Daniel Wong
30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework
Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 45 Comments
To stop procrastinating on homework, you need to find motivation to do the homework in the first place.
But first, you have to overcome feeling too overwhelmed to even start.
You know what it feels like when everything hits you at once, right?
You have three tests to study for and a math assignment due tomorrow.
And you’ve got a history report due the day after.
You tell yourself to get down to work. But with so much to do, you feel overwhelmed.
So you procrastinate.
You check your social media feed, watch a few videos, and get yourself a drink. But you know that none of this is bringing you closer to getting the work done.
Does this sound familiar?
Don’t worry – you are not alone. Procrastination is a problem that everyone faces, but there are ways around it.
By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and consistently find the motivation to do the homework .
So read on to discover 30 powerful tips to help you stop procrastinating on your homework.
Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.
How to stop procrastinating and motivate yourself to do your homework.
Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation .
The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high.
1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.
The first step to changing your behavior is to become more self-aware.
How often do you procrastinate? What kinds of tasks do you tend to put off? Is procrastination a small or big problem for you?
To answer these questions, I suggest that you take this online quiz designed by Psychology Today .
2. Figure out why you’re procrastinating.
Procrastination is a complex issue that involves multiple factors.
Stop thinking of excuses for not doing your homework , and figure out what’s keeping you from getting started.
Are you procrastinating because:
- You’re not sure you’ll be able to solve all the homework problems?
- You’re subconsciously rebelling against your teachers or parents?
- You’re not interested in the subject or topic?
- You’re physically or mentally tired?
- You’re waiting for the perfect time to start?
- You don’t know where to start?
Once you’ve identified exactly why you’re procrastinating, you can pick out the tips in this article that will get to the root of the problem.
3. Write down what you’re procrastinating on.
Students tend to procrastinate when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.
But you might be surprised to discover that simply by writing down the specific tasks you’re putting off, the situation will feel more manageable.
It’s a quick solution, and it makes a real difference.
Give it a try and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.
4. Put your homework on your desk.
Here’s an even simpler idea.
Many times, the hardest part of getting your homework done is getting started.
It doesn’t require a lot of willpower to take out your homework and put it on your desk.
But once it’s sitting there in front of you, you’ll be much closer to actually getting down to work.
5. Break down the task into smaller steps.
This one trick will make any task seem more manageable.
For example, if you have a history report to write, you could break it down into the following steps:
- Read the history textbook
- Do online research
- Organize the information
- Create an outline
- Write the introduction
- Write the body paragraphs
- Write the conclusion
- Edit and proofread the report
Focus on just one step at a time. This way, you won’t need to motivate yourself to write the whole report at one go.
This is an important technique to use if you want to study smart and get more done .
6. Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.
As a follow-up to Point #5, you can further combat procrastination by creating a timeline with specific deadlines.
Using the same example above, I’ve added deadlines to each of the steps:
- Jan 30 th : Read the history textbook
- Feb 2 nd : Do online research
- Feb 3 rd : Organize the information
- Feb 5 th : Create an outline
- Feb 8 th : Write the introduction
- Feb 12 th : Write the body paragraphs
- Feb 14 th : Write the conclusion
- Feb 16 th : Edit and proofread the report
Assigning specific dates creates a sense of urgency, which makes it more likely that you’ll keep to the deadlines.
7. Spend time with people who are focused and hardworking.
Jim Rohn famously said that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
If you hang out with people who are motivated and hardworking, you’ll become more like them.
Likewise, if you hang out with people who continually procrastinate, you’ll become more like them too.
Motivation to do homework naturally increases when you surround yourself with the right people.
So choose your friends wisely. Find homework buddies who will influence you positively to become a straight-A student who leads a balanced life.
That doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! It just means that you and your friends know when it’s time to get down to work and when it’s time to enjoy yourselves.
8. Tell at least two or three people about the tasks you plan to complete.
When you tell others about the tasks you intend to finish, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your plans.
This is called “accountability,” and it kicks in because you want to be seen as someone who keeps your word.
So if you know about this principle, why not use it to your advantage?
You could even ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. At the beginning of each day, you could text each other what you plan to work on that day.
Then at the end of the day, you could check in with each other to see if things went according to plan.
9. Change your environment .
Maybe it’s your environment that’s making you feel sluggish.
When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Or is your distracting computer within easy reach?
If your environment is part of your procrastination problem, then change it.
Sometimes all you need is a simple change of scenery. Bring your work to the dining room table and get it done there. Or head to a nearby café to complete your report.
10. Talk to people who have overcome their procrastination problem.
If you have friends who consistently win the battle with procrastination, learn from their experience.
What was the turning point for them? What tips and strategies do they use? What keeps them motivated?
Find all this out, and then apply the information to your own situation.
11. Decide on a reward to give yourself after you complete your task.
“Planned” rewards are a great way to motivate yourself to do your homework.
The reward doesn’t have to be something huge.
For instance, you might decide that after you finish 10 questions of your math homework, you get to watch your favorite TV show.
Or you might decide that after reading one chapter of your history textbook, you get to spend 10 minutes on Facebook.
By giving yourself a reward, you’ll feel more motivated to get through the task at hand.
12. Decide on a consequence you’ll impose on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline.
It’s important that you decide on what the consequence will be before you start working toward your goal.
As an example, you could tell your younger brother that you’ll give him $1 for every deadline you don’t meet (see Point #6).
Or you could decide that you’ll delete one game from your phone for every late homework submission.
Those consequences would probably be painful enough to help you get down to work, right?
13. Visualize success.
Take 30 seconds and imagine how you’ll feel when you finish your work.
What positive emotions will you experience?
Will you feel a sense of satisfaction from getting all your work done?
Will you relish the extra time on your hands when you get your homework done fast and ahead of time?
This simple exercise of visualizing success may be enough to inspire you to start doing your assignment.
14. Visualize the process it will take to achieve that success.
Even more important than visualizing the outcome is visualizing the process it will take to achieve that outcome.
Research shows that focusing on the process is critical to success. If you’re procrastinating on a task, take a few moments to think about what you’ll need to do to complete it.
Visualize the following:
- What resources you’ll need
- Who you can turn to for help
- How long the task will take
- Where you’ll work on the task
- The joy you’ll experience as you make progress
This kind of visualization is like practice for your mind.
Once you understand what’s necessary to achieve your goal, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get down to work with real focus. This is key to doing well in school .
15. Write down why you want to complete the task.
You’ll be more motivated when you’re clear about why you want to accomplish something.
To motivate yourself to do your homework, think about all the ways in which it’s a meaningful task.
So take a couple of minutes to write down the reasons. Here are some possible ones:
- Learn useful information
- Master the topic
- Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the task
- Become a more focused student
- Learn to embrace challenges
- Fulfill your responsibility as a student
- Get a good grade on the assignment
16. Write down the negative feelings you’ll have if you don’t complete the task.
If you don’t complete the assignment, you might feel disappointed or discouraged. You might even feel as if you’ve let your parents or your teacher – or even yourself – down.
It isn’t wise to dwell on these negative emotions for too long. But by imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t finish the task, you’ll realize how important it is that you get to work.
17. Do the hardest task first.
Most students will choose to do the easiest task first, rather than the hardest one. But this approach isn’t effective because it leaves the worst for last.
It’s more difficult to find motivation to do homework in less enjoyable subjects.
As Brian Tracy says , “Eat that frog!” By this, he means that you should always get your most difficult task out of the way at the beginning of the day.
If math is your least favorite subject, force yourself to complete your math homework first.
