doing homework is a student's daily routine

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How to Make a Better Homework Schedule for Your Family

Verywell / Zackary Angeline

Why Homework Schedules Are Effective

• Developing a Schedule

Other Considerations

Do you frequently have homework struggles with your child or teen? Or, does your student procrastinate doing their work? Maybe they even fail to turn in assignments. If any of these scenarios resonate with you, a better homework schedule may help.

A regular homework schedule establishes predictable times when homework is to be completed. Once the homework schedule has been in place for a few weeks, you may even find your child will begin doing their homework without needing to be reminded—although you may still need to monitor their work progress.

If you're struggling with homework completion in your household, or if you're having daily battles about allotting the appropriate amount of time to homework, you're not alone. That's why educators recommend developing a homework schedule—with input from your kids.

Once you set a homework schedule, then there are no questions about when the work will be done. It also communicates clear expectations; having a homework schedule helps kids understand what is required of them. And following the schedule encourages them to develop a good work ethic.

Schedules also help prevent procrastination and instill good habits like completing work on time. Homework routines also improve study skills and encourage kids to plan ahead.

Other benefits include developing your child's work ethic and organizational abilities. By helping your child complete their work at regular intervals, you are modeling how to manage time and projects in the future. When you send them off to college , they will know how to pace their work so they can avoid all-nighters at the end of the semester.

How to Develop a Homework Schedule

To develop a homework schedule, start by talking with your kids. Get their input on how they would like to manage their time and incorporate their homework into their daily routine. A successful homework schedule allows kids to finish their work and also have some free time.

Give Kids an Option

If you ask kids when they want to do their homework, their first answer might be "Never" or "Later." But if you dig a little deeper, your child may tell you what matters to them as they plan their schedule. This information will help you avoid scheduling homework during their favorite television program or when they usually get online to play games with friends.

When you include your child in the decision-making process, you also will get more buy-in from them because they know that their concerns were heard. You don't have to give them their way, but at least considering what they have to say will let them feel included. After all, this homework schedule is about them completing their homework.

Allow for Free Time

Some kids can step through the front door and buckle down on their homework right away. When this happens, they reap the reward of getting their work done early and having the rest of the evening to do what they want. But most kids need to eat and decompress a bit before tackling their assignments.

As you develop your homework schedule, keep in mind your child has already spent at least six hours in class. And this time doesn't include getting to and from school or participation in extracurricular programs . Allow kids some free time before beginning their homework if that's what they need to unwind.

Establish a Timeline

Generally, you can expect about 10 minutes of homework per grade level of school. This means that a third-grade student will need about 30 minutes to complete homework. However, the amount of time needed can vary dramatically between students, teachers, and schools.

Find out how much time your child's teacher expects homework to take each evening. If your child takes a lot of time to complete their work or struggles with homework , talk with the teacher. Your child may need extra instruction on a task or tutoring assistance—or fewer homework assignments.

Pick a Homework Spot

Designate a comfortable and efficient spot for your kids to do their homework. This workspace should be well-lit, stocked with supplies , and quiet. The workspace should allow you to provide some supervision. 

If you have multiple kids trying to complete their homework at one time, you may want to find a separate location for each child. Sometimes kids can complete their homework together at the kitchen table, but other times having siblings around can be distracting. Do what works best for your family.

Put It All Together

Now that you know what your child's needs and concerns are for finding a time to do homework, you need to come up with the actual plan. Creating a homework routine is really just one piece of creating a daily school year routine .

For the homework time itself, get it down on paper so you can see exactly what they will be doing and when they will be doing it. Do this for each day of the week if you have different activities on different weekdays. Students who are assigned larger projects will need to review their homework plans regularly to make adjustments as needed.

Expect your child to work consistently throughout the assigned time. Avoid having multiple homework sessions, such as one before dinner and a second one after dinner. Starting and stopping may mean children may spend more time getting into what they are doing than working continuously.

Be Consistent

Once you have decided on a time to do homework, stick to the plan! It usually takes about three weeks for most children to really get into the habit of their new schedule.

If your child or teen has difficulty maintaining concentration for the length of time that their homework should take, then you may want to carefully consider breaking up the work to take advantage of the time when your child can focus.

This added step is especially important for children and teens with depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They may benefit from multiple smaller work sessions and more frequent breaks.

Even though the idea behind creating a homework schedule is to get your child to work consistently and independently, you may need to look over their work when they are done. This is especially important for younger children.

Make sure they understand their assignments and that they completed a reasonable amount of work during the homework session. If you find your child is having trouble actually working during their homework time, troubleshoot to find out what might be the issue. Sometimes kids need extra help and other times they simply need more motivation to get their work done.

If you find that your child continues to struggle with homework even with a schedule in place, you might need to dig a little deeper. Consider discussing your child's issues with their teacher or pediatrician.

Sometimes kids are reluctant to complete their homework because of undiagnosed learning disabilities. It could be that your child struggles with reading comprehension or has a processing disorder. Or it could be that your child is struggling with a mental health issue like anxiety .

A Word From Verywell

Establishing a homework schedule allows children to build some important life skills that will help them as they navigate high school, college, and eventually the workforce. Practice is important when kids are learning new skills. So, having a nightly homework routine enhances your child's learning. Just be sure you aren't requiring homework time at the expense of being a kid. Having time to play is just as important to a child's development as learning new material.

National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder .

By Lisa Linnell-Olsen Lisa Linnell-Olsen has worked as a support staff educator, and is well-versed in issues of education policy and parenting issues.

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Neag School of Education

How to use homework to support student success.

• by: Sandra Chafouleas
• January 13, 2022
• Community Engagement

Editor’s Note: Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Sandra Chafouleas shares insights on supporting students’ homework during the pandemic in the following piece, which originally appeared  in Psychology Today , where she publishes a blog.

COVID has brought many changes in education. What does it mean for homework?

School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.

The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.

Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.

First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.

“ Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.”

Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.

There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.

Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:

Strategies for Educators

Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched..

First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Ensure access to resources for task completion.

One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management, and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.

Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices.

The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self-management. With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.

Strategies for Families

Understand how to be a good helper..

When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.

Use homework as a tool for communication.

Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.

Make sure to balance wellness.

Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Daily Routine For Students: Recommendations And techniques

Daily routine for students is essentially a set of habits and activities that one follows consistently every day. Additionally, effective time management techniques are crucial for tackling long-term projects and assignments. Moreover, consistent routines enable students to cultivate healthy sleep patterns that are vital for cognitive function and overall well-being.

Whether it involves waking up early to review notes before class or dedicating specific blocks of time each day for focused study sessions, implementing a structured routine empowers students to take control of their education journey while still enjoying freedom within those boundaries.

What are Some Recommended Morning Rituals to Kickstart the Day on a Positive Note?

A morning ritual that can contribute to starting the day positively is practicing gratitude. Meditation practice is another effective way to kickstart the day on a positive note. Meditation involves focusing attention inward, observing thoughts without judgment, and cultivating present-moment awareness. Engaging in activities such as morning exercise, gratitude practice, or meditation helps individuals establish healthy habits that support physical and mental health goals. 

What are Some Effective Time Management Techniques for Tackling Long-term Projects and Assignments?

By allocating dedicated time slots for different aspects of the project, students can ensure steady progress without feeling overwhelmed. They help students stay organized by providing features like task tracking, reminders, collaboration options, and progress monitoring.

By utilizing these tools appropriately, students can streamline their workflow and enhance their overall productivity. By implementing time blocking, prioritization techniques, and utilizing productivity tools, students can tackle long-term projects with greater efficiency. These strategies provide structure and clarity while helping individuals make optimal use of their time and resources.

What Is a Daily Routine of a School Student?

The demands of school life can sometimes be overwhelming, leading to feelings of anxiety or burnout. Implementing strategies such as mindfulness exercises, deep breathing techniques, or engaging in hobbies that promote relaxation can help alleviate stress levels. By prioritizing mental well-being alongside academic pursuits, students can develop resilience and better cope with the pressures they encounter throughout their educational journey.

By following a structured daily routine that includes morning exercise, extracurricular activities, and stress management techniques, school students can experience enhanced productivity and overall well-being. Such routines provide them with opportunities to nurture both their physical health and personal growth outside traditional academics. Therefore, it is important for schools to emphasize the importance of incorporating these elements into their students’ schedules as they contribute significantly towards creating an enriching educational experience.

Why Is Having a Daily Routine Important for a Student?

Establishing a well-structured and organized schedule ensures a sense of stability and fosters optimal learning outcomes for school students, enabling them to navigate their educational journey with efficiency and purpose. By establishing regular study times and allocating specific slots for different subjects or tasks, students are better able to concentrate on the task at hand without being distracted by other obligations or temptations.

This focus enables them to absorb information more effectively and retain knowledge over the long term. Additionally, routines provide structure to the learning process by breaking it down into manageable chunks, reducing overwhelm, and enhancing comprehension.

Moreover, routines contribute significantly to student success by promoting habits that lead to improved time management skills. When students follow a regular schedule consistently, they become adept at prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency. They learn how to allocate sufficient time for each activity while avoiding procrastination or last-minute cramming sessions. 

Routines play an instrumental role in shaping the educational journey of school students. By instilling discipline, focus, and effective time management skills, routines enable students to maximize their learning potential while maintaining balance in other aspects of life. The impact of routines on student success is undeniable; they provide stability amidst chaos while fostering optimal learning outcomes that pave the way for future achievements.

