Homework is a must. It’s not given to you simply because your teacher is looking for ways to make you work harder.
Homework is your teacher’s way of finding out which areas you may need additional help.
That said, homework can make you feel overwhelmed. You’ve just had a day at school, your mind is a bowl of spaghetti with all the lessons crammed in there, and now, you’ve got to sit down and do your homework.
Below are some tried and true ways to help you not only to cope with the new load of work, but also to make it easier. You’ll find when you implement some of these techniques it will seem like less work.
• Have a plan
• Write your plan down, so you don’t forget
• Ask questions. If you’re not sure, ask.
• Prioritizes. If you have more than one assignment, which one is due first?
• Set a timer. Give yourself 20 minutes, then take a break for five.
You just arrived home. All you want now is a snack and to flop down in front of the TV or a video game. Treat that relaxation time as a reward after you’ve done the homework.
Get started immediately:
Did you know that those times when you have study periods at school are perfect? Those free classes can be used to get a head start on your homework?
It stands to reason right? You’re at school for a purpose. The more homework you do there, the less you need to do at home.
School Activities:
You’re busy with sports after school. You might even have an after-school job. This is the perfect opportunity to schedule additional time for your homework.
You don’t want to do sport or a job then your homework. You’ll be exhausted. Instead, use those study periods as mentioned above. You’ll need to set aside a few hours. Increments of time for your homework can be an hour tomorrow night when you’re not working or playing sport, and an hour the night after that. It takes discipline, but it’s important.
Blocks of time make it seem like you’re doing your homework in bite-sized slices of time. Those 20 minute periods before you take a break are valuable. You’ll find you’ll get a whole lot done.
Ensure you sit at a desk or a table. Resist doing your homework on your bed. And turn off your phone. You don’t want any distractions during these 20-minute blocks. Wasting them is wasting your time; time when you could be outside doing something else. Remember, you’ve got a reward waiting when you’re finished.
Ask For Help:
If you hit a brick wall and find you’re stuck on a question or a requirement in your homework, try to find a way around it but don’t remain there. If you do, you’re going to jeopardize your flow and production.
Let the question go for the time being and come back to it:
Know that if you need help, you’ll get it when you ask for it. Make a note on that too-hard-to-answer question and bring it to your teacher’s attention. Teachers appreciate being brought up to date with those things you get stuck on.
They’re only too happy to help you. After all, it’s in their best interests as well as yours to move forward throughout the year so that you can graduate to the next grade.
I get it. Sometimes it’s hard to ask your teacher. Sometimes it takes a little more than guts to ask a friend for help too. You don’t want to appear as though you can’t do something. But if you can’t ask your teacher, ask a trusted friend.
If you can’t ask a friend, ask another teacher. Sometimes, when you have something explained differently to you, it suddenly clicks. Never be ashamed of asking.
People are often more than happy to help others because it makes them feel good. Never feel inferior because you don’t know the answer to something. Everyone has to begin at the beginning. And everyone has been a beginner at some stage or another.
Study with a Friend:
There’s something very rewarding about studying with a friend. You get to brainstorm ideas and ways to tackle your assignments. While you share ideas, you’re also in a place where you want to get homework help done. It’s as though you’re in a competition.
You’re not, but that is how the mind works. It’s like an incentive to see who is going to get to the finish line first.
Consider a Tutor:
Some people like to work alone, but when it comes to an understanding a problem or a subject, learning can be slow. Consider a tutor. Tutors don’t judge you; they teach you. They explain things in simple terms and are as patient as can be if you don’t get it the first time around.
Your Homework is Done:
You’ve completed your homework. You’ve checked it for spelling, and you’re happy with the results. Put it into your school bag immediately. You don’t want to arrive at school tomorrow morning, deadline day and discover you’ve left it behind.
Go and reward yourself as you promised yourself you would. You can enjoy your time without having “Homework” playing in the back of your mind.
Final Thoughts:
There are several apps on the internet. A reminder, however, turns off your video games until later. You’re here to work seriously. Use them to assist you if you feel you lack confidence in your writing ability. Hemmingway is a great tool to use. It gives you advice as you write. By the way, it’s free.
Another that comes to mind is Grammarly.com. That one is also free. You can copy and paste your work into Grammarly, and it will suggest punctuation and other words to use in place of the one you have written.
In reality, when it’s all said and done, there’s nothing more satisfying than knowing you’ve done your homework and you’ve received a great big “A” encircled in red.
Some links in this post may be paid.
Photo: Getty Images