After doing so, you’ll feel a surge of motivation from knowing it’s finished. And you won’t procrastinate on your other homework because it will seem easier in comparison.
(On a separate note, check out these tips on how to get better at math if you’re struggling.)
18. Set a timer when doing your homework.
I recommend that you use a stopwatch for every homework session. (If you prefer, you could also use this online stopwatch or the Tomato Timer .)
Start the timer at the beginning of the session, and work in 30- to 45-minute blocks.
Using a timer creates a sense of urgency, which will help you fight off your urge to procrastinate.
When you know you only have to work for a short session, it will be easier to find motivation to complete your homework.
Tell yourself that you need to work hard until the timer goes off, and then you can take a break. (And then be sure to take that break!)
19. Eliminate distractions.
Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:
- Delete all the games and social media apps on your phone
- Turn off all notifications on your phone
- Mute your group chats
- Archive your inactive chats
- Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode
- Put your phone at least 10 feet away from you
- Turn off the Internet access on your computer
- Use an app like Freedom to restrict your Internet usage
- Put any other distractions (like food, magazines and books unrelated to your homework) at the other end of the room
- Unplug the TV
- Use earplugs if your surroundings are noisy
20. At the start of each day, write down the two to three Most Important Tasks (MITs) you want to accomplish.
This will enable you to prioritize your tasks. As Josh Kaufman explains , a Most Important Task (MIT) is a critical task that will help you to get significant results down the road.
Not all tasks are equally important. That’s why it’s vital that you identify your MITs, so that you can complete those as early in the day as possible.
What do you most need to get done today? That’s an MIT.
Get to work on it, then feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing it’s out of the way.
21. Focus on progress instead of perfection.
Perfectionism can destroy your motivation to do homework and keep you from starting important assignments.
Some students procrastinate because they’re waiting for the perfect time to start.
Others do so because they want to get their homework done perfectly. But they know this isn’t really possible – so they put off even getting started.
What’s the solution?
To focus on progress instead of perfection.
There’s never a perfect time for anything. Nor will you ever be able to complete your homework perfectly. But you can do your best, and that’s enough.
So concentrate on learning and improving, and turn this into a habit that you implement whenever you study .
22. Get organized.
Procrastination is common among students who are disorganized.
When you can’t remember which assignment is due when or which tests you have coming up, you’ll naturally feel confused. You’ll experience school- and test-related stress .
This, in turn, will lead to procrastination.
That’s why it’s crucial that you get organized. Here are some tips for doing this:
- Don’t rely on your memory ; write everything down
- Keep a to-do list
- Use a student planner
- Use a calendar and take note of important dates like exams, project due dates, school holidays , birthdays, and family events
- At the end of each day, plan for the following day
- Use one binder or folder for each subject or course
- Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework
- Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need
23. Stop saying “I have to” and start saying “I choose to.”
When you say things like “I have to write my essay” or “I have to finish my science assignment,” you’ll probably feel annoyed. You might be tempted to complain about your teachers or your school .
What’s the alternative?
To use the phrase “I choose to.”
The truth is, you don’t “have” to do anything.
You can choose not to write your essay; you’ll just run the risk of failing the class.
You can choose not to do your science assignment; you’ll just need to deal with your angry teacher.
When you say “I choose to do my homework,” you’ll feel empowered. This means you’ll be more motivated to study and to do what you ought to.
24. Clear your desk once a week.
Clutter can be demotivating. It also causes stress , which is often at the root of procrastination.
Hard to believe? Give it a try and see for yourself.
By clearing your desk, you’ll reduce stress and make your workspace more organized.
So set a recurring appointment to organize your workspace once a week for just 10 minutes. You’ll receive huge benefits in the long run!
25. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it now.
This is a principle from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done .
You may notice that you tend to procrastinate when many tasks pile up. The way to prevent this from happening is to take care of the small but important tasks as soon as you have time.
Here are some examples of small two-minute tasks that you should do once you have a chance:
- Replying to your project group member’s email
- Picking up anything on the floor that doesn’t belong there
- Asking your parents to sign a consent form
- Filing a graded assignment
- Making a quick phone call
- Writing a checklist
- Sending a text to schedule a meeting
- Making an online purchase that doesn’t require further research
26. Finish one task before starting on the next.
You aren’t being productive when you switch between working on your literature essay, social studies report, and physics problem set – while also intermittently checking your phone.
Research shows that multitasking is less effective than doing one thing at a time. Multitasking may even damage your brain !
When it comes to overcoming procrastination, it’s better to stick with one task all the way through before starting on the next one.
You’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you finish the first assignment, which will give you a boost of inspiration as you move on to the next one.
27. Build your focus gradually.
You can’t win the battle against procrastination overnight; it takes time. This means that you need to build your focus progressively.
If you can only focus for 10 minutes at once, that’s fine. Start with three sessions of 10 minutes a day. After a week, increase it to three sessions of 15 minutes a day, and so on.
As the weeks go by, you’ll become far more focused than when you first started. And you’ll soon see how great that makes you feel.
28. Before you start work, write down three things you’re thankful for.
Gratitude improves your psychological health and increases your mental strength .
These factors are linked to motivation. The more you practice gratitude, the easier it will be to find motivation to do your homework. As such, it’s less likely that you’ll be a serial procrastinator.
Before you get down to work for the day, write down three things you’re thankful for. These could be simple things like good health, fine weather, or a loving family.
You could even do this in a “gratitude journal,” which you can then look back on whenever you need a shot of fresh appreciation for the good things in your life.
Either way, this short exercise will get you in the right mindset to be productive.
29. Get enough sleep.
For most people, this means getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally.
What does sleep have to do with procrastination?
More than you might realize.
It’s almost impossible to feel motivated when you’re tired. And when you’re low on energy, your willpower is depleted too.
That’s why you give in to the temptation of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube videos more easily when you’re sleep-deprived.
Here are ways to get more sleep , and sleep better too:
- Create a bedtime routine
- Go to sleep at around the same time every night
- Set a daily alarm as a reminder to go to bed
- Exercise regularly (but not within a few hours of bedtime)
- Make your bedroom as dark as possible
- Remove or switch off all electronic devices before bedtime
- Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
- Use an eye mask and earplugs
30. Schedule appointments with yourself to complete your homework.
These appointments are specific blocks of time reserved for working on a report, assignment, or project. Scheduling appointments is effective because it makes the task more “official,” so you’re more likely to keep the appointment.
For example, you could schedule appointments such as:
- Jan 25 th , 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Math assignment
- Jan 27 th , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Online research for social studies project
- Jan 28 th , 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Write introduction for English essay
Transform homework procrastination into homework motivation
Procrastination is a problem we all face.
But given that you’ve read all the way to here, I know you’re committed to overcoming this problem.
And now that you’re armed with these tips, you have all the tools you need to become more disciplined and focused .
By the way, please don’t feel as if you need to implement all the tips at once, because that would be too overwhelming.
Instead, I recommend that you focus on just a couple of tips a week, and make gradual progress. No rush!
Over time, you’ll realize that your habit of procrastination has been replaced by the habit of getting things done.
Now’s the time to get started on that process of transformation. 🙂
Like this article? Please share it with your friends.
Images: Student and books , Homework , Group of students , Consequences , Why , Writing a list , Organized desk , Gratitude
January 19, 2016 at 11:53 am
Ur tips are rlly helpful. Thnkyou ! 🙂
January 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm
You’re welcome 🙂
August 29, 2018 at 11:21 am
Thanks very much
February 19, 2019 at 1:38 pm
The funny thing is while I was reading the first few steps of this article I was procrastinating on my homework….