Benefits of a Daily Routine

Having a well-structured and organized schedule fosters stability and optimal learning outcomes for school students, enabling them to navigate their educational journey with efficiency and purpose. Firstly, following a routine instills discipline and helps students develop time management skills. By allocating specific time slots for various activities such as studying, attending classes, engaging in extracurricular activities, and taking breaks, students learn to prioritize tasks effectively. It creates a sense of predictability in their lives by establishing regular patterns of behavior. 

This stability is crucial for maintaining focus and reducing stress levels among students. By dedicating specific time to studying different subjects or topics, they can optimize their cognitive abilities during periods when they are most alert or receptive to new information. It offers several benefits such as discipline development, stability provision, and optimization of learning potential. By following an organized schedule consistently, students can experience improved academic performance while simultaneously fostering personal growth in various aspects of life beyond the classroom.

Why is Having a Daily Routine Essential as a Student?

Maintaining discipline is essential for educational progress. A daily routine instills discipline by establishing consistent habits that lead to long-term success. This discipline extends beyond academics and prepares them for future professional endeavors where punctuality and dedication are highly valued traits. Consequently, this increases focus on learning outcomes while freeing up mental energy that can be channeled towards more meaningful pursuits.

By creating an organized schedule that incorporates all necessary tasks within manageable time frames, students can navigate their educational journey efficiently while fostering stability in their lives. Incorporating routines into daily life not only contributes to academic achievement but also equips students with valuable skills that extend beyond the classroom setting into various aspects of life.

How Do Daily Routines Help Students?

Following a set schedule every day, students learn to prioritize their tasks and manage their time effectively. Furthermore, having a daily routine helps students improve their focus. This eliminates the need for constant decision-making and reduces distractions. In addition to developing discipline and improving focus, daily routines also enhance productivity among students.

This organized approach ensures that all necessary tasks are completed efficiently within the given timeframe. Overall, having a daily routine is highly beneficial for students as it helps them develop discipline by prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively. It improves focus by eliminating distractions and allowing students to fully engage in their studies. Additionally, it enhances productivity by providing an organized approach to accomplish all necessary tasks within the allocated time frame. 

Here Know The Best Daily Routines For a Student

This discussion will focus on the best daily routines for students. Another key point is setting daily goals, which help students stay organized and focused on their tasks. Additionally, reviewing chapters before going to school can enhance understanding and retention of the material. Completing homework on time ensures that students stay on top of their assignments and develop good study habits.

Wake Up Early In The Morning

This practice allows them to allocate time for various activities such as exercising, meditating, or planning their schedule, which can greatly contribute to effective time management techniques.

This quiet time offers an opportunity for reflection and goal-setting, allowing students to prioritize tasks and set realistic objectives. Additionally, starting the day early provides a sense of accomplishment as important tasks can be completed before others even begin their day. Incorporating this habit into one’s daily routine also fosters discipline and consistency. By consistently waking up early, students develop a sense of structure and organization in their lives. 

This promotes self-discipline as they learn to resist temptations such as hitting snooze on their alarms or staying up late unnecessarily. Overall, incorporating an early wake-up call into a student’s daily routine brings several advantages including enhanced productivity, improved time management skills, increased focus, and personal growth through self-discipline. It sets an empowering tone for the rest of the day by providing ample time for self-care activities or academic pursuits before external distractions arise.

Setting Daily Goals

Setting goals helps students stay focused and motivated throughout the day. By identifying what needs to be accomplished, students can prioritize their tasks and allocate their time effectively.

One effective method for setting daily goals is through prioritizing tasks. This involves evaluating the urgency and importance of each task and ranking them accordingly. By focusing on high-priority tasks first, students can ensure that they are addressing the most crucial responsibilities before moving on to less pressing ones. In addition to prioritizing tasks, another helpful strategy for goal-setting is time blocking. Time blocking involves allocating specific periods of time for different activities or tasks throughout the day. 

This technique helps students manage their time more efficiently by dedicating uninterrupted periods solely to specific activities. By consciously designating specific times for different responsibilities, students can avoid distractions and make better use of their time. Overall, incorporating goal-setting techniques such as prioritizing tasks and time blocking into a student’s daily routine can greatly enhance productivity and efficiency. By starting the day with clear objectives in mind and effectively managing their time, students are more likely to achieve their academic goals while still having ample opportunities for personal freedom and growth.

Review Chapters Prior to Going to School

Reviewing the material in the morning, students can reinforce what they have learned and ensure that the information stays fresh in their minds. This helps them build a strong foundation of knowledge which can be beneficial when tackling new concepts or participating in class discussions. Reviewing chapters prior to going to school also allows students to identify any gaps or areas of confusion in their understanding. It gives them an opportunity to revisit difficult topics and seek clarification from teachers or peers if needed. 

This practice enhances retention by strengthening memory connections between different concepts. In addition, incorporating reviewing techniques into a morning routine can set a positive tone for the rest of the day. It provides a sense of accomplishment and boosts confidence as students start their day feeling prepared and knowledgeable. Establishing effective study habits early on also helps develop discipline and time management skills that are essential for academic success.

Overall, integrating chapter review into a daily routine equips students with a solid foundation of knowledge, enhances retention, and fosters self-confidence. By starting their day with an engaging review session, students can make the most out of their classroom experiences and effectively navigate through new learning challenges.

Have A Healthy Diet

It helps stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes during class hours. This means that students can maintain sustained focus and productivity without experiencing fluctuations in energy levels. A well-balanced diet supports brain health by providing important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish or nuts. These nutrients have been linked to improved cognitive function and memory retention. For students looking for easy and nutritious meal ideas, there are several options available. A breakfast consisting of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk or yogurt topped with fresh fruits provides a great start to the day. For lunch or snacks, incorporating vegetables like carrots or cucumbers with hummus dip is an excellent choice as it offers both vitamins and fiber.

Incorporating healthy fats like avocados or nuts into meals adds flavor while providing essential nutrients. By adopting healthy eating habits and maintaining a balanced diet, students can enhance their physical well-being while also maximizing their cognitive capabilities during school hours. Incorporating easy and nutritious meal ideas into their daily routines will not only provide the necessary fuel but also contribute to long-term health benefits beyond the classroom setting.

Complete Homework On Time

Transitioning from the previous subtopic of having a healthy diet, it is important for students to also focus on completing their homework on time. Effective time management techniques are essential for maintaining a well-balanced daily routine. By prioritizing homework and dedicating specific time slots to complete assignments, students can ensure that they stay on track academically. Completing homework on time offers numerous benefits to students. By adhering to deadlines and meeting assignment requirements, students cultivate a sense of accountability toward their work. 

This not only prepares them for future professional endeavors but also helps in building strong character traits. Moreover, setting daily goals and following a routine allows students to effectively manage their workload. Incorporating effective time management techniques into one’s daily routine plays a crucial role in completing homework on time. 

Study Maths Multiplication Tables Every Day

Studying maths multiplication tables consistently on a regular basis contributes to the development of strong mathematical skills and problem-solving abilities. By incorporating this study habit into their daily routine, students can improve their mental math capabilities and enhance their overall understanding of mathematics. The repetition and memorization techniques involved in learning multiplication tables provide a solid foundation for tackling more complex mathematical concepts.

Studying multiplication tables regularly helps students develop problem-solving abilities by enhancing their ability to break down complex problems into simpler steps. To make the process of studying multiplication tables more interesting, various techniques can be employed. For instance, using flashcards or online interactive games can engage students in an enjoyable manner while reinforcing their knowledge of times tables. Incorporating the study of maths multiplication tables into a student’s daily routine has numerous benefits. By adopting effective study habits and utilizing engaging memorization techniques, students can develop strong mathematical foundations that will serve them well throughout their academic journey and beyond.

Go to Bed Early

Studies have shown that exercise releases endorphins, which promote feelings of happiness and reduce stress levels. By combining an early bedtime with morning exercise, students can create a positive cycle of healthy habits that contribute to their overall well-being. Engaging in physical activity before starting the school day primes students for better concentration and productivity.

Overall, adhering to an early bedtime routine offers significant advantages for a student’s daily routine. It facilitates adequate restorative sleep which supports optimal brain functioning and improves academic performance. Moreover, it allows students to incorporate morning exercise into their schedule, leading to increased energy levels and enhanced mood throughout the day.By recognizing the benefits of sleep and incorporating it as a priority in their daily routine, students can experience improved well-being both physically and mentally.

In conclusion, establishing a daily routine can greatly benefit students in their academic journey. By incorporating morning rituals that promote positivity and productivity, students can start their day on the right foot. Effective time management techniques are also crucial for handling long-term projects and assignments. Daily routines play a vital role in supporting student success by promoting consistency, focus, and efficiency in their academic endeavors. They provide a roadmap for students to navigate through their responsibilities while maintaining balance in other aspects of life. 

Whether it’s waking up early for some quiet reflection or setting aside dedicated time blocks for studying and completing assignments, a well-designed routine empowers students to make the most out of each day. Embracing a daily routine is an essential tool for any student striving to achieve their goals with confidence and resilience.

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How to Use Homework to Support Student Success

Covid has brought many changes in education. what does it mean for homework.

