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On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think you hate doing your homework? If your rating leans on the higher side, chances are you’re not alone. Most students detest the idea of doing homework after spending a long day attending lectures and practical classes.
This isn’t surprising considering that today’s teens have to spend twice as much time doing homework as students in the 1990s did. Depending on your age and course curriculum, you might be spending close to an hour every day finishing homework assignments.
Nevertheless, homework is an integral part of the education system. This isn’t surprising because it offers various benefits including improved learning and great academic performance. Finishing homework assignments after a lecture is an effective way of properly understanding the topic and identifying your weaknesses.
However, if you’re always struggling to meet deadlines, you’re likely far from reaping the benefits of doing homework. The good news is that finishing homework doesn’t always have to be mundane and challenging.
A few simple changes in your study routine can go a long way to reduce the stress of working on new assignments. Better still, you can even turn it into an activity you look forward to after a day of lengthy lectures.
In this post, we’ll outline a few useful tips that can go a long way to reduce the burden of homework. Let’s get started.
1. Outline a Schedule
Do you often find yourself rushing through various assignments just to get them done on time? Do you tend to pull frequent all-nighters to meet deadlines? You need to change this habit of putting your homework on the back burner until the last minute.
An easy way of doing this is to make a list of all the study-related tasks you need to do in the evening. Apart from your homework, this could include revising the day’s lessons and preparing for an upcoming test.
Once you have a substantial list, carefully assess each task to figure out how much time you’ll need to complete it. Next, look at all the tasks and identify the most difficult ones. It’s recommended that you tackle the tougher ones first before finishing the easier ones.
Lastly, create a schedule prioritizing the more difficult tasks and allocate specific hours to each assignment. Diligently following this practice will go a long way to help you better utilize your time and finish assignments without any stress.
2. Find a Study Space
You need a peaceful and distraction-free place to focus on your assignments. If you have a room to yourself, nothing like it. Otherwise, look for a quiet corner in your home where you can restrict other people’s entry while you’re studying.
Irrespective of whether you have your own room, avoid the practice of studying on your bed. It’ll make you lazy and often tempt you with various distractions. Instead, it’s recommended that you get a study desk and chair to keep things organized and instill a sense of discipline.
While you’re at it, make sure you eliminate any source of distraction from your study space. This includes your phone, gaming consoles, television, tablet, etc. Otherwise, you might end up scrolling through your Instagram feed in between solving assignment problems. Needless to say, this will be inefficient, unproductive, and time-consuming.
3. Get Help
First things first – it’s okay if you’re unable to solve a few homework problems on your own. If you start an assignment early, you’ll have sufficient time to seek help from your friends and/or teachers when you get stuck.
Instead of wondering why you can’t solve a question, start checking with your classmates to find any possible solutions. Consulting your teacher is also a great idea. However, it may not always be feasible.
If you’ve hit a dead end with a particular assignment, try looking for help on online learning platforms and discussion forums. You can even connect with experienced online tutors and find answers to homework questions that your friends are unable to solve.
4. Gather Your Resources
To begin with, you should keep your textbooks and class notes handy before you start with your homework. Also, you should carefully check your assignment and find out whether you’ll need any reference books or online study materials to complete it.
You might also need various other supplies, including:
- Notebooks
- Blank sheets
- Pens
- Pencils
- Geometry box
- Craft supplies
- Stapler
- Highlighter
Prepare a list of all the things you need for your assignment and make sure you get all of them at the start. The last thing you want is to begin your assignment and get up every five minutes to fetch a pen, pencil, or eraser. It’s extremely distracting and will become time-consuming in the long run.
5. Take Frequent Breaks
Of course, you need to eliminate distractions and focus on your assignments to finish them on time. However, it’s equally important to give yourself small breaks every few hours. It’ll help your brain relax and focus better on the question.
Instead of checking your phone or watching the TV, try going out for a short walk. Or take a break to fuel your system with some healthy snacks and beverages. Alternatively, if you find it difficult to stay focused, you could try practicing meditation and breathing exercises during your breaks.
Do you have any other useful tips for making homework less challenging and more rewarding? Share your suggestions in the comments section below.
