully took the victory.


"If you fall down seven times, then get up eight." Even if you fail countless times, you can not give up. Colonel Sanders, Thomas Edison, Lee Hee-Ah, these people knew to never give up despite how many times they fail. Therefore they are the true heroes of the world.

You Don't Want It to Happen, Do You?

Just think of an infected society
where no personal opinions can be spoken
and facts are disguised since long time ago.
No one notices unfairness
since their wisdom is gone.
You don't want it to happen, do you?
So speak with conviction
and speak with belief.

Know That Freedom is Worth Fighting For

"There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.(Nelson Mandela)" Nelson Mandela has lived most of his lives fighting for freedom. Freedom is worth fighting for.


Freedom is important to fight for because it produces opportunity to have a stronger society by gathering more people, more experience and more knowledge. After 27 years of imprisonment, Nelson Mandela has became the president of South Africa. Also, Nelson Mandela was absolutely the most successful president of all South African history. This shows black people can be more successful often times and now they have ideas and opportunities for development produced by both races. In other words, there are two races that have identical freedom and privileges, therefore creating more talents and space for development.


It is important to fight for freedom also because it brings peace and happiness to the world people live in. For example, South Africa was once a peaceful country, but only until the white people came in with their guns and attacked the black people. This started a huge war between the white men and black men. Since white men were rich, powerful and more developed in technology, so black men lost their freedom and rights. But after long years of war between the two races, and after Nelson Mandela and his men fought for freedom, the war was over, and every black men were happy because they have finally acquired the same privileges as the white men.

Without freedom, the world would be a miserable place with no sign of peace, and no change in society.Nelson Mandela is very inspirational because he values freedom and know that freedom is worth fighting for.

Having Identical Privileges

Marlo Thomas has once said, "One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man." Equality is defined as having identical privileges, right and status. If I had the chance to create a 'New World', I hope to keep everyone equal.


Equality is a crucial characteristic to a society, because equality is what holds man together which leads to a peaceful world. Treating everyone equally allows for the society to be more peaceful because if everyone had the same right, without being judged by their race, religion or gender, agitation or struggles wouldn't take place in the society. For example, in the past, South Africa was a country where racism was severe. If the white men and black men treated each other equally, there would have been no civil war, or any other riots.

Additionally, it is important to keep everyone equal because equality gives people freedom. Everyone having the same privileges and right permits everyone to be free; gives right to act, think and speak their thoughts. For example, at the time of World War I, the Nazis took the Jews' freedom and right, not because they were guilty, but only because they were Jewish. If the Nazis had treated themselves equally to the Jews, no Jews would have been killed.


Without equality, the 'New World' would be a dystopia, because there will be wars taking place all the time, and some people will be treated terribly being judged by their race, religion or gender. As mentioned earlier, Marlo Thomas has once said,"One of the things about equality is not just that you be treated equally to a man, but that you treat yourself equally to the way you treat a man" meaning you have to treat everyone equally.