Posted January 12, 2022 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• Generally, homework should include about 10 minutes per night per grade level.
• The value of homework is debated, with questions about the right amount and potential for inequity.
• Families should view homework as a communication tool, strive to be good helpers, and monitor balance.

School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.

The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.

Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.

First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.

Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.

There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.

Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:

Strategies for Educators

Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched. First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Ensure access to resources for task completion. One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management , and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.

Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices. The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self- management . With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.

Strategies for Families

Understand how to be a good helper. When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.

Use homework as a tool for communication. Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.

Make sure to balance wellness. Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.

Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.

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Strategies to make homework go more smoothly.

Routines and incentive systems to help kids succeed

Writer: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Clinical Expert: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Here is the best guide to helping kids do homework successfully that we’ve seen, published by the National Association of School Psychologists on their website, NASPonline.org . Our thanks to NASP for sharing it with us.

There are two key strategies parents can draw on to reduce homework hassles. The first is to establish clear routines around homework, including when and where homework gets done and setting up daily schedules for homework. The second is to build in rewards or incentives to use with children for whom “good grades” is not a sufficient reward for doing homework.

Homework Routines

Tasks are easiest to accomplish when tied to specific routines. By establishing daily routines for homework completion, you will not only make homework go more smoothly, but you will also be fostering a sense of order your child can apply to later life, including college and work.

Step 1. Find a location in the house where homework will be done. The right location will depend on your child and the culture of your family. Some children do best at a desk in their bedroom. It is a quiet location, away from the hubbub of family noise. Other children become too distracted by the things they keep in their bedroom and do better at a place removed from those distractions, like the dining room table. Some children need to work by themselves. Others need to have parents nearby to help keep them on task and to answer questions when problems arise. Ask your child where the best place is to work. Both you and your child need to discuss pros and cons of different settings to arrive at a mutually agreed upon location.

Step 2. Set up a homework center. Once you and your child have identified a location, fix it up as a home office/homework center. Make sure there is a clear workspace large enough to set out all the materials necessary for completing assignments. Outfit the homework center with the kinds of supplies your child is most likely to need, such as pencils, pens, colored markers, rulers, scissors, a dictionary and thesaurus, graph paper, construction paper, glue and cellophane tape, lined paper, a calculator, spell checker, and, depending on the age and needs of your child, a computer or laptop. If the homework center is a place that will be used for other things (such as the dining room table), then your child can keep the supplies in a portable crate or bin. If possible, the homework center should include a bulletin board that can hold a monthly calendar on which your child can keep track of longterm assignments. Allowing children some leeway in decorating the homework center can help them feel at home there, but you should be careful that it does not become too cluttered with distracting materials.

Step 3. Establish a homework time. Your child should get in the habit of doing homework at the same time every day. The time may vary depending on the individual child. Some children need a break right after school to get some exercise and have a snack. Others need to start homework while they are still in a school mode (i.e., right after school when there is still some momentum left from getting through the day). In general, it may be best to get homework done either before dinner or as early in the evening as the child can tolerate. The later it gets, the more tired the child becomes and the more slowly the homework gets done.

Step 4. Establish a daily homework schedule. In general, at least into middle school, the homework session should begin with your sitting down with your child and drawing up a homework schedule. You should review all the assignments and make sure your child understands them and has all the necessary materials. Ask your child to estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment. Then ask when each assignment will get started. If your child needs help with any assignment , then this should be determined at the beginning so that the start times can take into account parent availability. A Daily Homework Planner is included at the end of this handout and contains a place for identifying when breaks may be taken and what rewards may be earned.

Incentive Systems

Many children who are not motivated by the enjoyment of doing homework are motivated by the high grade they hope to earn as a result of doing a quality job. Thus, the grade is an incentive, motivating the child to do homework with care and in a timely manner. For children who are not motivated by grades, parents will need to look for other rewards to help them get through their nightly chores. Incentive systems fall into two categories: simple and elaborate.

Simple incentive systems. The simplest incentive system is reminding the child of a fun activity to do when homework is done. It may be a favorite television show, a chance to spend some time with a video or computer game, talking on the telephone or instant messaging, or playing a game with a parent. This system of withholding fun things until the drudgery is over is sometimes called Grandma’s Law because grandmothers often use it quite effectively (“First take out the trash, then you can have chocolate chip cookies.”). Having something to look forward to can be a powerful incentive to get the hard work done. When parents remind children of this as they sit down at their desks they may be able to spark the engine that drives the child to stick with the work until it is done.

Elaborate incentive systems. These involve more planning and more work on the part of parents but in some cases are necessary to address more significant homework problems. More complex incentives systems might include a structure for earning points that could be used to “purchase” privileges or rewards or a system that provides greater reward for accomplishing more difficult homework tasks. These systems work best when parents and children together develop them. Giving children input gives them a sense of control and ownership, making the system more likely to succeed. We have found that children are generally realistic in setting goals and deciding on rewards and penalties when they are involved in the decision-making process.

Building in breaks. These are good for the child who cannot quite make it to the end without a small reward en route. When creating the daily homework schedule, it may be useful with these children to identify when they will take their breaks. Some children prefer to take breaks at specific time intervals (every 15 minutes), while others do better when the breaks occur after they finish an activity. If you use this approach, you should discuss with your child how long the breaks will last and what will be done during the breaks (get a snack, call a friend, play one level on a video game). The Daily Homework Planner includes sections where breaks and end-of-homework rewards can be identified.

Building in choice. This can be an effective strategy for parents to use with children who resist homework. Choice can be incorporated into both the order in which the child agrees to complete assignments and the schedule they will follow to get the work done. Building in choice not only helps motivate children but can also reduce power struggles between parents and children.

Developing Incentive Systems

Step 1. Describe the problem behaviors. Parents and children decide which behaviors are causing problems at homework time. For some children putting homework off to the last minute is the problem; for others, it is forgetting materials or neglecting to write down assignments. Still others rush through their work and make careless mistakes, while others dawdle over assignments, taking hours to complete what should take only a few minutes. It is important to be as specific as possible when describing the problem behaviors. The problem behavior should be described as behaviors that can be seen or heard; for instance, complains about h omework or rushes through homework, making many mistakes are better descriptors than has a bad attitude or is lazy.

Step 2. Set a goal. Usually the goal relates directly to the problem behavior. For instance, if not writing down assignments is the problem, the goal might be: “Joe will write down his assignments in his assignment book for every class.”

Step 3. Decide on possible rewards and penalties. Homework incentive systems work best when children have a menu of rewards to choose from, since no single reward will be attractive for long. We recommend a point system in which points can be earned for the goal behaviors and traded in for the reward the child wants to earn. The bigger the reward, the more points the child will need to earn it. The menu should include both larger, more expensive rewards that may take a week or a month to earn and smaller, inexpensive rewards that can be earned daily. It may also be necessary to build penalties into the system. This is usually the loss of a privilege (such as the chance to watch a favorite TV show or the chance to talk on the telephone to a friend).

Once the system is up and running, and if you find your child is earning more penalties than rewards, then the program needs to be revised so that your child can be more successful. Usually when this kind of system fails, we think of it as a design failure rather than the failure of the child to respond to rewards. It may be a good idea if you are having difficulty designing a system that works to consult a specialist, such as a school psychologist or counselor, for assistance.

Step 4. Write a homework contract. The contract should say exactly what the child agrees to do and exactly what the parents’ roles and responsibilities will be. When the contract is in place, it should reduce some of the tension parents and kids often experience around homework. For instance, if part of the contract is that the child will earn a point for not complaining about homework, then if the child does complain, this should not be cause for a battle between parent and child: the child simply does not earn that point. Parents should also be sure to praise their children for following the contract. It will be important for parents to agree to a contract they can live with; that is, avoiding penalties they are either unable or unwilling to impose (e.g., if both parents work and are not at home, they cannot monitor whether a child is beginning homework right after school, so an alternative contract may need to be written).

We have found that it is a rare incentive system that works the first time. Parents should expect to try it out and redesign it to work the kinks out. Eventually, once the child is used to doing the behaviors specified in the contract, the contract can be rewritten to work on another problem behavior. Your child over time may be willing to drop the use of an incentive system altogether. This is often a long-term goal, however, and you should be ready to write a new contract if your child slips back to bad habits once a system is dropped.

Click here to download the homework planner and incentive sheet .

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6 ways to establish a productive homework routine

by: Janine L. Nieroda-Madden | Updated: December 9, 2019

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Homework. Whether you’re a fifth grader or a freshman in college, the mere thought of homework can be overwhelming. And actually doing homework can be quite difficult. But homework doesn’t have to be something your child dreads.

As a former high school English teacher and researcher who specializes in what it takes to make it through college — and a co-author of a forthcoming revised edition of a book about academic success — I’ve studied homework since 2010. Here are six ways I believe homework can be made more manageable and valuable, whether your child is in elementary school, middle school, high school, or graduate school.

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How can I make studying a daily habit?

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Deborah Reed receives funding from the Tennessee Depart of Education (Contract #33101-21217331051AF3) and the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through Grant #R324A220269 to the University of Tennessee. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Tennessee Department of Education, the Institute of Education Sciences, or the U.S. Department of Education.

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How can I make studying a daily habit? – Jesni P., age 15, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Studying – you know you need to do it, but you just can’t seem to make it a habit. Maybe you forget, become distracted or just don’t want to do it.

Understanding what a habit is, and how it forms, can help you figure out how to study on a daily basis.

