Welcome to this post on how to finish your homework faster!
- Writing an essay
- Solving 10 math problems
- Working on a Spanish worksheet
- Taking notes
- Creating a slideshow
And the list goes on!
For most of us, homework seems to be a never-ending task. When we get back home from school, there will always be something left from school for us to complete. Teachers are constantly adding pages to take notes on, giving us more and more problems to solve, and assigning more and more projects.
While it’s easy to blame the teachers for having so much work, the truth is that the problem lies within us. As soon as we get home, we immediately turn out Netflix and start watching our favorite shows. Then, we unlock our phones and scroll through social media for quite a while. By the time the sunset hits, we grab a snack and forget about the homework. By the time we realize we still need to do homework, the sky is dark blue and the stars are shining.
At 9:00, we finally get started, leaving us to work until close to midnight.
This routine may be similar to what you currently experience, and if it is, you’ve come to the right place. This blog will help you develop tricks to help you get started on your homework earlier, and ultimately finish faster!
In 8th grade, I developed a strategy that helped me finish my homework by 4:00 PM, and sometimes before I arrived home. This left me with plenty of time to have fun and pursue my other passions.
If you are determined to finish your homework faster so you have more time to do what you love and stop procrastinating, be sure to follow the steps below!
1. Create a to-do list
The first step is to always create a to-do. Without knowing exactly what you have to do, it’s impossible to get started.
Write down all your assignments for each class and define what steps you have to take. Be sure to be specific and detailed in your last.
For example, don’t just write “Work on my history project.” Instead, create sub-lists that could potentially include:
- Research topics on Google
- Collect quotes
- Create a slideshow
- Create an introduction
By being specific on what you have to complete, you’ll have better clarity on what you should get started on. This will help you stop procrastinating and get to work!
2. Put your phone away
The #1 reason why teenagers procrastinate on their homework is that they have their phones right by them.
If I’m working on a hard math problem or am having trouble writing something for English, my immediate response is to go on my phone. And, I’m sure this is common with teenagers all over.
The easy solution would be to keep your phone on “do not disturb” mode to not get any notifications, however, this is still not enough. If your phone is in sight, there’s going to be a want to instantly unlock it.
So, I would recommend keeping your phone in another room so it’s out of sight. This way, you have no distractions when it comes to getting your work done.
3. Take advantage of school time
Depending on your school’s schedule, you may or may not have a class period to work on homework and get it done. If you do, I highly recommend using that class period to actually work and be productive. I see a lot of students who spend the whole class time on their phones, using social media, or talking to friends. But, if instead you worked on a couple of assignments and crossed things off your to-do list, it would be much better off. You would have little to no homework when you get back home, so you can work on other tasks!
Even if you don’t have a designated class period to work, there are still some periods of time when teachers will let you get caught up on your homework. Be sure to use this time to your advantage so you can get as much done as possible!
4. Start small
Often, if you have a ton of work to do, there’s no motivation to start. It feels like too much work to do and there’s too little time. However, if you start small and take little steps, you’ll get it done in no time.
For example, instead of telling yourself that you have to write a whole essay, start with just one sentence of the introduction. This will give you the momentum to continue writing and perhaps even finish the introduction.
Don’t feel like you have to finish something in one sitting. You can split your work up into different chunks of work, and start small with whatever you have to do. Be patient with yourself and don’t feel like you have to rush to complete work (unless it’s due next class haha.)
5. Give yourself deadlines
Parkinson’s law states that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. If you give yourself 2 days to complete a math assignment, it will take you 2 days. But, if you give yourself 2 hours to do it, it’ll only take you 2 hours.
By setting deadlines for yourself, you’ll have less chance of waiting last minute until doing something because you’ll know that it’s due soon. It will make you start earlier on your work, so you can ultimately finish as soon as possible.
Don’t set deadlines that are too early or too far as they won’t be effective and have any benefit. Set deadlines for the dates that will give you enough time to work on it without having to stress about it, but also motivate you to get started quickly.
6. Make it enjoyable
Homework may or may not be fun for you. I’m 99% sure it’d be on the not-fun side for most of you. I agree (lol.)
But, it’s still a necessity that we need to work on, so there’s no way to ignore it. Instead of complaining about it and procrastinating unit the very last minute, it helps if you could make doing homework enjoyable. You could listen to music while doing it, reward yourself for every question you get right, or have a study session with your friends. Whatever helps you do homework is beneficial.
By making homework enjoyable, it’ll motivate you to start working on it so you can get it done and move on!
7. Focus
The only way you’re going to get your homework done is by focusing. If you don’t have a clear headspace and your mind is revolving around other thoughts, it’ll be extremely difficult to make progress. In fact, it would take you longer to complete it.
It’s better to focus on your homework for 30 minutes rather than spend 2 hours on and off an assignment. Put in the work now, and relax later. Your future self will thank you for it!
The Takeaway:
As much as we all hate doing homework, it helps boosts your knowledge and helps you learn more. So, instead of procrastinating and waiting last minute to complete your assignments, it’s best if you complete them as soon as possible with 100% of your effort.
If you want to improve your daily lifestyle by completing your homework earlier, then follow these 7 effective steps:
- Create a to-do list
- Put your phone away
- Take advantage of school time
- Start small
- Give yourself deadlines
- Make it enjoyable
- Focus
For more school content, check out my blog on high school vs. middle school!
To ensure that you know what homework you need to complete, I highly recommend checking out this academic planner!
Last but not least, check out this YouTube short on how to finish your homework faster.
I hope this blog helps you improve your productivity and have more time to pursue your passion by finishing your homework earlier. Type down below if you have any questions or concerns! Thanks for reading!