November 12, 2019 at 12:44 pm
same here! but now I actually want to get my stuff done… huh
December 4, 2022 at 11:35 pm
May 30, 2023 at 6:26 am
October 25, 2023 at 11:35 am
fr tho i totally was but now I’m actually going to get started haha
June 6, 2020 at 6:04 am
I love your articles
January 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm
Thanks soo much. It’s almost like you could read my mind- when I felt so overwhelmed with the workload heap I had created for myself by procrastination, I know feel very motivated to tackle it out completely and replace that bad habit with the wonderful tips mentioned here! 🙂
January 21, 2016 at 8:04 pm
I’m glad to help 🙂
January 25, 2016 at 3:09 pm
You have shared great tips here. I especially like the point “Write down why you want to complete the task” because it is helpful to make us more motivated when we are clear about our goals
January 25, 2016 at 4:51 pm
Glad that you found the tips useful, John!
January 29, 2016 at 1:22 am
Thank you very much for your wonderful tips!!! ☺☺☺
January 29, 2016 at 10:41 am
It’s my joy to help, Kabir 🙂
February 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm
Always love your articles. Keep them up 🙂
February 3, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Thanks, Matthew 🙂
February 4, 2016 at 1:40 pm
There are quite a lot of things that you need to do in order to come out with flying colors while studying in a university away from your homeland. Procrastinating on homework is one of the major mistakes committed by students and these tips will help you to avoid them all and make yourself more efficient during your student life.
February 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Completely agreed, Leong Siew.
October 5, 2018 at 12:52 am
Wow! thank you very much, I love it .
November 2, 2018 at 10:45 am
You are helping me a lot.. thank you very much….😊
November 6, 2018 at 5:19 pm
I’m procrastinating by reading this
November 29, 2018 at 10:21 am
January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am
March 3, 2019 at 9:12 am
Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! Please keep up your excellent work!
April 12, 2019 at 11:12 am
We should stop procrastinating.
September 28, 2019 at 5:19 pm
Thank you so much for the tips:) i’ve been procrastinating since i started high schools and my grades were really bad “F” but the tips have made me a straight A student again.
January 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm
Thanks for the tips, Daniel! They’re really useful! 😁
April 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm
I have always stood first in my class. But procrastination has always been a very bad habit of mine which is why I lost marks for late submission .As an excuse for finding motivation for studying I would spend hours on the phone and I would eventually procrastinate. So I tried your tips and tricks today and they really worked.i am so glad and thankful for your help. 🇮🇳Love from India🇮🇳
April 15, 2020 at 11:16 am
Well I’m gonna give this a shot it looks and sounds very helpful thank you guys I really needed this
April 16, 2020 at 9:48 pm
Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! keep up your excellent work! May you give more useful content to us.
May 6, 2020 at 5:03 pm
nice article thanks for your sharing.
May 20, 2020 at 4:49 am
Thank you so much this helped me so much but I was wondering about like what if you just like being lazy and stuff and don’t feel like doing anything and you don’t want to tell anyone because you might annoy them and you just don’t want to add your problems and put another burden on theirs
July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am
I’ve read many short procrastination tip articles and always thought they were stupid or overlooking the actual problem. ‘do this and this’ or that and that, and I sit there thinking I CAN’T. This article had some nice original tips that I actually followed and really did make me feel a bit better. Cheers, diving into what will probably be a 3 hour case study.
August 22, 2020 at 10:14 pm
Nicely explain each tips and those are practical thanks for sharing. Dr.Achyut More
November 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm
Thanks a lot! It was very helpful!
November 15, 2020 at 9:11 am
I keep catching myself procrastinating today. I started reading this yesterday, but then I realized I was procrastinating, so I stopped to finish it today. Thank you for all the great tips.
November 30, 2020 at 5:15 pm
Woow this is so great. Thanks so much Daniel
December 3, 2020 at 3:13 am
These tips were very helpful!
December 18, 2020 at 11:54 am
Procrastination is a major problem of mine, and this, this is very helpful. It is very motivational, now I think I can complete my work.
December 28, 2020 at 2:44 pm
Daniel Wong: When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Me: Nope, my super-comfortable bed is one step away. (But I seriously can’t study anywhere else. If I go to the dining table, my mum would be right in front of me talking loudly on the phone with colleagues and other rooms is an absolute no. My mum doesn’t allow me to go outside. Please give me some suggestions. )
September 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm
I would try and find some noise cancelling headphones to play some classical music or get some earbuds to ignore you mum lol
March 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm
Thank you very much. I highly appreciate it.
May 12, 2023 at 3:38 am
This is great advice. My little niece is now six years old and I like to use those nice cheap child friendly workbooks with her. This is done in order to help her to learn things completely on her own. I however prefer to test her on her own knowledge however. After a rather quick demonstration in the lesson I then tend to give her two simple questions to start off with. And it works a treat. Seriously. I love it. She loves it. The exam questions are for her to answer on her own on a notepad. If she can, she will receive a gold medal and a box of sweets. If not she only gets a plastic toy. We do this all the time to help her understand. Once a week we spend up to thirty minutes in a math lesson on this technique for recalling the basic facts. I have had a lot of great success with this new age technique. So I’m going to carry on with it for now.
October 31, 2024 at 10:58 pm
Is it possible that our education system is failing to engage students in a way that inspires them to do their homework, leading to a lack of motivation?”, “refusal
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How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks
Coursework/GPA
Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!
We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:
- A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
- A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
- A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast
By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .
So let’s get started!
How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles
Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time.
The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling.
Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers!
1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?
A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too. C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one! D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now.
2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores:
A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start? B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store. C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work. D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time!
3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You:
A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter. B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale. C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!
4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You:
A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home! B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you! C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones. D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.
5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say:
A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work. B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks. C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home. D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in.
Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down:
- If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination.
- If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management.
- If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation.
- If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted.
Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it.
And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating.
How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator
Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination.
If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+.
Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too!
The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework!
3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination
Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time.
#1: Create a Reward System
Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done.
Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust.
If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful.
#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner
If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals.
Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track.
#3: Create Your Own Due Dates
If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due.
Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead!
If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you.
How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy
If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix.
If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them.
For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible.
3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule
While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students.
#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List
You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away.
Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:
- A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A.
- B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
- C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.
Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important.
#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels
Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.
A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day.
Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ).
#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone
If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work.
If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started.
This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.
How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated
At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute.
But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later.
Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place.
Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework :
- Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless
- Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
- Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment
- Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy
To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.
3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework
The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework.
#1: Use Incremental Incentives
When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you!
So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !
#2: Form a Homework Group
If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments.
Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too.
#3: Change Up Your Environment
If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done.
If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done.
Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.
How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted
We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.
The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done!
3 Tips to Improve Your Focus
If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done.
#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment
Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work.
You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand!
#2: Limit Your Access to Technology
We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework.
If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done.
#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)
Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!
Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.
The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)
Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast
Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)
The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment!
Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch.
#1: Do the Easy Parts First
This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer .
Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade.
(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !)
#2: Pay Attention in Class
Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.
When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.
What’s Next?
If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.
You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can
Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)
These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.
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How to Stay Motivated in Class, to Study & to Do Homework
Last Updated: October 23, 2024 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Sean Alexander, MS and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure . Sean Alexander is an Academic Tutor specializing in teaching mathematics and physics. Sean is the Owner of Alexander Tutoring, an academic tutoring business that provides personalized studying sessions focused on mathematics and physics. With over 15 years of experience, Sean has worked as a physics and math instructor and tutor for Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and Stanbridge Academy. He holds a BS in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MS in Theoretical Physics from San Francisco State University. There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 303,248 times.