The habit loop

A habit is a behavior you do regularly or routinely. As a professor who studies how to help students become better readers and writers , I can tell you that research shows habits have a loop : cue, routine, reward.

Let’s say you have a habit of eating a snack after school. When school is about to end, you start to feel hungry. Dismissal is the cue to get your snack.

Eating the snack is the routine. The reward is that it tastes good and your hunger goes away, which reinforces the habit – and makes you want to repeat the loop again the next day.

Here are the things you need to make a studying loop:

• A set time to study every day.
• A cue to start studying.
• An environment that helps you stick to your studying routine.
• A reward for studying.

Setting a time

When you do things at the same time every day, it is easier to remember to do them.

To determine how much time you should set aside each day to study, multiply your grade level by 10 minutes .

That means if you’re in third grade, you would plan to spend about 30 minutes per day studying. This can include the time you spend practicing your reading. If you’re in eighth grade, you would spend 80 minutes per day – that is, one hour and 20 minutes – studying.

Research suggests that two hours is the maximum amount of daily studying time that is beneficial . Spending more time than that on a regular basis can cause stress, anxiety and possibly disturb healthy sleep habits.

So choose a single block of time during the afternoon or evening when you will have the right amount of time to study every day.

There may be days when your assignments do not fill the full block of time that you have set. On those days, you should spend time reviewing material that you’ve already studied; regularly going back over information helps you remember it and think about how to integrate it with the new things you’re learning.

You also can spend those extra minutes reading a book. Studies show a daily habit of reading for 20 minutes will improve your vocabulary, language skills and overall knowledge .

Studying at the same time every day is one cue, but you may need something more concrete when first forming your habit.

This can be a calendar reminder you set on your phone or laptop, or something as simple as a card with the word “study” printed on the front. You can leave the card where you hang up your coat or put down your bag when you get home from school – or on your television or computer screen.

On the back of the card, write the word “studying.” Then keep this side facing up and posted to the back of your computer, on your door, or above your desk while you work.

This will signal to others that they should not disturb you during this time. When you finish studying, return the card to its starting spot so that it’s ready to remind you to study the next day.

Your study environment

To help yourself study, you need a place set up for work and not for doing other things. Do not study on your bed – that’s for sleeping – or in front of the television, or anywhere it’s difficult to hold and use the materials you need. Best option: a table or desk with good lighting.

Your study place should limit distractions. That includes other people’s conversations and all media: TV, video games, social media, texts or music . Research repeatedly has shown the human brain cannot multitask well; people make more mistakes if they try to do two things at the same time , especially when one of those things requires concentration. Bouncing back and forth between two things also means it takes longer to complete the task.

Although you should put away electronic devices when studying, that may not be an option if you need them for homework. If that’s the case, set the “do not disturb” notification on your phone, silence incoming notifications and close all social media and gaming apps.

Gaming, social media and video apps are programmed to make you want to keep checking or playing them . That means you have to replace the bad habit of constantly using them with the good habit of studying for a designated block of time.

That said, after you finish studying, you can give yourself a little gaming or social media time as your reward.

With time, the studying itself will become its own reward. Improving your knowledge and skills will give you a sense of achievement and make you more confident and happier at school. But while forming your study habit, a really fun reward will help you stick with it.

This is especially true if the subject you’re studying is difficult for you. No one likes to do something they think they’re not very good at. However, it’s impossible to get better if you do not practice, and studying is just like practicing a sport, instrument or hobby.

How long it takes

The amount of time it takes to make studying a daily habit can be anywhere from 21 days to a few months , depending upon the person.

To help you stay with it, find a study buddy to form the habit along with you. Ask your family not to interrupt you during study time. And consider using apps to set goals and track your study time so you can watch your habit form and celebrate your progress. The good news: Daily studying gets easier the more you do it.

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October 13, 2022

How to Create a Daily Homework Routine

By Adina Levitt, Instructor

Homework. Often a dreaded task students want to get through as quickly as possible. However, with an intentional and executive function focused approach, homework time can be a more effective and manageable process.

Here are 7 tips students can use to create an effective homework routine:

• Get situated in a quiet, distraction-free space.

As much as students may think otherwise, the human brain does not allow us to multitask well. Removing distractions from the environment provides students with an optimal space where they can fully attend to their work. Encourage them to leave their phone in another room, turn desktop notifications off, close extra tabs, and work in a quiet space with minimal visual distractions to set them up for a successful homework environment.

2. Set a timer.

Our attention spans are finite. As much as a student may think working for 4 hours straight is what they need to do to get that assignment done, our brains need breaks in order to function best. The Pomodoro Technique offers a helpful framework that maximizes productivity and supports executive functions of attention, motivation, decision making, and time management (25 minutes on, 5 minutes off). With an end goal in mind, students can engage in more focused work knowing that a respite is coming.

3. Make an agenda.

It’s homework time, but does your student know where to start? Have them consult their school planner or online school calendar and write down a list of the assignments they want to work on during this homework block. After creating the list, they can assign each task an order of operations. Some factors to consider when prioritizing tasks could be: when it’s due, how many points it’s worth, or the difficulty of the task.

4. Read directions.

Now it’s time to jump in! A thorough approach to doing an assignment involves carefully reading directions to understand expectations. But what does that really mean? Try reading directions aloud, underlining important information, and restating them using different wording. Rubrics also provide helpful guidance on assignment directions; Try turning rubrics into simple checklists to follow while working through a task.

5. Take a break.

When that work timer goes off, it’s time for a well-deserved break. Put 5 minutes on the clock and enjoy! Some break options include a movement break, mindfulness, a music break, or a puzzle break. A walk around the house or a snack break work too! When the timer goes off, set it for another work interval and repeat the timer cycle.

6. Review work.

To avoid careless mistakes, students should review their work by checking that all requirements (found in the directions or in a rubric) were completed. They can read their written responses aloud and redo their math computations as a check. Students can also check in with themselves: “Did I do my best work? Do I feel ready to submit this assignment?”

7. Hit submit.

Students have done amazing work up to this point, now let’s help them get to the finish line! Online assignments need to be submitted (hit that submit button!) and paper assignments need to be placed neatly into backpacks so they make it back to school on time.

BONUS TIP: Once a student has determined a homework routine that works for them, they can create a checklist that serves as a visual reminder and holds them accountable for following each step.

These tips will help students develop an effective homework routine that will strengthen their executive function skills and serve them well throughout their academic career.

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The Time Management Secrets Of 29 Straight-A Students

What does it take to maintain straight A’s at MIT or Harvard?

The students I interviewed gave a wide range of advice and I’m reminded in my own home that there is no one way to achieve productivity and success as a student. My two teenage daughters are both straight-A students, yet they have very different study habits. One listens to music while studying, the other doesn’t. One checks social media as her “reward” for getting a piece of homework done, while the other leaves her phone in a different room to avoid the temptation.

What was most unique in this group of high achievers was how often they talked about social media. Almost everyone mentioned the siren call of Snapchat, Instagram or Facebook, and many suggested specific apps as a way to manage those urges (e.g., SelfControl, StayFocused).

In addition to the familiar advice about using a calendar and being clear on priorities, straight-A students also know how to say no. From having no social life, or limiting friends to study groups, these suggestions—while seemingly extreme—might be the price to pay for excelling at the highest levels in academics. The full advice from the students I interviewed appears below.

ELIZABETH POBLETE  attends Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, AZ. She will be attending the University of Arkansas as an Honors Fellow in the School of Engineering. Her advice:

“The basic principle of time management is as follows: do one thing, and one thing only until it is finished, then move on. This means, put your phone away so texting, Snapchat, Twitter, and Instagram aren't distracting you while doing homework and therefore adding to the time spent doing homework. The most important guideline to time management, especially with homework, is a simple question: “What do I need to complete tonight so when I get to class tomorrow, I’m not kicking myself for not completing an assignment?” Secondly, and almost equally important, “What can I do now so I won’t have to do it on my most busy day, when I have work, practice, volunteering, etc?” Understanding your schedule is essential for time management because there might be days in which there are six hours to do homework after school, and some days when there might only be one or two. Finally, make a schedule. It doesn’t need to be written down or set in stone, but it is important to know that on Mondays, for example, you will get home at a certain time, eat, then do homework for a certain amount of time, then have dinner and relax for the rest of the night.”

CAITLIN HALE  earned her associate degree from Camden County College in 2009 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is now in her third year of medical school at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Her advice:

“Staying focused on schoolwork can be a pretty daunting task, especially with all of the social media apps pinging in the background. I use an app called SelfControl, which lets me set the amount of time and specifically which apps I want to avoid—including Facebook and Instagram. It sounds old school, but what I found to be the most effective way to manage my time was to buy an agenda with a big calendar. I handwrite what topics I need to cover and how long I need to be studying that topic each night. So when I get home from class, I set my SelfControl app for the amount of time I allotted and get to work. Something I find just as important to staying focused is scheduling in some “me time.” I make sure that every night I dedicate at least one hour to myself. Whether that is just watching a television show or going to the gym, it is a key factor in decompressing each day. This was especially important when it came time to study for my first medical licensing board exam. I would have been burnt out within the first few weeks of study boot camp if I hadn't taken the time each day to go for a walk outside or hit the gym. I think this balance is what allows students to succeed in all aspects of their lives.”

