How many times have you caught yourself just staring at your textbooks without any energy at midnight? And that’s even though you sat down to do your homework at about 5:00 p.m.? Where did your precious time go? There’s a thing called Parkinson’s Law. It says, “If you time your task carefully, you’ll spend exactly as much time on it as you planned.” Simply put, if you sit down for homework at the last minute, you will spend more on it than you need to.
The essay companies (an overview of which you can find at essaysadvisor) claim that you don’t have to spend a lot of time on your homework. Just follow ten tips for getting any homework done quickly and successfully.
1. Make a list of what needs to be done
Your planner should have a notes section dedicated to homework. If you’re more comfortable, use a separate planner or calendar. Use something that fits your want to be organized, and write down the homework steps in the same place every time. Each item should have its place.
Write down as much detail as you can on each task. It’s helpful to include its deadline, pages of articles or chapters to read, and additional instructions from your instructor. This will help you know right away where to start and where to look.
2. Understand how much time you need
Here’s a little tip for you. When you calculate how much time you need to do a particular task, take 5-10 minutes off of it. You shouldn’t push yourself too hard, you’re not a magician, but this way you can stay focused and mindful of deadlines. As soon as the next deadline is passed, cross off what you’ve accomplished. This will cheer you up and get you in the mood to finish on time.
If any task turns out to be more difficult than you imagined, put it off for a while. Don’t waste precious minutes! Once you’ve handled the rest of the tasks, you can get back to the difficult ones with fresh ideas.
3. Get it together. Literally!
Gather EVERYTHING you’ll need in one place to do your homework. Computer, paper, pens, water, markers… Everything should be on hand so you don’t suddenly get distracted. If you plan for the work process, you’ll put away the supplies for it too.
Already while you’re studying, try not to leave your workspace before the prepared break. You should also go to the bathroom beforehand.
4. Silent Mode
If you don’t need your phone and computer, try to move them away or at least turn them off as much as possible. Focusing on homework is important, and social media and your favorite games can get in the way of that.
No matter how awesome you are, realize that your brain is not capable of taking care of all the chores at once. If you understand that you can not part with the phone, give it to loved ones. They’ll be sure to stash it.
5. Work at a pace
Try not to make the breaks too long, as well as the class periods. Your body, especially your brain, should see doing your homework as part of your daily routine, but in no way stressful. If it doesn’t distract you, try doing your homework with musical accompaniment. One assignment – one album by your favorite band. One break – one mixtape. It’s as simple as that!
6. Get your rest right
A very important, if not the most important part of doing your homework. You don’t just live for studying, you live for yourself. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to rest. No, don’t rush to pull out your phone and social media! There’s no such thing as missing out on the internet, but missing out on time for homework is easy.
Set yourself a certain amount of time after each assignment to take a break. Don’t relax too much or you won’t get back to your homework. Try to exercise, stand on the balcony and get some fresh air. Just have some tea in the quiet of the kitchen. It’s hard to believe, but you’ll want to get back to work yourself!
7. Focus on the task at hand
Except for the most difficult moments, try to see the task through to completion. Even if you think you have enough time to design your presentation for 5 minutes at the very end. It’s better to deal with the problem right away than to put it off for a long time. Then you can forget or get lazy. Forget about the other subjects, focus on math, not giving a chance to think about the intricate chemistry or literature.
8. Make the changes productive
This is especially important if there’s a lot of homework and you had to turn it in yesterday. Thankfully nowadays there is access to the Internet everywhere. Try reading a chapter or taking notes on the bus on the way somewhere or watching a documentary while you’re cooking yourself a meal.
During recess, of course, you want to chat, get some fresh air, or just sleep. The latter is also necessary, but if you have a good night’s sleep and understand that sleep is just an excuse, occupy the breaks with other subjects. Show up early before a class so you can spend the extra five minutes at your own pace. You won’t believe how quickly you get rid of all the “debt”!
9. Test Yourself
When you realize you’re done, it’s time to do some work on possible mistakes. Take a short break and review the work you’ve done again. Correct grammar inaccuracies, typos, or silly clauses, so you won’t be embarrassed when you hand in the assignment later. It is better to spend an extra couple of minutes than regret a silly failure.
10. Give yourself gifts
Finished early? If you allotted 30 minutes to read a biology paper, and you did it in 20, use the extra 10 minutes to take a breather. Or go straight to the next task to get with him quickly. By freeing up an evening or a whole day with this attitude, you will enjoy the show on Netflix much more than usual.
The main tip is to make homework a set of daily habits. Once you get used to a certain system, you’ll stop seeing homework as something horrible and impossible to do. You’ll be surprised how quickly and easily you’ll get through your homework if you think through every step.
