How to Focus on Homework
Write down all of your assignments in your notebook or planner., Prioritize your assignments., Plan your time., Choose a study area with good lighting., Pick an area that has a table or desk., Make sure your study space is free of distractions...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write down all of your assignments in your notebook or planner.
This way you will have a list of what you need to complete.Before leaving school, make sure you understand the assignment.
Ask your teacher for clarification about what you are supposed to do, when the assignment is due, and how it will be graded.
Ask how long each assignment should take, so you can plan to budget your time. -
Step 2: Prioritize your assignments.
Tasks which are worth a higher percentage of your grade or that are more challenging should be completed first.Look at your assignment list.
Rank each assignment in terms of importance.
Plan out how much time you need to spend on your homework for the evening.
Decide in what order you will complete your assignments. , Most students have between 1 to 3 hours of homework every evening and often finish their homework when they get home.
If you have after-school activities in the late afternoon, you will need to set aside a different time.
Plan to sit down and start your homework at a specific time.
Budget enough time for each assignment.
Plan to take a 5 minute break between major assignments.
Most people can't concentrate for hours and hours on end. , You will need to be able to see well and well lit places will be best for concentration.
A brightly lit room with a window (open the window for fresh air) Have any homework supplies set aside in a bin or basket in this area.
Things like pens, pencils, paper etc. should be readily accessible.
Dimly lit rooms are not good choices for a homework area.
Without good lighting you are likely to be tempted to fall asleep or have a wandering focus. , It doesn't have to be very large, but just big enough for your computer and study materials.Make sure you have a good, supportive chair to sit on.
Avoid sitting on a bed or soft sofa.
These are not ideal surfaces to work on.
Make sure your chair doesn't hurt your back or shoulders when you sit for long periods. , You should avoid any room that has a TV, other people making noise, electronics, phones, or other noises.
Turn off any social media before you sit down to work in your study area.
Make sure you can't hear or see TVs.
Turn off your cell phone.
If you need a computer to work, close any other open applications or tabs on the computer.
Avoid working in an area where other people are likely to be making noise, like a living room or kitchen.
You can play music in the background if it will help to drown out other annoying noises that will distract you.
Stick to something neutral like classical music so you aren't tempted to listen too closely.
Try not to use music with lyrics. , You will be less tempted to leave your space to get these items if you already have them at hand.Having a snack with you can help you avoid distraction from being hungry.
Keep your snacks light and healthy.
Junk food is not a good choice when you are studying or doing homework.
Keep a bottle or glass of water with you in case you get thirsty. , You won't want any of these to distract you.Log out of any social networks such as Snapchat, Tumblr, or Instagram.
Turn off any instant messengers on your phone.
Turn off your computer, unless you need it for your homework.
Keep your cell phone turned off or in another room when you work. , They will help to make sure they don't distract you.If you have younger siblings, ask your parents to make sure they don't bother you as you do your work.
Make sure you tell them how long you plan on working.
Keep your parents informed on what your assignments are and if you are struggling in a particular subject. , Most people have a time of day that works best.If you are tired and distracted late in the evening or right after dinner, that might not be the best time to work.
You may have to experiment with this by trying different times to see when you concentrate best.
Many students find that if they take a short break when they get home from school and then start working in the late afternoon, they can complete their work early before they are too tired or distracted.
Work in 30 minute to 1 hour intervals.
You will need to take a couple of minutes as a break in between assignments to avoid distraction. , Review each assignment and see if you need to make any adjustments to the time or order of assignments.You should complete the most difficult tasks first.
You are more likely to concentrate well at first, with your attention wandering towards the end of your homework time.
Later, when you are more tired, you can do easier assignments.
Keep your homework list accessible while you are working. , Make sure it is not someone who will distract you from finishing your assignment.Everyone gets stuck from time to time on a difficult problem or task when they are doing homework.
Calling a classmate briefly or asking someone for help can assist you in avoiding becoming frustrated.
When you are frustrated, it is more likely that you will become distracted and procrastinate on your homework. , This will help you feel accomplished.This will help you visualize where you are in terms of how much work you need to get done.
It will help you budget your time as you work.
If an assignment took longer than expected, you can adjust your time as you go.
Make sure you do the assignments in the order you have decided.
Don't be tempted to do something easy right away, as you will need to devote better concentration to harder assignments. -
Step 3: Plan your time.
-
Step 4: Choose a study area with good lighting.
-
Step 5: Pick an area that has a table or desk.
-
Step 6: Make sure your study space is free of distractions.