ERIK FOGG  is an MIT graduate who earned in only four years a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and 2 minors. He is also the author of the bestseller,  How to Crush College . His advice:

“Start by saving semesters before saving minutes. Clever students–especially those looking for double-majors, minors, etc.–will find that many classes will count towards multiple requirements. Finding and planning for these classes means dramatically reducing the total number of classes needed for the degree you want. Stop working in groups. Seriously; they either waste time or give you the answers so you lose the opportunity to learn. You may in time find one or two study-buddies that will keep you accountable for being on task, and these are great. Give yourself play rewards. Time management is mostly about staying focused–when we're playing a game we like, we're not tempted to be distracted. Knowing that we have a reward coming up, like video games, a show, or social time, is not only motivating, but it gives us a clear light at the end of the tunnel that keeps us from the malaise of feeling like we're trapped in work. Lean on Wikipedia. If you're trying to learn concepts rather than memorize a certain part of a textbook, Wikipedia is usually a much clearer, faster way of getting 90% of the way there. Textbooks do a lousy job and there's a lot of research that says you just go cross-eyed and lose focus when you're buried in them. My favorite app is StayFocused. The best way to beat the temptations of social media is to just block yourself from them, and not have to exert valuable, limited willpower. I allow myself 15 minutes/day total for Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, news, using this.”

AMANDA KRUSE  attends Council Rock High School South in Holland, Pennsylvania. Her advice:

“I make my own day-by-day calendar in a notebook and write down when everything is due. I made my own system…I circle any tests I have the next day, so I’ll know to study for them the night before, I put an X over anything I don’t have to worry about but I was just writing it down as a reminder, I highlight the things I already did, and I box things that aren’t homework but that I need to remember later, like bringing money in for a special event. When it comes to social media, I give myself goals, like if I do a certain number of math problems, I’ll allow myself five minutes of Instagram. So it’s an easy and nice break.”

ALEXANDRA LADOVE  is a straight A student at the Grauer School in Encinitas, California. She is also one of the nation's leading junior equestrians competing in the national equitation medal finals. In the fall, Alexandra will attend Auburn. Her advice:

“I set long and short term goals, and I make sure that I have enough time to realize these. For me, I had to give up going out at night. I spend my time studying, riding, training and competing. I love it; it’s what I want to do. That isn't to say that it is always fun, or that I don't sometimes wish I could put it on the back burner and just go out with friends. I recommend making sure to plan your day ahead of time, think about what needs to get done, and then do it. Leave plenty of time before you go to bed to make sure you accomplish what you need. One strategy that really helps is having a set time to start doing your schoolwork and to set an alarm to make sure you actually start then. Staying in a routine and trying to stick to a consistent schedule are key.”

NIHAR SUTHAR  is currently an undergraduate student at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Nihar’s advice:

“Prioritize! I always prioritize the most important tasks that I have to get done for the day. The first on the list for me is always schoolwork, then writing (I write books), any athletic practices, and then hanging out with friends. I find that if you prioritize, you will almost always be able to get all your work done and have extra time to spend with friends as well. Another tip I learned is that whenever I have a small task that needs to be completed (that takes less than 5 minutes), I should complete it now, rather than putting it off. This ensures that I do not have a long list of tasks that I have to complete later at the end of the day.”

NATALIE KRUSE  attends Council Rock High School South in Holland, Pennsylvania. Her advice:

“I have a homework log, which is a daily calendar, and for each class I write down when the homework is due. Even if it’s due at the end of the week, I’ll still write it down so if I have extra time at night I can start early. I generally write down when I have a test two to three days ahead of time so I remember to spread out the studying over a few days, to reduce the time and stress spent the night before. When it comes to reducing distractions, I don’t listen to music or watch television while I’m doing my homework. I find that this helps me push through my homework at a much quicker pace. For social media, I’ll spend time on my phone when I first get home, but then I’ll put it down and won’t pick it up until my homework is done, or I’ll pick it up between subjects as a little reward—but I don’t give myself more than a ten minute break, because it will feel like you have a lot more homework than you do if you take multiple breaks. I try to start my homework pretty early after I come home so I can be done by nine or ten at night. After that I start to get tired and lazy and work at a much slower pace.”

JOHN RAMOS  is a medical student at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, and is a writer at TheStudentPower.com. His advice:

“Set realistic small goals. I call them daily quotas, a term that got some attention on Quora. By daily quota I mean a small goal that seems insignificant, but when repeated day after day gets daunting tasks done. For example, 20 words in a foreign language a day (using a flashcard system, for instance) means 3000 words after 5 months. That’s almost complete fluency. Likewise, 10 math problems a day, every day, mean 300 problems done by the end of a month. It words because it’s a small time investment that  compounds. Work in short bursts of productive work, instead of long, unproductive sessions (in which 80% of the time is spent on Facebook). Strategies like the Pomodoro Technique suggest working in periods of 25-30 minutes, taking a small break and then resuming for another 25-30 minute session. It reduces distractions and increases productivity. Enforce self-discipline with the help of browser extensions like StayFocusd (blocks social media and other time-wasters during certain periods of the day) and RescueTime (holds yourself accountable by measuring exactly how much time you spend working or wasting time on your computer).”

HALEY SILVA  is a senior at Sierra High School in Manteca, CA. She recently received a scholarship to the University of the Pacific in Stockton. Her advice:

“Tips for staying focused: Have a goal, a positive mind set, and no doubt in overcoming any obstacles (like activities or people) that may cross your path. Time management: Have a daily/monthly planner and make a to-do list to remember what your priorities are, and limit distractions. Saying no to friends: Think of the consequences and what the best decision is for you; don't try to please others, think of yourself first. Be careful of who you surround yourself with; if they're your friend, no will not be an issue, and neither will negative peer pressure. How to avoid the lure of social media: If you feel the necessity to have social media, be aware and cautious of who you contact and who contacts you, as well as what you say and display. It is meant for interacting with friends, which is why social media is not a necessity; you can easily contact your friends via text or with a phone call instead.”

JOSHUA EICKMEIER  is an online hybrid MBA student at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business. His advice:

“You need to be a realist: it’s not possible to give 100% effort on every assignment, exceed expectations at work, spend time with family, and keep up with Game of Thrones. If you try, you’ll just stress yourself out. You need to set your priorities early on and stick to them. I suggest that you maintain time with family and friends, but be quick to cut low-value activities like video games or TV shows. When you have to make more difficult choices, look at things from a long-term perspective. Don’t waste time feeling guilty about your choices – think of them as effective compromises that will lead to your long-term success. I also suggest structuring your schedule to avoid these conflicts whenever possible. For example, doing schoolwork in the morning is a great way to keep evenings free for time with family or coworkers, and making weekend plans in advance keeps you motivated to get work done during the week.”  

CORAIMA MEDELLIN  is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania who graduated from Camden County College in 2014 as a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, the top honor society for community college students. Her advice:

“I try to stay out of my dorm room because I tend to lie on my bed, get on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. So I go to the quietest place on Penn's campus, Fisher Fine Arts Library, and study there. The quiet helps, but I think seeing others around me working on assignments motivates me to do the same. Sure, I go on Facebook, but the amount of time I spend on it is significantly reduced. I think it has to do with the fact that people pass by and I'm afraid of being judged going to a library and doing something that I could do somewhere else! When it comes to reducing my social media usage, I try to restrict myself, especially when I'm getting ready for an exam or writing a paper. I want to stress the word ‘try' because it's easier said than done. So, I bribe myself by saying something along the lines of, ‘If you read this entire chapter, you can take a half-hour break and use Facebook during that time.' Managing my time was something that I struggled with a lot when I first started at Penn, so I visited the Weingarten Center on campus to get some help with time management. It's been suggested that for every hour of class lecture you attend, you should study for two to three hours. So when I spoke to a counselor at Weingarten, I was given a weekly schedule that I put my work schedule and my class schedule in and then wrote the times that I planned to study for each class. I found that it works when I have an exam or a huge paper coming up to keep me motivated and focused.”

RANA ELMAKADEM  will graduate with an associate degree from Camden County College as the student commencement speaker (valedictorian) this May and is the New Jersey State president of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Her advice:

“I recommend a large ‘month view' calendar. I use both paper and electronic versions (on my phone and laptop), and I enter all assignment due dates from my syllabi at the beginning of the semester. But I enter them as due three to four days before the actual due date. I also recommend entering your work schedule and any other obligations to help you visualize everything you need to do and when you can allocate your time. Setting incremental reminders of upcoming due dates and when different parts of your project or assignment should be done helps to keep you on track and minimize procrastinating. When studying, depending on the subject, I break up my time with one 15-to-30-minute break for every 90 minutes to two hours of studying. During my breaks, I leave my study area and walk around, grab a snack and usually just check social media for five minutes. Doing something fun that takes your mind off studying helps you stay refreshed and refocus when your break is over. I have a Post-it Note app on my laptop where I put deadlines or my to-do list. I like it because I'm on my laptop a lot, and I have this constant reminder of what I need to get done. It always feels good when I delete the notes that I completed and declutter my screen. We're all stuck to our phones 24/7, so visit your app store and try out different time-management and study/homework apps to see which works best for you. I stuck with MyHomework app for some time, but found that placing everything on a large visual calendar worked best for me. Regarding friends: If you know you have to get something done, then get it done. Saying ‘no' to your friends is actually very simple in practice. Just say, ‘No, I have an assignment to get done.' But do set aside some time to hang out with your friends and do something fun or relaxing. It could be as simple as having lunch or going to the movies. You still need a work/play balance in your life. It doesn't have to be frequent, but making plans gives you something fun to look forward to and keeps everyone focused at the tasks at hand.”

