How To-41: "How to Find Motivation to do Homework"

How to Find Motivation to do Homework

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Few students like to do homework and everyone seems to put it off. It is easy to say that you will do it 'later'; and yet, when 'later' comes, you still do not want to do it. But, it has to be done! It is better done earlier than later.

Steps

1. Plan ahead. If you have a study hall, do as much of it there as possible. The more you do when you are in class, the less you will have to do at home. Try to do it in class if time is provided and at lunch, or any other spare time you might have.
   
2. Get motivated. Promise yourself a reward for finishing the dreadful homework, such as an activity you enjoy or anything that you would find enjoyable and doable after you finish. Don't use food as a reward, however! Save a special magazine to read when homework is done or make plans to talk with a friend on the phone as soon as both of you have completed your assignments. Also take advantage of any holidays or vacations that may be coming near. On a Thursday, remind yourself that it is almost the weekend. Remind yourself that Thanksgiving, winter break, or summer break is nearing.
   
3. Break it up. Take regular breaks. Set a timer; take at most 10 minutes of break for each hour you study. A fried brain absorbs little information. Get up, stretch, and move around...and reward yourself for what you've accomplished so far.
   
4. Think of the consequences. What will happen if you don't do your homework? You'll get a bad grade? Your teacher will be disappointed in you? If none of these things seem to apply to you, remember that homework is to help you learn, which everyone ultimately wants. In the real world, knowledge helps you master the rules of the game...and if you don't know the rules, then you just lost the game. If Knowledge is Power...Ignorance is minimum wage.
   
5. Find a place with less distraction. Set up your special study place. No friends, television, or other potential distractions should be present. Your homework place should also have a hard surface, like a table, to write on. If you need to do most or all of your homework on a computer (as many high school students do) make sure to avoid chat programs, unrelated websites, etc. If you have difficulty keeping focused (or awake), consider doing your homework at the library, at a table with some amount of foot traffic passing by it. The quiet atmosphere will help you focus, the surrounding mild activity will help keep you from falling asleep, and if you get stuck, there are those helpful librarians and references.
   
6. Get the work done, savor your reward. Don't cut it short or change the plan. Take as much enjoyment from your reward as possible.
   

Video

Tips

• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Many classes are full of note memorization, which is best handled by starting small study sessions early and repeating often. Flash cards (written, or on your PDA, or online—there are several good online flash card sites, with many flash card sets already written for you), or flash sheets can be helpful.
  
• Use your spare time at school, and while riding the bus to begin your homework. Do the rest of your homework right after arriving at home. You are still in the school learning mode, and it will be easier to remember all you have learned. Then, you will have the rest of the day and evening free, without having to even think of school, until the next day.
  
• Don't get really stressed about not being able to do homework. There's plenty of help around - the internet, parents, friends etc. If all else fails you can go into school early and ask your teacher to explain the work for you.
  
• If you really don't want to do your homework, then just get everything ready to do your homework: paper, pencil, textbook, and maybe a cup of tea. Then sit down and open the book to the page you need to read. Then read the first paragraph. Usually by then you will feel that you can write the first sentence. Break it down into little bites.
  
• Studies show that during sleep, the brain tends to hold the memories you have right before you go to sleep. Therefore, if you have to memorize something, try to learn it just before you go to sleep. That does not mean you can cram 100 vocabulary words right before you go to sleep; memorize some during the day so that right before sleep you can review most or all of them.
  
• If the homework is going to take a long time (2+ hours) take a 15-minute break every hour. On the break, do not start your reward or anything else that you might be tempted to use as an excuse to not go back to your homework.
  
• Do the hardest work first. This means the more you do it, the easier it gets.
  
• Do your homework on a table or desk, but never try to work on the couch or in your bed. You will get bored, and the bed is so soft, and you'll fall asleep...
  
• Music may often help you concentrate; though try to avoid music with lyrics or very complex melodic progressions, as they may cause you to think more about the music than your homework. Certain classical music and some jazz are good for listening to while doing homework. Trance is the best style of music for studying; many people find studying to trace music very easily because most trance music is pure instrumental and lacks detail.
  
• If there is something you don't understand, write down what the specific question, or mark the page in your book. Then you can ask your teacher for help. If you just go to your teacher and say, "I didn't understand the homework so I couldn't finish it," it will be difficult for her/him to help you if you can't be specific about what was actually hindering you.
  
• It's easier to recall something if you remembered it under a similar environment (known as state-dependent learning). That's why it is important to study at a table and with proper lighting instead of reading on your bed, for example.
  
• If you are an extreme procrastinator, you might try some "structured procrastination". As the suggestion above says, do the easy homework before doing the hard homework, however not just to give yourself a sense of accomplishment, but also to avoid doing the big stuff. When it comes to the big stuff, find another larger task (like annoying chores) to put off in order to do the big homework. While in the long run this method is not productive (eventually you will have some really big things that you keep putting off for smaller ones), it can be more satisfying/effective for a hardened procrastinator.
  
• Some people use 'study drugs' (such as dextroamphetamine) in order to stay awake, and stay focused. While this is an effective way to avoid sleep, be aware that using drugs in this manner may cause unwanted side effects (such as mild depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.), and is likely illegal. Since psychotropic drugs work differently for different people, this may or may not be an effective way to study. If you have a good doctor, talk to him about your pharmacological options.
  
• Also, think about the better grades you might get if you do your homework consistently.
  
• While doing your homework try not to use a pen in case you need to erase, a pencil would always be recommended for homework.
  
• Make sure you get a good nights sleep the night before. you will be able to work better if you are not tired.
  

Warnings

• Don't get distracted! It's not always easy, but try to stay focused.
  
• If you do homework with a friend, it's easy to get off subject and not do work in time. Of course, it's perfectly fine to be part of a study group if you know you can all focus.
  
• Don't get really worried! It's only homework. Next week you'll be wondering 'why ever did I get so worked up about it?' Think about a few years into the future, after all your exams when you won't ever have to do homework again! Aaah that'll be the day...
  
• Don't get frustrated. If you are having trouble getting through a certain assignment and it takes a long time, temporarily switch to another assignment.
  
• If you can help it, don't go to bed. What will happen is that you'll say, "Oh I'll get up early the next morning to finish it." Then, you either don't get up early enough, or you do, and you're totally worn out for the rest of the day.
  
• If you choose to listen to music, be aware that studies show you perform best on a test when the conditions (light, noise, etc.) are the closest to the conditions you studied with (known as state-dependent learning). So if you can't listen to music during a test, it may actually be better to study in quiet.
  

Things You'll Need

• Calculator
  
• Pen/Pencil
  
• Notebook Paper
  
• Books
  
• Homework assignment
  
• Quiet Workplace/Desk
  
• Timer
  

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