It’s no secret that everyone hates having homework, and studying feels more like a boring chore than a helpful tool for tests. However, it doesn’t have to feel so burdensome. With the help of some of these tips and tricks, you can be a learning wiz and knock out your work in record time!
(Note: every person is different, and not every technique works with everybody. Take these with a grain of salt and feel free to modify any of these to your liking.)
Studying
Word Association: Word association is when you see or hear one thing (ex. ‘desert’) and you instantly think of another thing, oftentimes related to it in some way (ex. ‘camels’). This can help you remember certain vocabulary or fun facts that are otherwise difficult to recall. This can be especially helpful with language classes, as the words don’t always look or sound the same as the translation. Though you might have to get a little creative from time to time.
Example: Biblioteca = library. ‘Biblio’ kinda sounds like ‘Bible’, which is a book, which is found in a library.
Flashcards: This is especially helpful for vocabulary. First you write all of the vocabulary (or whatever you are studying) on one side of the card, and the definition/the answer on the back of the card. The goal is to try to get the answer without looking at the answer on the back. After a few times of shifting through the cards, words will begin to fall into place and those words and phrases become a no-brainer!
Writing down notes: Though it sounds boring and obvious, writing down or typing down your notes as opposed to skimming through the answers or taking a photo can help you remember it. Especially if the things you’re writing down are phrased the same way on your tests. The more times you write it down, the easier it will be, as the muscle memory kicks in.
Homework
Splitting up work: Do you have an entire essay as homework? Or a worksheet with a ridiculous amount of questions? Or are you just vastly overwhelmed with your work? Try splitting it up into smaller amounts of work, and reward yourself when you get it done. This makes the workload seem not as scary, and biting it off in small chunks makes it a lot more manageable
Example: every 5 questions, take a 5-minute phone break.
Grab a buddy: Maybe you have friends in the same class as you, or just have a buddy with a similar class. Try calling them or meeting up with them to help you along the way. They can give you tips and nudge you in the right direction, as well as boost morale and make doing the work more fun!
Knock it out early: Use periods such as lunch, and times where you finish your class period early, to knock out bits of homework ahead of time. This gives you less work to do by the time you get home and makes it easier for you to get it done.
Extended dates: If something is preventing you from getting your work done in a timely manner (be it extracurriculars/sports, chores, family business, or just your own head) a lot of the time, you can ask your teacher for an extra day or 2 on homework. Though not every teacher will do this, it never hurts to ask!
General
TAKE BREAKS!!! It’s natural to want to speedrun your homework and knock it out in one go and sit at your desk for hours and refuse to give yourself a break. If you constantly are crunching yourself like that can easily lead you to getting exhausted and burned out. Then you’ll end up not even remembering what you’re learning anyways. Even though you want to work, it’s best to give yourself a little break here and there and allow yourself to unwind. Set a timer if you need to to remind yourself to cool down.
Change of scenery: Sometimes you just have to get out of the house to help you focus. Whether it’s too stuffy, too loud, or just getting boring. There are a multitude of spots you can go to to spice things up a little. Some of these spots include: a bench at the park, a table at the library, a cafe or diner, a friend’s house, or even just a different room in your home!
Get organized: Work can seem a lot more scary and hard if the papers are scattered all over your desk and your chromebook is open to 15 different tabs. However, with a little organization, it can appear a lot less scary and easy when it’s nice and neat and organized.
At the end of the day, nobody likes to study or do homework. However, with the help of some of these tips and tricks, it can definitely be a lot less stressful.