VICTORIA SHOCKLEY  was a straight-A, honors student at Wakefield High School and recently graduated summa cum laude from NC State University in only three years. Her advice:

“Combine multiple tasks together. Sometimes, there literally aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. Find an opportunity to combine several things at once – maybe you do homework or study while on the bus, or you listen to an audiobook for class while cleaning your room. You have to do all four things eventually, but this way you can maximize time that you might otherwise have spent being idle (such as a bus ride). That way, you cross two things off the list at once! Learn to say no. I know it can be hard to turn down social events or extracurriculars, but it's important to know your limits so you don't overload yourself. If you know you have a busy weekend with friends coming up, try to limit your social calendar during the week so you can get the next week's homework/reading done early (if it's available in advance). While it may be disappointing to stay in on the weeknights, you'll have a stress-free, school-free weekend to look forward to. If you're working while in school, see if you can take on fewer hours during busy weeks, like midterms and finals. Stay organized!! I can't emphasis enough how staying organized helps people manage their time. Prioritize your tasks by what's the most important / due first, and don't just have a long-term To-Do list – create a small one each day to give yourself a concrete idea of what needs to get done. Maintain a clean workspace, which eliminates constantly having to sift through papers and binders looking for your work. Take notes in a planner, whether on your phone or hard copy (I use both!). It's especially helpful to write down important dates, like tests and paper due dates, as soon as you get the syllabus. Also, for very important reminders that you absolutely cannot miss, I'd suggest the Reminders app on the iPhone so you can immediately be notified even if you haven't yet checked your hard copy planner. Limit your time on social media until AFTER your work is finished. This is a big one – it's so easy to get distracted scrolling through our Facebook newsfeeds or checking out photos on Instagram. We can start chatting with a friend or surfing through Twitter and before we know it, half the night is gone. Not only that, but if you're trying to write a paper and stopping every five minutes to check a notification, that paper is going to take so much longer to write…and the longer it takes and the later it gets, the more sleepy you become. In between classes or lunch time are great opportunities to check your profiles, but otherwise wait to log in until after your homework/studying and other responsibilities are complete!”

AKRAM ALASHARI, MD  was the top student in medical school and today is a trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist at the University of Florida. Akram is also the author of,  The Power of Peak State . His advice:

“First, remember that there are two forms of resources: internal and external. Too much focus is placed on external resources, such as computers, the internet, other people, etc. Oftentimes, the importance of inner resources is overlooked. This entails mental strength, courage, perseverance, grit, etc. Cultivating this resourcefulness will allow the individual to excel despite challenges. Second, there is an extraordinary amount of idle time in our lives. Instead of letting that time pass underutilized, it is best to maximize productivity by taking advantage of it. This includes ANY waiting time. For example, waiting for the bus, in the airport, in between classes, etc. Use that time to complete short tasks that would otherwise accumulate and become a larger burden, such as responding to emails or studying. Another option would be to use that time to become productive in short bursts on a larger project. This will allow the project to be completed sooner, with less perceived pain and stress. In addition, short bursts are more effective than slogging at something for hours. Third, perform tasks that require a lot of cognitive energy during times of the day that you are most productive. This time will vary for each person, but use that time toward creative tasks, and tasks that require problem-solving. Perform tasks that don’t require a lot of mental energy during times of diminished energy. These tasks include things like cleaning, organizing, responding to emails (things that can be done on autopilot).”

KESHAWN BOSTIC  is a sophomore at Northfield Mount Hermon. He is also a student at Breakthrough New York, a nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of motivated, low-income students by preparing them for college so that they can succeed in the world. Keshawn’s advice:

“Time management is a big part of being a good student, and to put it bluntly, it is not easy. It is all about motivation and self-discipline. Sometimes, you just need to tell yourself that work is more important than a social life. The best way to do that is to make time work for you. Learn how you work, what time you work best, and where you work best; whether you work best right after school or at midnight, do what you need to do to do the best work. Personally I prefer a lamplit room between the hours of 7-10pm for optimal performance, but that is just me. There will be times when you will have to ignore friends or that special girl/guy you’ve been Snapchatting everyday—this is just the reality of life as a student. But by having that initial work time alone, you can then make the most of your time elsewhere.”

JOHN PAUL ENGEL  graduated from the University of Iowa and was named a Collegiate Scholar. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. Today he is Executive Director, Project Be the Change ( www.projectbethechange.com ). His advice:

“Always get at least 1 week ahead in your reading at the start of the semester in first week of classes. That way you can keep the work load more even through the semester and you will always have read the material the professor or teacher will cover in class. Take notes by hand marking the important points. Then at night type the notes into your computer. This is good review and it makes sure you have a backup of your notes. Make a one page study sheet of the items you think are the most important in the class. In other words guess what is going to be on the test – hint if it was in the book and the teacher talked about it in class there is a good chance it will be on the test. Carry your one page study sheet around with you everywhere you go and check it when you have free time. IT's easier to learn a little at a time then it is to try to cram the night before. I never got less than an A in a class I made a one page study sheet. Convince yourself whatever you are studying is fun and will be important to you in life. IF you think it’s hard then it will be hard. If you make a game of it creating songs and little games with flash cards then you are more likely to remember it. When you study you need to study. No cell phone, Facebook, etc. You need to unplug and focus. Go someplace to study or study at the kitchen table. If you study in your room you will sleep or get interrupted by your friends. Study on Friday nights. Seriously if you want to be more than average you have to do what the average won't do. Most students start the weekend on Thursday night. If you work through Friday then you can be sure to get your work done. If not, then you still have two days before the work is due. Surround yourself by the 5 smartest people you can find. They will challenge you to be better. My friends and I used to compete on who could earn the highest score on a test. Make it a game with bragging rights.”

JONATHAN FARLEY  graduated second in his class at Harvard University, with 29 A's and three A-‘s. His advice:

“First, choose the right courses: (a) Don't take courses you know nothing about just because they look interesting, unless Russian roulette is one of your favorite games. (b) Do not take too many courses each term. Second, prepare before each course: learn the subject beforehand; find the reading list for the course and read. Third, Join study groups. Fourth, do not bring a television to college. Go to sophisticated movies with friends if you are going to watch a screen: that way you are always improving yourself.”

KRISTIN GMUNDER  is a senior at Villa Walsh Academy in Morristown, New Jersey. Her advice:

“Every high school and college student loves to watch TV; we're not fooling anyone. However, we all know we don't have time to watch TV every night of the week as we would like to. As students, we know that each week the workload is different in weight–some weeks we have very little work and other weeks we have so much that we are drowning. The way to combat this issue of our TV addictions is to binge watch. Yes, many people would look at me weirdly for suggesting that students binge watch using programs like Netflix or Hulu, but this really is the best way for us to enjoy TV when those workloads are less and we have more free time. This way when we're suffering under those textbooks and the papers we have to write, we're not tempted to type netflix.com into the Google search bar.”

JASON KHOO  is part of the President Scholar Program at California State University Fullerton and on the Dean’s List for the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics. His advice:

“Maintaining good grades is having a good understanding of the construct of your grade. Most classes are weighted and thus different assignments and tests have a larger impact on your grade. Know when the most important assignments, tests, and projects occur, then make sure at that time you are ready to work. I've seen many people who are excellent planners and never procrastinate only receive B's and C's. This is because they don't properly weight their effort. Know when to put in all your effort and know when to ease back. This will help you stay energized but also not waste excessive time on academics.”  

ANGELA HANSON  was valedictorian of her high school graduating class and is a top student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Her advice:

“I have found it most helpful to do something rather than nothing. If you aren't sure what to work on first, just pick something and get started. Once you get tired of one assignment, either finish it out or move to something else. A lot of time is wasted deciding where to start or avoiding an assignment you don't like. Also, a change of scenery can be helpful. I now associate my apartment with socializing, so I try to find another place that is just for homework. This makes it easier to be productive.”

MARIAM OLADIPO  is ranked number one in her senior class at Milton Hershey School, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Her advice:

“During the day, I try to get as much homework done as possible so that I'm not as swamped at night. It seems to work because I get a good seven to eight hours of sleep every night. For me, it's more balancing friends with activities. With school, I can just plan a study session where we can get work done and hang out. Activities present a different problem. Many times I have to schedule time just to hang out with my friends. It's not spontaneous, but it is still fun. A lot of my friends have social media but I prefer not to because I know that it can take up a lot of time. I prefer to text, call, or talk to people in person. I would say pick the things to get involved with that you truly love. You don't have to be involved in a lot of different things because you won't be able to manage it all with your friends, your grades, and your health. Make sure that you take time for yourself so that you can be the best person that you can be.”

JANE NINIVAGGI  is a senior at University Liggett School and plans to attend Barnard College. Her advice:

“There is nothing wrong with social media, but it can take over a student’s life if they are not able to disconnect from it. During exam weeks, I delete Twitter and Instagram off my phone. I also make sure to leave my phone at home when there is something that I know I need to put all of my focus into. A key part of staying focused is keeping your standards high. At Liggett, I play several sports and am on the Student Commission, so that helps to give us an inherent sense of time management. You quickly learn that your time is so invaluable and you want to spend it in the most productive way. I also find ways on the weekend to combine my social and academic life — I hang out with friends who have similar standards and we do things together on the weekends such as studying for exams.”  