-
Step 7: Bring a snack and drink with you into your study space.
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Step 8: Turn off any electronics.
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Step 9: Tell your family you are working.
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Step 10: Choose to work at time when you will focus best.
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Step 11: Look at your homework plan.
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Step 12: Ask an adult or classmate for help if you get stuck.
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Step 13: Cross off your assignments as you complete them.
Detailed Guide
This way you will have a list of what you need to complete.Before leaving school, make sure you understand the assignment.
Ask your teacher for clarification about what you are supposed to do, when the assignment is due, and how it will be graded.
Ask how long each assignment should take, so you can plan to budget your time.
Tasks which are worth a higher percentage of your grade or that are more challenging should be completed first.Look at your assignment list.
Rank each assignment in terms of importance.
Plan out how much time you need to spend on your homework for the evening.
Decide in what order you will complete your assignments. , Most students have between 1 to 3 hours of homework every evening and often finish their homework when they get home.
If you have after-school activities in the late afternoon, you will need to set aside a different time.
Plan to sit down and start your homework at a specific time.
Budget enough time for each assignment.
Plan to take a 5 minute break between major assignments.
Most people can't concentrate for hours and hours on end. , You will need to be able to see well and well lit places will be best for concentration.
A brightly lit room with a window (open the window for fresh air) Have any homework supplies set aside in a bin or basket in this area.
Things like pens, pencils, paper etc. should be readily accessible.
Dimly lit rooms are not good choices for a homework area.
Without good lighting you are likely to be tempted to fall asleep or have a wandering focus. , It doesn't have to be very large, but just big enough for your computer and study materials.Make sure you have a good, supportive chair to sit on.
Avoid sitting on a bed or soft sofa.
These are not ideal surfaces to work on.
Make sure your chair doesn't hurt your back or shoulders when you sit for long periods. , You should avoid any room that has a TV, other people making noise, electronics, phones, or other noises.
Turn off any social media before you sit down to work in your study area.
Make sure you can't hear or see TVs.
Turn off your cell phone.
If you need a computer to work, close any other open applications or tabs on the computer.
Avoid working in an area where other people are likely to be making noise, like a living room or kitchen.
You can play music in the background if it will help to drown out other annoying noises that will distract you.
Stick to something neutral like classical music so you aren't tempted to listen too closely.
Try not to use music with lyrics. , You will be less tempted to leave your space to get these items if you already have them at hand.Having a snack with you can help you avoid distraction from being hungry.
Keep your snacks light and healthy.
Junk food is not a good choice when you are studying or doing homework.
Keep a bottle or glass of water with you in case you get thirsty. , You won't want any of these to distract you.Log out of any social networks such as Snapchat, Tumblr, or Instagram.
Turn off any instant messengers on your phone.
Turn off your computer, unless you need it for your homework.
Keep your cell phone turned off or in another room when you work. , They will help to make sure they don't distract you.If you have younger siblings, ask your parents to make sure they don't bother you as you do your work.
Make sure you tell them how long you plan on working.
Keep your parents informed on what your assignments are and if you are struggling in a particular subject. , Most people have a time of day that works best.If you are tired and distracted late in the evening or right after dinner, that might not be the best time to work.
You may have to experiment with this by trying different times to see when you concentrate best.
Many students find that if they take a short break when they get home from school and then start working in the late afternoon, they can complete their work early before they are too tired or distracted.
Work in 30 minute to 1 hour intervals.
You will need to take a couple of minutes as a break in between assignments to avoid distraction. , Review each assignment and see if you need to make any adjustments to the time or order of assignments.You should complete the most difficult tasks first.
You are more likely to concentrate well at first, with your attention wandering towards the end of your homework time.
Later, when you are more tired, you can do easier assignments.
Keep your homework list accessible while you are working. , Make sure it is not someone who will distract you from finishing your assignment.Everyone gets stuck from time to time on a difficult problem or task when they are doing homework.
Calling a classmate briefly or asking someone for help can assist you in avoiding becoming frustrated.
When you are frustrated, it is more likely that you will become distracted and procrastinate on your homework. , This will help you feel accomplished.This will help you visualize where you are in terms of how much work you need to get done.
It will help you budget your time as you work.
If an assignment took longer than expected, you can adjust your time as you go.
Make sure you do the assignments in the order you have decided.
Don't be tempted to do something easy right away, as you will need to devote better concentration to harder assignments.
About the Author
David Pierce
Specializes in breaking down complex creative arts topics into simple steps.
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