Do you have those days when you say to yourself, "I don't need school," or when you just can't find the motivation to pay attention in school or get your homework done? You're not alone, but doing well in school will set you up to have the life you want down the road. We're here to share all the best tips to keep yourself motivated in school so that you can succeed and achieve your goals.
How to Motivate Yourself at School
- Set concrete goals to work toward.
- Break assignments into smaller chunks.
- Reward yourself when you finish a task or reach a goal.
- Turn off your phone and work in a dedicated study area.
- Track your assignments in a planner or with a list.
- Take care of your mind and body to prevent burnout.
- Remember that doing well in school now will help you achieve your goals in life.
Set concrete academic goals.
- Use the SMART method to set concrete and meaningful goals for yourself.
Stay focused with mindfulness tricks.
- Create a simple but distinct action that sends a clear message to yourself.
- It should be something you don't do regularly—wiggling your toes, for example.
Break big assignments into small chunks.
- List all the different steps you must complete to finish the project.
- Make a schedule that forces you to finish one small piece of the project per day.
- For a paper, you might read and summarize one source on day one. Then, tackle another source on day two, a third source on day three, and synthesize their arguments on day four. Then, you can write your paper over the course of the next few days.
Study efficiently.
- Review everything you learned at the end of each study session. This will help you commit the material to memory.
- It’s better to spend 10-15 minutes studying every night than to try and cram everything into one study session the night before the big test. Research has shown that cramming is one of the least efficient ways to prepare for a test, so avoid it at all costs. [5] X Research source
Take breaks when you’re working.
- You might try the Pomodoro technique if you want more structured breaks. Basically, you choose a task, set a timer for 25 minutes, and then work hard for the entirety of that block, then take a 5-minute break. After 4 blocks (so, 2 hours total), take a longer break—usually 30 minutes. [7] X Research source
Shut your phone off so it doesn't distract you.
- If you really struggle with not checking your phone, give it to a parent or roommate when you want to study and say something like, “Don’t give me my phone for at least 1 hour. I need to finish this paper.”
- The same goes for social media. If you find yourself popping over to Facebook or Instagram every 15 minutes when you’re reviewing lectures, set up a website blocker to ban those sites when you’re studying.
Reward yourself for accomplishing your tasks.
- Remember that nobody can work all the time. Give yourself a little time off when you deserve it.
Set up study groups for difficult subjects.
- Study groups should have no more than 3-5 members so they don't get unruly.
- Meet at least once a week on a regular schedule. You can meet at school during a free period, or after school at somebody's house.
- Volunteer to be the group leader/coordinator. You will determine what classes and projects the group will focus on in a given week so that everyone's working together and helping each other instead of randomly working on their projects.
Keep a physical calendar and to-do list.
- Set lots of reminders for yourself! Remember to write reminders about long-term projects in the days leading up to the due date, so you don’t forget about it until the last second.
- You can also use a calendar app on your cell phone to keep track of your obligations. However, there’s really strong evidence that physically writing things down helps you remember them, which is kind of the whole point with a planner. [12] X Research source
Maintain a dedicated studying area.
- Keep your desk neat and clean so you don’t get frustrated by how sloppy it is.
- Keep your tools (pencils, highlighters, staplers) neatly organized so you can find them easily.
- Make sure the space is well-lit. Dim lighting can give you a headache, which definitely won’t help you stay motivated.
- Figure out if you work best with silence or with a little background noise. Some people are distracted by noise, while others can’t work without a little music playing in the background.
Set aside time each week to study and review.
- Set a patterned routine. Successful people often stick to regular routines to help them stay on task and achieve their goals. [15] X Research source
- There might be some variation throughout the week — for example, you might have a club or practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but not the other days. Make sure that every week, you know what to expect from each day.
Participate socially at school.
- Make good use of your downtime at school. Lunchtime and the time between classes is a great time to recharge your energy before your next class by having a good laugh with a friend.
- Join after-school clubs and teams to find people who share your interests.
Remember your overall purpose.
- Say you want to own your own business one day and you’re staring at some boring algebra homework thinking, “I’ll never need this…” Well, to own a business you need to be good at math. How else will you manage payrolls or inventories? You may not need algebra per se, but the skills you’re honing will 100% help sharpen your number skills in the future.
- Alternatively, say you want to be a doctor. Well, you need to get into a good medical school. To get into a good medical school, you need to do well in college. To do well in college, you need to master the skills you’re learning right now! It’s all connected at the end of the day.
Share your goals with friends and family.
- If you work your best and still fail to meet those goals, don't get discouraged. Redouble your efforts. With hard work and time, you'll meet your goals.
Take care of your body.
- If you can, take a fitness or exercise class to ensure you get some movement in during the school day.
Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series
Expert Q&A
Reader Videos
- Don't think about things you do wrong; instead, think about things you're doing right. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
Tips from our Readers
- If you're studying at home, write some notes (techniques) that could help you with tests. Also, try to practice subjects you struggle with more often. This could help you get better at them.
- Think about your ideal future while getting ready for school in the morning. It can help you stay motivated.
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- ↑ https://www.tntech.edu/research/pdf/resources/proposaldevelopmentresources/Examples_of_Measurable_Goals_and_Objectives.pdf
- ↑ https://medium.com/the-blade-and-beyond/rating-coping-skills-and-distraction-techniques-ice-cube-tricks-5bf7630dc937
- ↑ http://www.successconsciousness.com/overcoming-laziness.htm
- ↑ https://psyche.co/guides/how-research-from-psychology-can-help-you-study-effectively
- ↑ https://www.uclahealth.org/news/release/cramming-for-a-test-dont-do-it-say-ucla-researchers
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/jobs/take-breaks-regularly-to-stay-on-schedule-workstation.html?_r=0
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2020/03/03/the-pomodoro-technique/
- ↑ https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power/
- ↑ https://grad.uw.edu/advice/setting-goals-rewarding-yourself/
- ↑ https://www.unomaha.edu/maverick-advising-center/_files/advising-res-handouts/benefits-tips-and-pitfalls-of-study-groups.pdf
- ↑ https://www.juilliard.edu/news/136771/deadlines-doom-student-blog
- ↑ https://www.newscientist.com/article/2414241-writing-things-down-may-help-you-remember-information-more-than-typing/
- ↑ https://studyville.com/dedicated-study-space/
- ↑ Sean Alexander, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 14 May 2020.
- ↑ http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifercohen/2013/10/02/5-things-super-successful-people-do-before-8-am/
- ↑ https://www.bentley.edu/news/12-reasons-why-you-should-join-student-organization
- ↑ https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/08/31/5-ways-find-your-academic-path
- ↑ https://throga.com/accomplishing-your-singing-goals/
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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework
How to Get Motivated to Do Schoolwork to Achieve Stellar Results
To motivate yourself to do homework, set clear, achievable goals, create a distraction-free study space, and establish a regular routine. Use a timer for focused work sessions, reward yourself after completing tasks, and maintain a positive mindset. Remember to take care of your health and seek help if needed.
- Make a Plan: Break tasks into chunks, set realistic goals.
- Seek Help: Find a mentor or use assignment services.
- Set Small Goals: Break homework into smaller, manageable objectives.
- Stay Organized: Keep workspace tidy and schedule organized.
- Take Breaks: Regular breaks to recharge.
- Give Rewards: Treat yourself for completing tasks.
- Stay Positive: Maintain an optimistic mindset.