JACQUELINE KOPICKI  is a senior at University Liggett School and plans to attend Miami University in Ohio. Her advice:

“I put everything in my calendar on my phone, and I color code my activities and appointments. For example, I will code athletics one color, the school musical practices another color and my assignments another color. I think setting your own priorities and figuring out what is most important helps you manage your time and stay focused. For me, school comes first, so I make it a priority to finish my homework and talk to my teachers about all of my school-related issues before anything else. At the school, the most important thing is to have a close relationship with your teachers and other students who are focused. This helps you gain the mindset to work on your schoolwork first before you tackle anything else.”  

GRACE LEBRON  attends Eastlake High School. Her advice:

“I think about my future constantly and it's what keeps me in line. I know I want to lead a happy, successful life and that getting my work done and being the best I can be in my educational environment is a step in the right direction. Saying No to Friends: You really need to prioritize and consider everything that's going on. If you know you have tests coming up you're not prepared for or have unfinished assignments due the next day, going to the movies shouldn't be at the top of your list. Resisting Social Media: Personally I set mini goals and checking social media is kind of like I'm rewarding myself. For example I'd tell myself that when I finish two assignments I can check one social media. It's worked out pretty well for me. Time Management: If it's important, then you'll find time for it. School is important to me so I make time to have all school related things in order before anything else. Lacrosse and field hockey are important to me so I make time to put in the necessary work for that as well. Family is also very important so I always make time to be with them and help around the house. We teenagers do need some downtime though so no matter what, ALWAYS carve out time to enjoy a hobby or just relax. It'll keep you from going crazy .”

ALI WARSHAY  is a senior at Westwood High School and is entering Harvard College. Ali’s advice:

“A piece of advice I would give to help manage time is that before anything else, know your organizational strengths and weaknesses as well as how much you can realistically complete *well* in a given day. I become distracted easily if I don't set a detailed schedule for myself; however, once I've allocated a specific amount of time for everything on my to-do list, tasks become much more manageable. I religiously use the Schedule Planner app, which syncs with my calendar and helps me visually manage my time. I'm also a big fan of the Stay Focused app on my computer, which blocks the amount of time I can spend each day on specific websites (especially social media).”

MORGAN MUNSEY  is a senior at Sullivan East High School and will attend East Tennessee State University. Morgan’s advice:

“I use a planner with a month view and a weekly view. I put all club meetings, planned time with friends and family, sport activities, and big tests on the month view. Daily items I need to accomplish such as homework and reading I keep in the weekly view sections. Each night I spend 5-10 minutes focusing on what I accomplished, what I need to better, and what is to come the next day. This helps keep me prepared and less forgetful. I am a procrastinator. I always have been, and I always will be. It's so easy to say, I can do it later, and then forget to do it. So rather than making later the next day or in a few hours I use the timer function on my phone. If the time is 11:13 and I need to study but want to put it off, I give myself 17 minutes. Although it doesn't seem like much time, this routine satisfies my procrastinator personality. Whenever I have a moment of free time I make StudyBlue notecards. Rather than taking the time to type out full definitions, I use the talk to text option on my iPad. I may look a little silly to those watching, but this makes the process go much faster. Since I made the notecards on StudyBlue I can study basically anywhere at any time. This allows me to study even when I only have a few minutes such as between classes or during lunch. The ability to do this is great when you have a busy week. I don't have the best handwriting which can make studying more difficult. When allowed, I love to take notes on Google Docs. The program is convenient because it updates as you type on one device to all of your other devices. The program also allows for easy color changes and graphing, which can make notes seem a little more enjoyable.”

NATHAN REYNOLDS  attends Reynoldsburg High School. His advice:

“Do your school work in school, when you have free time. It greatly helps at home when you have a lot of other work to do. If you can't do it in school, divvy up your work and time so that you have a schedule that reads like, 8-8:30 Math, and so on. It makes you feel the need to get the work done within your time limit, and makes for free time in your day.”  

KRYSTIE SEESE  is a graduate student at Post University. Her advice:

“I have found that I work best when I use a planner to track the assignments I’ve completed and denote the assignments I still owe. This process has yet to fail me. At the beginning of each week I plan what I will complete each day specifically. This helps alleviate the overwhelming feeling of seeing 10-12 assignments that need to be done. As I complete them, I check them off. Simple as that! In addition, this system has helped me ensure that all work due each week is completed on time. On that same note, it is best to plan to complete assignments when you know you have time. For example, I set aside every Sunday for my school work. I get as much done as I can on Sundays, and spread out completing unfinished assignments throughout the remainder of the week. This takes the stress off of coming home from a long day at work and still having a ton of schoolwork to do. I’ve found the key to success in an online program is to plan ahead and have the discipline to follow through.”

SHANE WOLF  is a candidate for valedictorian of Bridgeway Academy’s 2015 graduating class and plans to attend the College of Southern Maryland. His advice:

“As a homeschool student the demands on my time can be a little different than that of my peers. Nevertheless, I would argue time management skills are even more imperative for homeschooling students than traditional students. As a homeschooler, I am tasked daily to write my own schedule, stick to deadlines, and balance my schoolwork with extracurricular activities, without the watchful eye of a teacher. One thing I learned early on is that scheduling is so important. Having a schedule is the easiest way to know what you have going on and what needs to be completed. I use Microsoft Excel to write out my schedule, where I include information like my extracurricular activities, job, and current course work. My parents taught me my education is very important and comes first, so I prioritize my academics. To ensure I keep my grades up, I identify which projects need to be completed first and foremost. If I’m struggling in a particular subject, I try to allow myself more time to focus and concentrate my energies there. This helps me keep my grades up across the board, and not just in the subjects I may have a stronger interest in.”

Kevin is the author of  15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students and 239 Entrepreneurs .

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Collecting Homework in the Classroom

Tips and Ideas for Collecting Homework

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The purpose of homework is to help reinforce what was taught in class or to have students gather extra information beyond what was demonstrated in class.

Homework is one part of daily classroom management that can cause many teachers problems. Homework must be assigned, collected, reviewed and assessed. That amount of work means homework must be designed to serve an academic purpose, otherwise, the results may be a great waste of student and instructor time.

Here are a few tips and ideas that can help you create an effective method for collecting homework every day.

Physical Homework

New teachers find out very quickly that day-to-day instruction is made much more effective when there are organized daily housekeeping routines. In developing these routines, if there is homework to collect, the best time to collect it for use in instruction is at the beginning of the period.

Methods you can use to accomplish this include:

• Station yourself at the door as students walk into your room. Students are required to hand you their homework. This greatly reduces the time it takes to complete this task because it is mostly finished before the bell even rings.
• Have a designated homework box. Explain to students how they are to turn in their homework each day. To keep track, you might remove the homework box after the bell rings and class begins. Anyone who does not get it in the box will have their homework be marked late. Many teachers find it a good idea to give students a three to a five-minute window after the bell rings to avoid possible confrontations and to keep things fair.

Digital Homework

If the technology is available, in school and at home, teachers may prefer to give a digital homework assignment. They may use a course platform like Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, or Edmodo.

Students may be asked to complete homework individually or collaboratively. In this cases, the homework will be time-stamped or a digital student is associated with the work. You may use that time stamp to show the homework has been completed on time.

Digital homework may include programs that provide immediate feedback, which will make assessing much easier. On some of these platforms, there may be an opportunity for a student to repeat an assignment. Digital platforms allow teachers to keep an assignment inventory or student portfolios to note student academic growth.

You may choose to use a “flipped classroom” model. In this model, the instruction is assigned as the homework in advance of class, while the hands-on practice takes place in the classroom. The central idea with this kind of digital homework is similar. In a flipped classroom, the homework serving as the teaching tool. There may be videos or interactive lessons to provide the instruction that happens in class. A flipped learning model allows students to work through problems, suggest solutions, and engage in collaborative learning.

Homework tips

• When it comes to daily housekeeping chores like collecting homework and taking roll, creating a daily routine is the most effective tool. If students know the system and you follow it every day, then it will take up less of your valuable teaching time and give students less time to misbehave while you are otherwise occupied.
• Come up with a quick system to mark an assignment as late. You might have a brightly colored highlighter which you use to make a mark on the top of the paper. You could also mark it with the number of points that you will be taking off the paper. Whatever your method, you will want to make it something you can do quickly and efficiently. See How to Deal with Late Work and Makeup Work
• Return homework within 24 hours for optimum effect.
• The flipped homework in class as part of instruction. The homework is not assessed, but the students are.

Ultimately, it is not the assigning or collecting of homework that is important. What is important is understanding the purpose of homework, and that purpose can help you determine the kind of homework, be it physical or digital, that works best for your students.

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College life · October 11, 2021

The best daily routine for students

Have you ever wondered what the best daily routine for students is.

Table of Contents

Well, you’re about to find out in this ultimate guide to a daily routine for college students.

Before I share what I believe to be the best daily routine for students, here is why you need one in the first place.

Why do you need a daily routine as a student?

Whether you’re still in high school or college, you need a daily routine.

