If you are a student who wishes that there was a better, easier and faster way to do homework and study for school, you have come to the right place.
Chances are good that homework is not anywhere near the top of your list of favourite things to do! One major reason that homework can be such a drag is that most people are never actually taught how to learn and study.
The ideas below are just a few things you can do to make homework easier. Not all these tips will work for everybody, but you will be amazed at how quickly a few simple strategies can make a big difference for you!
-
Do the most important things first. The hours between 3.00pm and 6.00pm are usually the most wasted hours of the day. Challenge yourself to make them the most productive hours by doing your homework during this time. Then you can have a full evening of free time for yourself.
-
When you first sit down to do your homework, take 2 minutes to put loose papers into the proper folders. Make this a part of your daily routine so you can save valuable time (instead of searching for lost assignments) and avoid losing marks for missing work.
-
Use the next 8 minutes to reread any notes you took in school earlier that day. Reviewing your notes for a few minutes each day saves hours of studying when tests come along.
-
As you read your notes, underline or *star* any content that you do not understand. Ask your teacher for clarification about it the next day. Teachers love these questions because they indicate that you care about your schoolwork. A few good questions can earn you a lot of respect from your teachers.
-
When reviewing your notes, read them aloud. Your brain will remember because it will be processing the information in three ways: through your eyes as you read it, your mouth as you say it, and your ears as you hear your own voice.
-
Create potential test questions out of your notes. Creating questions helps you learn better than simply reciting or memorizing information because the process of creating questions forces you to think about the information at a higher level.
-
Do you find it hard to sit still? Get up and walk around while reviewing your notes! Movement improves the circulation to your brain, and also helps active people to focus better.
-
Get involved! It can be difficult to stay motivated if academic work is the only thing you take away from school. Get involved in at least one extra-curricular activity (sports, clubs etc) to help you to develop good friendships and a positive attitude about school.
-
Remove distractions from your study area. Turn off your cellphone, put your iPod away, and do not log on to email until your homework is done. You will get your homework done much faster and then have much more time to enjoy these things once your homework is complete.
-
Fill a basket with stationery supplies such as pens, pencils, eraser, scissors, highlighters, ruler, calculator, glue, stapler. Take this container with you wherever you do your homework. With all of your supplies handy, you will not have to run around your home finding the things you need and risk getting side-tracked by the tv, video games, computer, phone calls, fridge etc. Each sibling should have their own basket and if you live in two homes, you should have one basket in each house.
-
Does homework take too long? Invest in an electronic timer and set it for the amount of time you think it should take you to do each assignment. Challenge yourself to beat the timer.
-
As you do your homework, constantly ask yourself, “How can this assignment help me study for the next test?” This question will help you to stay focused on the purpose of your assignment and encourage you to do your best work. It will also save a lot of study time when it comes to preparing for a test.
-
When you come to a question (or group of questions) that you do not understand, skip it! Why waste a lot of time and energy fretting over a few questions/problems? Move onto the items you can do and then come back to the skipped questions later. Quite often, you will be able to figure out these answers after completing the rest of the assignment.
-
Keep a bottle of cool water on hand while you study. Water keeps your body and most importantly, your brain, hydrated.
-
Move often. Your circulation slows down and your brain becomes stagnant after you have been sitting still for 40-45 minutes. You will actually be more efficient if you take a short 2-3 minute break every 40 minutes. Stand up, do some jumping jacks, listen to ONE song on your iPod and return to your homework. Do not let yourself turn on your cellphone or watch tv because you will be less likely to return to your homework quickly.
-
Reward yourself. It can be hard, even for the most motivated students, to stay disciplined. Determine a reward for yourself every night. For example, “I will get my maths and social studies homework done and then I will treat myself to some icecream.” Or, “If I can get my homework done by 6.00pm, then I will have time to play Xbox, call or text a couple of friends, and then watch my favourite tv show.”
-
Make your homework easier tomorrow night by reading the next section of your textbook for each class tonight (or at least read the pictures, captions and summary questions). When you read before class, you will anticipate more about what is going on in class, which will make it easier to stay focused and understand the topic more quickly.
-
As soon as you finish a homework assignment, take a few seconds to put it in the correct folder. Do not let your homework get left behind at home or even lost in the wrong folder. Put it away immediately and you save many headaches.
-
Communicate with your parents and other family members. Tell them what you plan to do so they can support your plan. The more information you volunteer, the less likely your parents will be to “nag” you with questions.
-
Use a homework diary. Make your life easier by using a diary in school to record your homework, and any other things you have to do. Using this will help you to complete assignments (and give them in) on time, reducing lost marks on late assignments.
-
Make the diary easy to use. Mark your place each day by using a binder clip or a bulldog clip as a bookmark. This works well because it stays in place and is easy to grab when you are in a hurry.
-
Use a monthly planner on your cupboard door or bedroom wall, to record dates of tests and assignment due dates . Check your planner and homework diary before you go to bed to make sure you took care of everything. Reviewing your planner at night is a great habit to develop because it ensures that you will be well prepared for school the next day. The more prepared you are, the better your day will be.
-
Gather all of your folders, books, notebooks, supplies etc … and put them in your bag before you go to sleep. Mornings are chaotic and most people are still a bit groggy before they leave for school, so it is very easy to forget important things at home in the morning. Avoid this problem by gathering everything you need for the next day before you go to bed.
-
Lay out your clothes (including blazer and shoes) for tomorrow. When you start the day off feeling prepared, you will be prepared throughout the day.
-
Get sleep. Most students do not get enough sleep. The more rested you are, the more you will be able to enjoy your time in school, pay attention in class, work more efficiently and ultimately – learn more in less time.
Homework is usually NOT fun, but you can make it much more bearable if you follow Nike’s advice and “Just Do It!” Your evenings will suddenly have much more free time, and you grades will improve as you will be actually learning information while doing homework. Before long, you will develop a much better attitude towards homework because you will have taken control of it, instead of your homework taking control of you.
GOOD LUCK!!
Source: www.soarstudyskills.com/free-stuff