- Get Specialized Help: Seek assistance for challenging subjects.
- Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers: Surround yourself with motivated friends.
- Eat Nutritiously: Maintain a balanced diet for focus and energy.
Are you wondering how to motivate yourself to do homework? Transform your study routine with actionable tips like staying organized, taking breaks, making a plan, etc. Read this article to help you foster focus and productivity.
Gain insight on tackling assignments and confidently turning your challenges into triumphs. Find out how to embrace the power of positive habits and witness your motivation soar. Let's break the cycle of boredom and ignite your passion for learning.
Instead of letting deadlines overwhelm you, let's turn them into milestones. With our proven methods, you can easily elevate your academic journey and conquer schoolwork.
Motivation to Do Homework: Learn Why It Matters
Finding motivation for homework can sometimes feel impossible, especially when you're tired and overwhelmed with many responsibilities. But homework was not given by your teachers or professors as a form of torture.
It's a vital element in your academic journey, and staying motivated is the compass guiding the way to complete them. Consider motivation as the fuel propelling you through your seemingly impossible tasks.
Maintaining inspiration is crucial because it transforms routine assignments into valuable learning opportunities.
When you enthusiastically approach your homework, the benefits extend beyond completion—it fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Embrace motivation as a tool for getting things done and fostering a positive and productive mindset. In the academic realm, staying inspired is the key to unlocking the doors to knowledge and answering the question of how to get motivated to do schoolwork.
Make a Plan to Help Jump-start Everything
Every student knows the feeling of being overwhelmed by homework. Sometimes, students can't help but scratch their heads, wondering how to get motivated to do schoolwork. It is indeed easy to drag your feet and procrastinate. The secret to conquering that mountain of assignments?
Make a plan! Start by breaking tasks into manageable chunks and set realistic goals. The key is finding what inspires you—a cozy study spot, a reward system, or a study playlist. Having a plan helps organize your workload and gives you a roadmap to success.
So, take a deep breath, make that plan, and watch as motivation for homework becomes your trusty sidekick on your academic journey!
Seek Help and Find a Mentor
When wondering how to get motivated to do homework, seeking help and finding a mentor becomes a game-changer. The benefits are profound, whether it's reaching out to an alumna, a high-achieving peer, or even considering a professional online "do my assignment" service.
A mentor provides guidance, shares insights, and instills motivation by offering a fresh perspective. Alumnae brings real-world experience which may help you understand. Your peers offer relatability and can also help explain concepts.
Finally, assignment services provide expert support to ensure you can beat your deadlines.
Guidance not only eases your academic load but also fosters a collaborative spirit. Seeking help makes your assignments less daunting. Instead of feeling as if you're drowning in tasks, your mind becomes more prepared for learning and growth.
Break Things Down and Set Small Goals for Homework Assignments
When wondering how to force yourself to do homework, the secret lies in breaking homework assignments down into smaller chunks. Transform your daunting mountain of tasks into manageable molehills. Start with bite-sized objectives that feel achievable, gradually building momentum.
It's like turning homework into a series of mini-victories, making your workload more digestible. Small goals and specific tasks not only boost motivation but also promote a sense of accomplishment.
So, rather than overwhelming yourself, slice your assignments into manageable portions and check your to-do list.
Then, watch as each completed task propels you forward. It's a strategy that helps you stop procrastinating and makes you spend time working on relevant current and future assignments.
Stay Organized to Help You Crush Those Goals
Are you curious how to get motivation to do homework? The answer lies in staying organized to help you crush your goals. Picture your workspace as a battleground—clutter is the enemy, and order is your ally. It's challenging to stay focused amid chaos.
Studies show that a tidy environment fosters mental clarity. So, organize your tasks, create a schedule, and tidy up your space. As you conquer the clutter, you'll find motivation thriving. A well-ordered work area reflects a well-ordered mind, making your homework journey smoother and the path to your goals clearer.
Get organized and watch your motivation, propelling you to academic excellence! And start expecting good grades, and not just in your favorite subject.
Take Breaks to Help You Recharge and Achieve Homework Fun
Wondering how to get motivated for homework? Embrace the power of breaks to help you recharge and do my homework . Picture your brilliant mind as a battery! Continuous work drains your brain of energy needed for motivation.
Breaks act as the charger, replenishing your mental reserves. It's not about procrastination. Instead, think of these planned breaks as strategic rejuvenation. Step away, stretch, take a walk, or indulge in a quick hobby. Spend some time alone and rest for a few hours.
You'll find renewed focus and energy as you return, making your assignments more sustainable.
Strategic breaks aren't like other distractions.
In fact, they are essential tools for maintaining motivation. So, intersperse your study sessions with short breaks and witness how recharging catalyzes academic success.
Give Yourself Rewards
Are you thinking how to motivate yourself to do school work, especially when feeling sluggish and tired? The answer lies in giving yourself rewards when hitting milestones. Consider it a pat on your back for a job well done.
Rewards don't have to be grand. Even simple treats can work wonders! When you associate completing tasks with positive reinforcement, it creates a sense of accomplishment. This becomes a powerful motivator, especially during slumps.
Whether it's a brief break, a favorite snack, or a small celebration, these rewards are energy boosts. They will help you inject enthusiasm into your schoolwork grind. Whether you're working on social studies, classical music, or any focused course, there are many reasons why a reward in the first place will make any assignment progress much faster.
Celebrate your victories, big or small. With each celebration, watch motivation become your constant companion.
Stay Positive and Optimistic
Maintaining an optimistic mindset is the cornerstone of tackling any challenge, including homework. Want to figure out how to stay motivated to do homework?
It starts with cultivating a positive outlook. Embrace each of your assignments as an opportunity to learn and grow. Positivity breeds motivation! When faced with difficulties, view them as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.
Surround yourself with an optimistic atmosphere—whether it's a neat study space or the support of encouraging friends.
Celebrate small victories and approach each task believing you can conquer it. Positivity makes the homework journey more enjoyable and transforms obstacles into opportunities for success.
Get Specialized Help When You Need It
Pondering how to be motivated to do homework, especially when facing challenging subjects like math problems or drafting an English essay?
The key is getting specialized help when you need it. College encompasses a spectrum of subjects, from English and humanities to math and statistics.
Seeking math homework help for calculus or essay assistance from experts isn't a sign of weakness. You can think of this as a strategic move. Recognizing when to ask for specialized support is a strength. It alleviates your struggles and fosters a proactive approach to learning.
So, don't hesitate to reach out when faced with academic hurdles.
Specialized help ensures you conquer the complexities and stay motivated on your educational journey.
Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers
If you're figuring out how to get motivation to do school work, one of the answers could be in the company you keep. Imagine being with friends who party hard and ditch deadlines. Uh-oh, that spells trouble!
Instead, surround yourself with like-minded peers who share your academic goals and enthusiasm. Studying with friends who are equally driven creates a supportive environment that fuels motivation. Exchange ideas and share strategies for work-life balance.
Celebrate your successes together. The collective energy of a group with a common purpose can be contagious, making your academic journey more enjoyable.
When you're in the company of peers who are passionate about learning, the motivation to excel becomes a shared experience, propelling everyone toward success.
Fuel Your Brain and Body with Nutritious Food
Listen up! Eat well to stay motivated. Why does your diet play an important role in how to make yourself do homework? What you fuel your brain and body matters!
A balanced diet is the secret weapon for sustained focus and energy. Incorporate brain-boosting foods like fruits, nuts, and whole grains into your meals. Skipping meals leads to fatigue, affecting your concentration.
