With exhausting days filled to the very brim with school, sports, extracurriculars, and more, finding the time and energy to do homework can be extremely difficult. The desire to simply jump into bed as soon as you get home grows stronger as you calculate how long your incomplete assignments will take. You start your work but there are so many distractions and thoughts spiraling in your mind, making even the simplest of assignments take forever. Instead of staying up half of the night finishing your work, use these tips and get your homework done efficiently!
- Make a To-Do List
One of the most effective tips for completing homework efficiently is making a to-do list. Such a simple thing helps organize your assignments so you don’t waste time searching for everything on canvas. My personal favorite method is using the notes app to make my to-do list. I start off by sectioning the list by each of my classes. Then under the title of each class I write the days of the week. Lastly, I make bullet points of the assignments I have to do for a specific class, and jot it down under the day of the week that I should work on them. At the top of the note, I write down my most important assignments for the week such as big projects or presentations. Once the assignment has been completed, I cross it off or delete it from my list. Making a to-do list will benefit you greatly with its assistance in keeping track of, prioritizing, and dividing up homework so you don’t feel overwhelmed by the significant workload.
Example to-do list:
English:
Monday-
- Read chapter 1-5
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
- Read chapter 6-10
Thursday-
- Edit essay – due TMRW
Friday-
- Turn on Do Not Disturb
Do Not Disturb has been one of the greatest factors keeping me focussed on my work. Most phones have created a setting that limits your notifications and disables the use of certain apps when turned on. I’ve created a setting titled “homework” that I turn on specifically when I’m working on my assignments. It only allows notifications from my family and blocks use to all apps that normally distract me. With this homework setting, I have been able to work consistently without getting interrupted by notifications and texts, and it has significantly improved how efficiently I complete my assignments.
- Set Timers (Pomodoro Technique)
The pomodoro technique is another one of my favorite methods to help complete my homework. The technique suggests setting 25 minute timers and in that time you work consistently without any distractions. When the timer goes off, you take a short 5 minute break and then repeat the process again. After you’ve gone through the cycle a few times, take a longer break before starting back up. I find it hard to get a good amount of work done in such a short time, so instead of setting 25 minute timers I usually do 30-45 so I have a longer time to work consistently without pausing in between. This method can be adjusted to fit your attention span and how long you can work efficiently before getting distracted. By setting the timers, you give yourself something to look forward to at the end of the time period, which motivates you to get as much as you can done within those blocks, and it helps prevent burnout from trying to work for hours straight with less breaks.