
10 tips on how to do your homework on time
Homework. It’s a necessary thing in life and it’s usually not ever fun. Learning how to do your homework on time is a skill that will take you from school age, right though university or college and beyond – into your working years.
Everyone has to learn to work to deadlines, this leads to a fulfilling and satisfying education, home life and future career. Deadlines help us to be productive and allow us to get more done in the time we have. Here are 10 tips on how to get your homework done on time, without the pain, strain and effort you’re used to. Set yourself up for success now and never look back.
How to do your homework on time: the easy way
Let’s get started. Most of these tips are simple enough to incorporate into your routine right away. With some careful planning and due diligence, you’ll be on the road to getting your homework done in next to no time.
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Have a good study/work space
This might seem obvious but too many people don’t succeed in getting things done because they are simply not set up for success. To get your homework done on time you need a place to work. Ideally, this should be a desk in your room or quiet study space, like an office but it can be at the kitchen table. Essential things you will need are a chair that is correctly aligned, a solid table or desk and a quiet space with no distractions. Eliminate mess and clutter for best results.
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Get everything you need before you start
To stop yourself taking endless breaks, assemble all your “equipment” before you start. Give careful consideration to any text books you’ll need, notepad, laptop chargers and a range of pens and highlighters. Grab some water so you don’t have to break. Think of other things you’ll need such as calculators, particular programs and tools.
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Phone off/ TV off / music off
Yes, many people do like to study with music on, or with headphones but this is not ideal. Many educational bodies admit that the majority of students prefer to study while listening to music but changing songs, skipping songs and working to the tempo of music is often just another distraction. Likewise, switch off your phone (turn to silent if you’re needing to monitor calls) and make sure all other media is switched off. This includes TV and video.
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Eliminate other distractions /shut the door / no pets / no interruptions
Does mum or husband/wife like to come in to check on your progress and bring you snacks? Although this might be a welcome distraction, you’ll survive an hour or two without needlessly eating. Shut your door, tell people to leave you alone for a set period of time and lock your pets out of the room. It’s not forever, it’s only for an hour or two and could make all the difference to doing your homework on time.
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Don’t procrastinate
Just get your homework done. Don’t clean your room, read things online, or put tasks off and off until it’s too late. Just think like Nike and “Do It.” Start right now, don’t procrastinate. It’s like doing the dishes. The longer you leave them, the worse the task seems. Tackle your homework today and try not to overthink the tasks at hand. Make a start.
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Break down work into small chunks
Some homework tasks are big, onerous and complex. If so, break them down into manageable chunks. Read through your task carefully, make notes and tackle the project one step at a time. Write things down, use bullet points to break up information and start with the easy parts of the task first. You can always go back and amend things later, once the task is complete.
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If you’re stuck, complete as much as you can and come back to it/sleep on it
Our brains are always working in the background, so often when we have a question or problem that we need to solve, we can make a start today (or at the beginning of our study period) and then simply come back to it. Often, you’ll find that in the time you have ‘rested’ between the tasks that your brain will have come up with a solution or way forward. Read 7 Reasons Each Student Should Write. If you really get stuck then using a professional essay writer might help you get over any hurdles you come across.
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Use self-reward
How can you reward yourself? What do you like doing? Make sure that you give yourself rewards when you do your homework on time. These can be small things like having a relaxing bath, binge-watching your favourite Netflix series or calling a friend you love talking to. Tell yourself that you’re allowed to do X but only when Y is complete and use self-reward as motivation.
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Make a habit of it
Habits make life’s tasks easier. According to 99u, “Habits are the brain’s own internal productivity drivers. Constantly striving for more efficiency, the brain quickly transforms as many tasks and behaviours as possible into habits so that we can do them without thinking.” Making study and homework time a habit is a great way to make sure you get things done easily. Have daily or weekly study times pre-set; and stick to them.
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Set realistic timeframes
If you want to do your homework on time, you need to set realistic timeframes. So many people run out of time and run late because they are “time optimists” instead of “time realists.” They say, “I’ll be there in 5 minutes,” when they actually live 15 minutes away. They say, “I’ll knock this over in half an hour,” when they don’t factor in setting up, reading and checking time. Give yourself more time than you need to complete a task and break tasks down into smaller chunks to motivate yourself to success.