By nourishing your body, you're investing in your academic success. So, make your plate a palette of productivity. Then, watch how your well-fed body becomes the foundation for a motivated mind.
Students Tend to Forget Water Intake - Will You?
Hydration is critical when figuring out how to get motivation for homework. Dehydration can significantly impact concentration and focus, putting you in a study slump.
So, as a busy student, it's vital to stay hydrated. Water is not just a refreshing beverage to quench thirst. It's also an amazing cognitive enhancer. Many studies show that even mild dehydration can lead to reduced cognitive performance.
Therefore, keep your water bottle within arm's reach while tackling assignments. And drink before you feel thirsty because you're already mildly dehydrated by then. Water helps with mental sharpness. A well-hydrated brain is focused and ready to take on the challenges of homework.
Use an Inspiring Music Playlist
Fill your study area with an inspiring music playlist—especially if you're wondering how to become motivated to do school work or contemplating how to do my assignment excellently. Music has a magical quality that can ignite motivation.
Create a playlist filled with fave tunes that uplift your spirits and set the tone for productivity. The right soundtrack can turn mundane tasks into engaging activities.
Whether you need a boost to start your assignments or a rhythm to carry you through to ace a test, music is a powerful ally.
So, put on those headphones, hit play, and let the motivational beats become the backdrop to your academic triumphs.
How to Get Motivation for Homework - FAQs
How to get motivated to do school work .
Do you wish to unlock how to be motivated to do schoolwork? Think of this as like finding the perfect rhythm for a dance. Start small—break tasks into manageable steps. Surround yourself with a supportive study environment.
Use inspiring music as your soundtrack. Stay positive and celebrate victories. Your academic journey is a dance of determination.
What can I do when I have no motivation to do homework?
Feeling the homework blues? When you have no motivation to do homework, start small—break your tasks into bite-sized chunks. Change your scenery, create a dedicated study space, and consider incorporating inspiring music.
Seek support from mentors. Remember, every small effort counts, turning your homework struggle into achievable victories.
Where to find motivation in a few hours for schoolwork when I'm lazy?
Curious how to do homework when you don't want to? Your journey from laziness to productivity is manageable by breaking tasks into small steps.
Then, create a motivating study environment and consider help. For example, seeking physics homework help or essay writing assistance from professionals when needed.
Every small effort counts because you'll find inspiration in every completed task.
Is seeking professional help online acceptable?
Absolutely! When figuring out how to get the motivation to do homework, seeking professional help online is a smart move. Online assistance provides valuable support, guidance, and resources, empowering you to tackle assignments confidently. It's a proactive step towards academic success in the digital age.
If I seek online help, how much will I pay?
The cost of online help varies based on subject, complexity, and deadline, but consider it an investment in your academic success when exploring how to motivate to do homework. Our platform offers flexible pricing, ensuring accessibility to resources and assistance tailored to your needs and budget.
Where can I find homework help?
When wondering how to get yourself to do homework, remember that you're in the digital age and finding homework help is a click away. Explore our online platform for personalized assistance. We provide valuable support, making your homework journey more manageable and efficient.
Is an online assignment platform legal?
Yes, seeking Python homework help , essay writing assistance, or any other service from an online assignment platform like ours is legal. We are a legitimate resource that aligns with the quest to answer how to get motivated for school work, providing valuable assistance and support to enhance your learning experience.
- Published on September 15, 2022
- September 15, 2022
How to Focus on Homework and Actually Get Things Done: 12 Hacks for Busy Students
Jump to section
Chances are, you’ve had some days when you felt overwhelmed after a long day at school. You couldn’t imagine doing anything other than plopping down in front of the television, let alone finding out how to focus on your homework.
How can you overcome the resistance and get it done? How do you get your mind to include this task in your day as well?
With just a few adjustments, you will be able to expand your capacity to concentrate.
Why Can’t I Focus on My Homework?
Countless factors constantly fight for your attention : social media, people, overthinking, and anxiety. All of this can make you feel as though you have little control over your mind.
If you want to start to focus better on your homework, you’ll need to set your mind up for success. Remove all distractions .
Here are two key principles that can help you be more successful in your studies:
1. Identify the distractions in your surroundings
What are the things in your daily life that take your mind away from your studies? Clearly identifying these distractions can help you understand both the problem and what causes it.
Among our environmental distractions, digital distractions are one of the worst kinds, and according to a number of studies , their effect is on the rise in the classroom.
If you’re looking to gain more concentration and, thus, form better study habits, question your online behavior first and foremost.
2. Limit the use of technology to find focus
What’s the role of social media in your daily life? Have you ever sat down to calculate how social media distracts you from doing the things you should be doing?
When you are wondering how to focus on homework long after you’ve put your phone away, you’re still thinking about the last posts you saw on Instagram. The sound of new notifications can be enough to reroute our attention from the task at hand.
And then comes the information overload, the fear of missing out, and the all-too-common signs of addictive behavior. Technology is affecting your mind more than ever, and it’s taking your focus away.
How to Focus on Homework: 12 Things You Can Do to Be More Indistractible
Here are 12 tips on how to stay focused while completing your homework, taught by superbrain coach Jim Kwik and habit transformation expert Nir Eyal .
- Make a routine
- Set up a study-friendly environment
- Avoid heavy meals
- Organize your study notes
- Tell others to stay away
- Listen to study music
- Set deadlines
- Take brain breaks
- Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
- Use time blocking
- Let go of thoughts that distract you
- Reimagine your task
Let’s look at each study hack in more detail.
1. Make a routine
Routines help you be productive without exerting as much effort. When you have homework to do, a study routine can be the reason you actually sit down, set enough time aside, concentrate, and stay focused until you complete the project.
This process doesn’t need to be complicated: just tell yourself that you will sit at your desk at home once you’re back from school. Put your phone on silent, make an outline of the work that needs to get done, and simply begin with what’s most important.
2. Set up a study-friendly environment
A place for everything and everything in its place. That applies to studying, too.
Lying in bed with your notebook is considered a distraction, as is being in the living room with your laptop while others are doing their activities.
You need an isolated place when you decide to focus on your homework. Make it feel comfortable, keep it organized, keep it clean, and consider putting up some motivational posters or positive affirmations .
3. Avoid heavy meals
It’s not advisable to have a big meal beforehand. Big meals can ruin your focus and make you feel sluggish and lazy because it takes a big amount of time and energy for your body to digest. A snack is okay.
There are also some foods , though, that are just plain bad for your productivity. For example, soda, candy, and fried foods are all full of sugar and have no nutritional value. They make your insulin spike up, but then it crashes very fast, which makes you feel depleted of energy.
4. Organize your study notes
Prioritize your work. Keep lists and place the most important items on top. Then work on the items that you should get done first.
It helps to outline what you need to do, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Use colors to highlight the essentials .
This makes it all look much simpler and you’re more likely to actually get started. The brain loves organization and it won’t be so likely to procrastinate when it knows you have a structure set in place.
5. Tell others to stay away
Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day.
If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well.
6. Listen to study music
There are many tracks out there designed to help your mind focus. Whether you use binaural beats or just instrumental music, the right sounds can really help to tune your brain into a productive frequency.
This meditation is also great to listen to; it puts your mind in a clear, concise, and ready-to-take-on-the-world mode:
7. Set deadlines
Even if your teacher has already given you deadlines for each assignment, set new ones yourself at earlier dates.
This helps you build discipline, learn how to focus on studying, and prioritize every day.
8. Take brain breaks
Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different — you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.
