Students often complain about having too much homework in college, and the excuses for why they don’t get done on time range from a faulty printer to a downed Wi-fi connection.
The thing is, every time you’re assigned a task with a deadline, your ability to manage time gets tested. It can take on many forms, but the endgame is that you didn’t get your homework done because you prioritised other things. It could be that another task is more important, more appealing, or simply easier to do. Ultimately, homework is set aside until suddenly, there’s too much to do in so little time.
Nowadays, you have the convenient option to pay someone to do your homework but if money is tight and you’re aiming for a more long-term solution, then you need to make some changes to your study habits. Luckily, it’s never too late to learn and improve your time management skills. Especially when you’re in college.
Procrastination can be a pain in the bum, but with the following tips and tricks, you can overcome it each time you feel you have too much homework to finish.
Photo, Steinar Engeland.
Accept It
For many students, doing homework can be a chore. Unless you make some changes to your study habits, that tedious feeling is here to stay. Keeping this in mind, you need to adopt a positive “get it done” attitude. If you accept that your homework needs to be done (instead of thinking about the consequences of not doing it), it’s easier to decide when and how to do it.
Think of this as your starting point. When there’s plenty of work to be done, you need to accept responsibility to see it through to the end. It’s yours to do and yours alone.
Photo, NeONBRAND.
Manage Your Time Effectively
To avoid college burnout, you need to improve your time management skills. Plan ahead by plotting out the time you need to finish your home. Doing so makes a seemingly daunting task much less stressful to approach.
— Set some time each day to finish your homework. See to it that you know your daily class schedule, and then choose a time that’s conducive to working on assignments. This could be early in the morning before your first class or during breaks between classes.
— Plot out your tasks using a school planner or calendar app. Take note of important dates and deadlines, as well as upcoming exams. This way, you can have a bird’s eye view of the things you need to work towards. Websites like PrepAway can be a valuable resource to help you prepare for exams by offering real questions and answers from past tests. This way, you can have a bird’s eye view of the things you need to work towards.
— Set realistic goals. To avoid a meltdown, you need to give yourself enough time to finish each task. Estimate how long you think it will take to complete homework, and set aside more time for bigger and more complex assignments.
Photo, Daniel Chekalov.
Create Your Own Workspace
Not all college students have a place to work. But if you do, how can you put it to optimum use?
Whether it’s a couch, a kitchen table, or a place in your dorm room, you can do more homework if you’ve got a spot that you can use regularly. If you have a messy desk, now’s the right time to tidy up.
During homework time, make sure to have everything you need well within your reach. It’s also important to develop a habit of putting things back after using them, to avoid unnecessary clutter.
Photo, Annie Spratt.
Keep Distractions at Bay
When it’s homework time, you need to give it your full attention. Friends, gadgets, and social media will inevitably stretch out the time you could have spent finishing homework. Set them aside for later once all the work is done. The less distractions, the quicker you can complete your tasks.
Get Some R & R
Proper time management can do wonders and makes work more efficient and less strenuous. However, it’s just as important to give yourself some ‘me’ time. In fact, you’ll be more productive if you’re feeling invigorated after spending some time doing things you enjoy.
This could be anything, like going for a walk or jogging, hanging out with friends, or watching your favourite Netflix series. Whatever it may be, you need to create a balance between studying and doing the things you love. A healthy and happy mind results in better study habits.
Photo, DESIGNECOLOGIST.
Avoid Being a Perfectionist
The Pareto Principle or the 80-20 Rule, is a well-known aphorism that’s usually adapted to business management. However, college students can also incorporate it into their study routines.
The idea here is that 80% of results come from 20% of your efforts. When you’re working on an assignment or project, do you try to make everything perfect? As a student, nobody’s expecting you to be perfect. After all, you’re in school because you want to learn and get better. Being in college is a work in progress.
Think about it. What may feel like “too much homework” could actually be you trying to achieve perfection in your assignments. For example, speed reading is an acquired skill and it’s highly encouraged in the academic setting. After all, textbooks aren’t literary works where every sentence means something. Therefore, you can probably get away with just skimming or even skipping entire paragraphs. And anyway, the last paragraph is almost always just a recap of what you’ve read.
The truth is that a lot of schools curve their grades. In this case, being able to deliver 80% of your expected outcome, could be a solid 100% in class.
Photo, Tran Mau Tri Tam.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Naturally, it’s easy to suffer from sleep deprivation when you’re stressed out over finishing all your homework. According to research, young adults need at least 7 or more hours of sleep a night. Getting plenty of rest greatly improves your focus, memory, creativity, and decision-making ability – all of which are important in and out of college.
Once you learn to handle homework stress, you can get more out of assignments, while also developing better and healthier learning habits. By following the tips above, you can tackle any amount of homework with more confidence and less frustration.
