Email was not designed for collecting 30 files from 30 different people. Here's why teachers should stop using it for homework collection, and what to use instead.

The email problem

When you ask students to email their homework:

  1. You get 30 separate emails — each one needs to be opened individually
  2. Attachments are limited — Gmail caps at 25 MB, many school email systems are even smaller
  3. Files get lost — some end up in spam, some students forget to attach the file
  4. No overview — you can't see at a glance who has and hasn't submitted
  5. Download nightmare — downloading 30 individual attachments is tedious
  6. Naming chaos — you get 15 files named "homework.docx"

With a single upload link, all files land in one place. You see every submission in a dashboard, and download everything with one click.

Create one at getfiles.app — it's free, takes 10 seconds, and students don't need any account.

Side-by-side comparison

Email Upload Link
Setup time None 10 seconds
Student effort Write email, attach file Open link, select file
Files in one place No (30 emails) Yes (one dashboard)
Download all at once No Yes (ZIP)
See who submitted Scan inbox Check dashboard
File size limit 25 MB 500 MB
Works on phone Awkward Easy

When email is still fine

If you only have 3–5 students (private tutoring), email works fine. The overhead isn't worth worrying about. But once you're collecting from a full class of 20–30 students, a dedicated upload link saves you significant time and frustration.