You can also use the Superbrain Yoga Technique. In the Superbrain Quest, Jim talks about implementing it during your breaks. It goes as follows:
- Massage the left lobe of your ear with your right hand, and the right one with your left hand
- Inhale and squat down
- Exhale and come back up while continuing massaging your opposite ear with the opposite hand
- Keep going for a few minutes
As your body moves, your brain grooves. — Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest
9. Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
The brain is wired to protect us from danger, and our ancestors needed this function of the psyche to survive. Discomfort is associated with danger, and whenever they felt it, they knew it was time to run away or protect themselves in one way or another.
In today’s world, danger isn’t so imminent. However, discomfort is, and the brain still works to protect us in the same way.
So why not use it to your advantage?
Once you have this mindset shift, you can see the discomfort that comes with doing your homework as fuel for moving forward, from pain to pleasure. So instead of procrastinating and avoiding the discomfort, just use it as motivation to get things done.
And maybe you can even save yourself a fun activity to do later in the day, so you have something to look forward to.
10. Use time blocking
You can use time blocking and set a specific amount of time for parts of your homework that needs to be done. For example, you block 30 minutes of reading, then another 30 minutes of writing down highlights from the text.
This method will give you more structure and support you when you need to focus on school work, as you will have a dedicated structured time to do so.
11. Let go of thoughts that distract you
When you need more concentration, but your thoughts keep getting in the way, here’s a fun visualization exercise you can use:
- Before you start working on your homework, close down your eyes and imagine a flowing river in front of you.
- Now, place every thought on a leaf and let it run down the river while watching it move away from you.
Do this repeatedly for 5-10 minutes and see how your mind becomes clearer, more productive, and more inspired.
12. Reimagine your task
How can you make the process of doing your homework more fun? Is there any way you can think of to make it more exciting and engaging?
As you introduce play and fun into any task, your capacity to stay focused will increase. So just try out different methods to engage more in your homework.
For example, what if you made a trivia quest about your history lesson homework? Or what about riddles to make you remember all the characters from the novel you have to read?
Once you play around with these kinds of games, you might find that focusing on your homework isn’t as boring as you thought it would be.
Unleash the Power of Your Focus
Discovering how to focus on your homework can go beyond schoolwork and actually support you in many other activities you want to do. Concentration is one of the best skills to nurture for your growth.
If you need a little guidance at the beginning of your focusing journey, Mindvalley has it in store for you.
By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can check out sample classes from quests that help you develop better focus and study habits, such as Becoming Focused and Indistractable by Nir Eyal and Superbrain by Jim Kwik. You can also immerse yourself in beautiful sounds and guided meditations designed to improve concentration and help you enter the flow state.
The earlier you start, the greater your journey of self-discovery will be. Welcome in.
— Images generated on Midjourney.
Watch a free masterclass
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Join the foremost expert in memory improvement and brain performance, Jim Kwik, in a free masterclass that will dive into the one skill you will ever need — learning how to learn Enroll for free
Alexandra Tudor
Jim Kwik is a brain coach and a world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance.
Known as the “boy with the broken brain” due to a childhood injury, Jim discovered strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance.
He is now committed, through programs like Mindvalley’s Superbrain and Speed Reading Quest , to helping people improve their memory, learn to speed-read, increase their decision-making skills, and turn on their superbrain.
He has also shared his techniques with Hollywood actors, Fortune 500 companies, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson to reach their highest level of mental performance. He is also one of the most sought-after trainers for top organizations like Harvard University, Nike, Virgin, and GE.
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How to find motivation to do homework
How to find motivation to do homework ? Struggling to motivate yourself to finish homework? You’re not alone! This article has strategies to help you stay motivated and reach goals. Create a positive atmosphere and set realistic expectations . Learn how to motivate yourself and find happiness in studying.
Why is Homework Motivation Important?
Strong Homework Motivation is key for academic success. Parents and teachers must foster the right mindset and goal-setting skills . Create a supportive environment at home and engage students in class through group work and quizzes.
Homework should be viewed as an opportunity , not an obstacle. Incorporate positive reinforcement such as regular study sessions and breaks in between. With work ethic and repetition, success will come with time! Plus, you’ll be able to brag to your parents and teachers.
The benefits of being motivated to do homework
Kicking off the article, motivating oneself for doing homework brings loads of advantages. Productivity increases, thus saving time and creating extra leisure. Plus, understanding becomes easier due to the release of positive hormones.
Apart from good grades, essential life skills are acquired such as setting goals and perseverance. Awards and incentives for excellent performance become attractive too, building character and preparing for future endeavors.
It’s key to have a positive outlook towards schoolwork, rather than seeing it as dull or a chore. This will help to pursue education, rather than just doing it out of obligation.
Evidence shows that completing homework has advantages apart from just following assignments. This could be getting accepted to a university or even a promotion. So, it’s vital to never ignore coursework and work on each learning opportunity.
Not doing your homework is like forgetting your parachute on a skydiving trip.
The consequences of not being motivated to do homework
Procrastination can result in unfortunate consequences for students. Poor grades, missed assignments, and deadline delays cause disappointment and anxiety, leading to a downward spiral of bad academic performance. Not being motivated to do homework can also lead to inconsistent learning outcomes and have a negative effect on career goals. To combat this, setting achievable goals and breaking tasks into smaller steps is essential.
Seeking support, collaborating with peers, keeping a study journal, practicing time management skills, and creating an appropriate learning environment can help boost motivation. Studies have shown that poor academic performance is linked to increased stress levels, leading to anxiety and depression.
Educators should provide conducive learning environments, offer resources such as counseling services, and develop positive relationships with students. Promoting self-reflection and goal-setting activities during student-teacher interactions can effectively support students’ motivation to complete their homework tasks successfully.
Understanding the Challenges: Common Obstacles to Homework Motivation
Homework tasks can seem intimidating for students. Finding motivation is tough. Common roadblocks like distractions, disinterest, and low energy can make students unmotivated to finish their homework. This leads to procrastination, bad grades, and poor academic performance.
To keep motivated for homework, focus on time management, setting goals, and staying focused . Ban distractions for effective studying. Set specific goals for each task; this will help you stay motivated throughout the assignment. Ask teachers or peers for guidance if you struggle.
Emotional distress and cognitive constraints are other obstacles to motivation. Stressful life events can affect schoolwork. Counseling services can help ease the burden.
Pro Tip: Plan rewards after completing homework tasks. This creates a positive feedback loop for future assignments. Without goals, your motivation is lost.
Setting Clear Goals: The First Step to Finding Motivation
To boost motivation for homework, set SMART goals . These should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound . Write them down and keep track of progress. Acknowledge what it would feel like when completed and recognize the reasons behind doing the work.
Incentives are key to increasing overall motivation. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan of Rochester University found that extrinsic motivators such as praise don’t motivate intrinsically. So incentives are important for students to foster intrinsic motivation and achieve success.
Who needs a five-star hotel? Transform your study space into a motivational spa retreat!
Creating a Positive Study Environment: Enhancing Motivation through Space
To boost motivation in building a homework routine, create an ideal study space. It should be uplifting and inspiring. A good study area helps maintain focus, increase productivity, and reduce stress.
Motivational posters and fresh flowers make for an aesthetically pleasing space. Plus, a clean and organized workspace aids concentration and decreases distractions. Clutter causes uneasiness and hinders interest.
Personalize your workspace for comfortability and engagement. Dim lights or soft music can make studying easier.
Pro Tip: Add personal touches or rearrange furniture to shift from boring monotony to an encouraging atmosphere. Need some motivation? Look at your grades and let it spark your enthusiasm!
