Homework is an absolute necessity when you are an engineering student, but it’s not easy to complete all your challenging tasks on time if you live on a full schedule. No wonder that many students often feel overwhelmed and even start thinking about someone whom they can ask, “Do my assignment.”
But there is no need to panic if you find it hard to balance your busy schedule because we’ve got some homework hacks that can help you cope with your assignments faster.
Plan in Advance
It’s important to be strategic in your approach. Create a list of all tasks in all classes that must be done during each day. Then think about how much time you will need to complete each of them. Be realistic in your estimates. Write down the period of time you’ll need for every assignment and stick to it as you work. You may even make a schedule for the entire week and plan your time ahead.
A good idea is to start doing your homework from the toughest assignment. When you complete it, it will increase your motivation, and it will be easier for you to handle other tasks. When you finish each task, you should cross it out from your list.
Prepare a Dedicated Study Area
But before you start working, you should prepare everything you may need to study effectively and avoid distractions. It would be a mistake to do your homework in a living room. Find a dedicated quiet place in your home when nothing and no one can disturb you. You should also prepare all supplies:
- Textbooks
- A laptop
- Lecture notes
- Pens and pencils
- Paper
- A calculator, etc.
You have already made a list of your tasks, so it’s easy to figure out what you may need to complete them. If you prepare all supplies, you’ll be able to focus on your assignments and work more productively.
Eliminate Distractions
It’s common for students to check their smartphones for messages from their friends and look through social media as they do their homework. If you behave like that, it breaks your focus, and you waste a lot of time when trying to get back to work.
So the best approach is to unplug. Turn off your phone and tablet or just leave them in another room. You can use them during breaks.
Avoid Multitasking
When you work on your college homework, you should focus on a single task at a time. The research revealed that the human brain is not designed for multitasking, and if you try to use this approach, you’ll be less productive because our brain needs time to switch between different tasks. Besides, you will be more likely to make mistakes, and it will be more difficult to retain information. So you shouldn’t try to divide your attention into several tasks at the same time and focus on each of them separately. This way, you’ll accomplish more.
Take Short Breaks
Short breaks during your work help your brain process and retain information. It’s just impossible to work productively for many hours – your brain needs rest. It’s best to schedule regular breaks after a certain period of time even if haven’t finished a long paper. Take a short break of 5-10 minutes, and you’ll feel more energized. If you have to work in long study sessions when preparing for a test, a good idea is to use the Pomodoro technique that will help you learn more and feel less tired.
Reward Yourself
This tip is based on psychology. The theory of operant conditioning suggests that people learn through reward and punishment. When we do something and get a positive outcome, we are more likely to repeat that activity. So you should reward yourself after you feel you have achieved your goal.
When you completed a challenging project well or passed that complex test, reward yourself for working hard – watch your favorite movie, go out with your friends, go shopping, have a session in the gym. It should be something that you really enjoy doing. Numerous studies reveal that we are more likely to study hard if we feel good about it. Creating your own reward system will help you stay motivated and complete your homework faster.