Finding Your Motivation Triggers: Discovering What Inspires You
Discovering what inspires you is essential to stay motivated and productive when doing homework. Unearth the factors inhibiting motivation. Find Your Inspiration Incentives: Uncover What Revs You Up!
Here are some tips to help you:
- Set clear objectives. Think about why a course was chosen, what interests or people drew attention? Create daily goal checklists for priority tasks.
- Identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Understand learning style via self-assessment surveys. Tailor study approach, don’t use common methods subjectively chosen.
- A fellow student shared their experience of struggling with homework motivation. Various online strategies used without reflecting on suitability. Reflect on psychological needs, tailor rewarding activities. Going for runs to release endorphins, happier moods to work hard! Motivation for homework is like a unicorn, hard to find!
Tips for finding homework motivation
Struggling to find motivation for homework? Here are effective techniques:
- Create a routine . Set aside the same time each day and use it solely to focus on work.
- Break assignments into smaller tasks .
- Find an accountability partner . Share progress with someone who cares.
- Use positive reinforcement . Reward yourself after completing each task.
- Remind yourself of your goals and stay motivated .
- Parents, nagging won’t help . Promise ice cream after they finish!
The role of parents in homework motivation
Parents: to enhance your child’s enthusiasm for homework, motivate them! You have an influential role in boosting motivation. Encouragement, structure and interest in their academic progress can all help.
Set a routine for daily assignments and offer rewards or incentives when they finish on time or get good grades. Use positive reinforcement such as praise instead of criticism.
Each day, ask your child about schoolwork. This promotes diligence and shows education is important to the family.
Show them different ways homework is beneficial. Ask them to contribute ideas on topics they want to learn more about. Create a deeper passion for learning.
Establish healthy routines. Demonstrate enthusiasm for academic mastery, not strictness and punishment. Improve the chances of preventing missing out on future opportunities that higher education offers.
A Call-to-action technique like “fear of being left behind” demands immediate attention from parents to incentivize kids passionately towards successful completion of homework tasks. Teachers can’t always motivate us, but at least they can provide plenty of material for procrastination.
The role of teachers in homework motivation
Teachers have a big part to play in motivating students to do their homework. By offering clear explanations, feedback and a positive classroom environment, they can inspire kids to tackle their assignments with excitement.
Personal help like one-on-one consultations or mentorship can help those who are having trouble, building their confidence and making them view schoolwork more positively.
To make sure learning sticks and to avoid frustration, teachers should use different strategies that suit individual students. For instance, interactive methods such as group conversations or project-based tasks create interesting learning experiences which help with homework beyond just memorizing.
Frequent communication between teachers and parents is also key in holding people accountable and getting parents involved in inspiring their children.
It’s important to take into account that each student is different, and this means adjusting the curriculum to fit varying abilities, as well as social and emotional factors like mental health or external pressures.
Research has shown that parent support is a must for successful student achievements. The National Education Association (NEA) reported that when parents get involved, it can bring many advantages, from an improved school climate and attendance to a higher motivation towards homework.
The role of peers in homework motivation
Peer influence is hugely important for homework motivation. It changes students’ values, attitudes, and behaviors towards their work. Peers can be role models or distractions, depending on the impact.
By watching their friends’ study habits, involvement, and grades, students can become motivated to copy or even exceed these standards. Working together helps share knowledge and get feedback. So, both teachers and peers need to create an environment that encourages learning.
Peer pressure can be a blessing or a curse. Research shows it can cause anxiety and bad performance, if it is negative.
A great example of peer influence in action is high school football players. Poor performers were paired with successful ones. This led to improved grades, thanks to the model behavior and social support from their high-achieving peers.
Managing Distractions: Techniques for Staying Focused on Homework
Maintaining Concentance: Strategies to Keep Your Focus on Coursework.
Stay productive and successful in completing homework by managing distractions. Here are five tactics to help you stay on track:
- Make a work area without interruptions.
- Organize your study materials before starting.
- Set reasonable goals and take breaks when needed.
- Stay away from tech distractions like social media notifications.
- Do the hard stuff first when your mind is sharp.
Good habits and limiting disruptions boost motivation and reduce procrastination. Listen to instrumental music or white noise to stay focused. Self-care is important for concentration.
My friend had ADHD in high school. Medication and other treatments didn’t help. So she got an academic coach. The coach gave her techniques like mindfulness, accountability with peers, and time management. That helped her coursework.
Take a break sometimes. Have ice cream and Netflix. Reset!
Dealing with Homework Burnout: Strategies for Recharging Your Motivation
Feeling burnt out or unmotivated with homework? Combat this! Strategies can help recharge your inspiration. Implement a study schedule that suits your goals, and rest . Break down tough assignments into smaller tasks. This will build momentum and confidence. Incorporate positive affirmations & rewards systems . Utilize these strategies to stay motivated and successful in academics. Recharge your motivation – it’s possible!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is it important to find motivation to do homework?
A: Homework is a crucial part of the learning process as it helps reinforce the lessons taught in class and prepare students for exams.
Q: How can I motivate myself to do homework?
A: Setting goals, breaking tasks into smaller chunks, creating a schedule, and using positive self-talk are effective ways to motivate yourself to do homework.
Q: What if I still can’t find motivation to do homework?
A: Sometimes, it can be difficult to find motivation to do homework. In such cases, talking to a teacher, tutor, or counselor can help identify underlying issues and find solutions that work for you.
Q: How can I make homework more enjoyable?
A: Trying different study techniques, incorporating rewards, and studying with friends or classmates can make homework more enjoyable.
Q: What should I do if I am constantly distracted while doing homework?
A: It’s important to identify distractions and remove them as much as possible. This can include turning off electronic devices, finding a quiet study space, and taking periodic breaks.
Q: How can I avoid procrastinating when it comes to homework?
A: Procrastination can be avoided by setting deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller portions, avoiding multitasking, and prioritizing your work.
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To find the motivation to do your homework, give yourself small rewards after you accomplish a goal, like a 5 minute video after finishing a reading assignment. For larger accomplishments, like completing an important paper, give yourself a bigger reward, like going out for pizza with friends.
Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation. The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high. 1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.
When you have mountains of homework and studying ahead, getting started can seem like an impossible task. We’ll teach you how to get into the right frame of mind before you start studying and shake yourself out of a motivation slump.
The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling.
How to Stay Motivated in Class, to Study & to Do Homework. Download Article. The best tips to help you get motivated and stay focused. Co-authored by Sean Alexander, MS and Eric McClure. Last Updated: October 23, 2024 Fact Checked.
To motivate yourself to do homework, set clear, achievable goals, create a distraction-free study space, and establish a regular routine. Use a timer for focused work sessions, reward yourself after completing tasks, and maintain a positive mindset. Remember to take care of your health and seek help if needed.
How do you learn how to focus on homework when there are so many distractions and you’re not in the mood? Here are some tips for better study habits.
Learn how to get motivated to do school work. Explore tips and techniques for doing homework and discover ways to avoid procrastination and distraction.
Struggling to motivate yourself to finish homework? You’re not alone! This article has strategies to help you stay motivated and reach goals. Create a positive atmosphere and set realistic expectations. Learn how to motivate yourself and find happiness in studying. Why is Homework Motivation Important? Strong Homework Motivation is key for ...
eating. stress due to getting stuck, boredom, actual hunger (in rare cases) Eat something 5-10 minutes before starting your homework session. Pound ~20oz of water with it, and now you’ve eliminated the “hunger” excuse. See Section 4 on mitigating the stress of getting stuck on the homework problems themselves. chores.