Having a daily routine especially as a college student is what will help you to stay productive, more organized, and less stressed. When you have a daily routine in place, you know everything you need to do beforehand, and that allows you to plan ahead. As a student, your time management skills are very limited but with a great daily routine, you can make the most of your time.

Daily routines don’t have to be very complex as others say. What matters the most is that it should be working for you and you’re happy with it.

In this post, I will be sharing steps on how to create a routine and stick to it, a daily routine for successful students and my current daily routine as well. So make sure you stick till the end. Without any further delay, let’s get into it.

How to create a college daily routine and stick to it.

The following are a few steps you can take to help you come up with a new routine:

Make a list of everything you do daily.

No matter how small it is, write it down. This will allow you to know where you want to fix it in your planner.

What do you want to achieve with this new routine? Do you want it to help you study more? Help you to start waking up earlier? Write down your goals so that you will have a reason to follow them.

Layout a plan

Get a monthly planner or a weekly planner and start fixing all the tasks you want to do daily and the time you want to carry out each and the duration each task will take you.

Be prepared

If you want your new routine to work, you need to be prepared to be consistent. It takes at least 30 days for new habits to form so if you want your new routine to stick with you, you need to be consistent with it for at least one month.

Make it fun

Don’t let it be All school-related tasks. Add things you enjoy to your list as well.

Track your progress

Remember the goals you set in the second step? You need to track your progress. It will allow you to see if this new routine is actually getting you closer to your goals or if you need to make some changes.

Pin this to your favourite Pinterest board 🙂

Daily routine for students

Here is a simple daily routine any student can follow that actually works. It’s not complicated and it’s just 10 steps

Wake up early

I know you’ve probably heard this a million times already but waking up early is very important. When you start your day early, you have so much more time to do any other thing that matters than those that don’t. I’m not saying you should start your day by 4 am. No, start your day when your body tells you to. That’s why it’s important to sleep early because when you do, you’re more likely to wake up early in the morning.

Do some physical movement

Fully wake your body up by doing some sort of physical movement. This can be as simple as stretching. I would recommend you work out because that’s the best form of physical movement and you will remain fit as well. This isn’t something I have perfected but I am trying my best to. I actually prefer to stretch in the morning and then do some workout routine in the evening. It’s really up to you and your preferences. If you love to work out in the morning, go for it. If you prefer it to be in the evening just like me, that’s totally fine as well.

Have breakfast

If you’ve read my post about a healthy morning routine for students , then you would’ve known how important breakfast is to our bodies. I used to be that person that never had breakfast only lunch and dinner but ever since I started, a lot has changed for me. I noticed I am more focused in class, less tired in the morning, and happier too. Never underestimate the power of a good healthy breakfast!

Always make your bed

That should be the first thing you do every morning after you wake up. Making your bed instantly will give you this sense of accomplishment because your day just started and you’ve completed a task already. It will also stop you from getting back into bed because who wants to destroy a perfectly laid bed that you spent 5 minutes making. When you get back from classes, it’s always a great feeling to come back to a clean space.

Attend all classes

Both the ones in-person and online. Think about all the money your parents are investing in you. If you sponsor yourself, think about all the student loans that will be waiting for you. Make it worth it At least. Pay attention, make notes, and ask questions.

You’re not a robot. Rest when you need to. Take a nap if needed. You can’t study when you’re tired so it’s best to just rest.

Study for at least 2 hours every day

If you want to become a better student this year, you need to stop procrastinating and start studying on time. Don’t wait till your tests and exams are around the corner before you start studying. Start studying now and your future self will thank you.

Studying for 2 hours shouldn’t be difficult. You can decide to split that into 2 study sessions which is fine. All you need to do is to be more focused while studying and have a great study schedule that you’re following. This will allow you to cover all your courses on time.

For my senior year, this will be the student planner I am going to use. I designed it myself and I think it has everything a student will want in a planner. I wrote a detailed post about it and you can read here why I think it’s the best planner for college students . If you’re a digital kind of person and you can check out these all-in-one student planner notion templates . They are seriously amazing!

Finish homework on time.

You need to stop delaying your homework till it’s bedtime. If you have time in the evening to do it, just do it and get it out of the way. Stop letting your homework stress you.

Taking care of your mental health and physical health is important. Make time for your skincare routine, go out once in a while with friends, spend some time on social media if you want to, play your favorite games and watch something new on Netflix. At the end of the day, these things are equally important but you need to find a balance. Too much of something is not good.

When it comes to watching Netflix or scrolling on social media, I have turned those into a reward for myself when I do something great. When I manage to study for an hour, I watch one or two episodes of the show I’m currently watching as a reward for studying for an hour. This will not only motivate me to study more in order to watch more episodes but it actually makes me feel less guilty. I know I did something to deserve it. Whatever it is that you enjoy doing during your free time, make it a reward for when you do something great, like studying.

My current daily routine as a college student

5:30 am – 6:00 am: morning prayers (fajr prayer) 6:00 am – 6:15 am: make my bed and scroll on social media 6:15 am – 6:45 am: stretch and make breakfast 6:45am – 7:00am: shower and get ready 7:00am – 7:30am: Get to campus 7:30 am – 8:00 am: catch up with coursemates and get ready for the first class of the day.

Depending on the day, my classes end anywhere between 2-4 pm

4:30pm: get back home/dorm room 5:30 pm: start preparing dinner while listening to a podcast 6:30 pm: eat dinner and pray (maghrib prayers) 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: finish assignments and pray again (we pray 5 times a day soo yeah) if I don’t have any assignments that day, I use this time to write on my blog and work on my Etsy shop.

7:30pm – 9:30pm: study

9:30 pm – 10:30 pm: skincare, more blog work, and social media

11 pm: sleep

As you can see, my routine isn’t perfect at all but it works great for me. My weekend routine is different because no classes so I use that time for socializing, work, and just resetting. I will make a post about that as well so keep an eye for that.

Final thoughts on the best daily routine for students

That brings us to the end of this post, I hope enjoyed it as much as I did while writing it. What’s your daily routine like? Do you have any productivity tips you want to share with me? Leave a comment below and let me know. make sure you check out these posts about healthy morning routines you can try out, how to create a study schedule to make studying easier, and also my skincare routine as a college student.

To conclude all I can say is…

A good daily routine for students is a must.

whether you’re in high school or college, you need one.

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January 1, 2024 at 8:40 pm

“5:30 pm: start preparing dinner while listening to a podcast 6:30 pm: eat dinner and pray (maghrib prayers) 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: finish assignments and pray again (we pray 5 times a day soo yeah) if I don’t have any assignments that day, I use this time to write on my blog”

Are you inhaling dinner Kirby-style, or are you multitasking dinner and assignments? No judgement, I’ve absolutely gone through lecture notes while eating 😉

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How to Establish a Great Homework Routine

Are you tired of disorganization when it comes to your child’s homework? Or having to nag your child about when and how they will get their homework done? A great homework routine can put an end to these struggles. Establishing the right homework routine will create good study habits that will help your child from Kindergarten through high school and beyond. Here’s how to set one up!

Establishing a Homework Routine that Works!

1. Schedule Time for Homework

You probably have things in your own life, whether it’s cleaning the house, doing your taxes, or getting together with friends, where if you don’t put it on your schedule it isn’t going to happen.

The same thing is true for homework. If you want to establish a homework routine, you need to plan time for homework on the family calendar.

The ideal situation is for homework to happen at the same time every day. Whether it’s directly after school or after your child has a little time to snack and unwind. It should be part of the daily routine.

If your child has after-school activities that make homework at the same time every day impossible, make sure you still schedule time for homework. And try to at least have a weekly schedule that is consistent regarding homework time.

You’ll want to make sure you allow enough time for homework to be completed. Talk to your child’s teacher about their expectations for time spent on homework to help determine how much time you need.

It’s also a good idea to talk to your child about when they want to do their homework. Discuss with them what they feel is the best time of day for homework. This doesn’t mean they get the final say about timing, but older kids especially may have strong feelings about a time that works for them.

And when you choose a time, consider whether your child needs some food and exercise before they sit down for a long stretch.

2. Choose a Homework Space

Once you have the timing down for your homework routine, you need to consider the location. Do you have a designated homework area with desks and supplies? Or do your kids spread their stuff out on the kitchen table at homework time?

When you decide on the best homework space, you want to consider a few factors. Does your child work better when they are alone and free of distractions? Or do they need you nearby to help them with questions and encourage them to stay on task?

Some kids need background noise, others work best in silence. You may even need to set your kids up in different areas from each other if they have different needs for completing their homework in a stress-free environment.

Try to keep individual needs in mind when you consider the best place in your home for school work. And set your kids up for success.

3. Establish Rules for Homework Time

A great homework routine will include some rules for how that time will be spent. This may include rules about silencing cell phones and putting them away during homework time.

Rules around electronics and other distractions are some of the most important. Sure, your child may need a tablet or computer for their homework sometimes. But other electronics are likely to be an endless source of distraction.

Consider whether you need to set rules and time limits for breaks during homework time. Sure, kids may need to get up and stretch their legs or use the bathroom. But an endless stream of excuses for breaks won’t result in homework being completed.

You may also want to establish some rules around your role in their homework. Will you be checking their work to make sure it’s completed? Or will it be more on the honor system? And your child’s age will be a huge factor here.

A great homework routine should help your child work towards greater independence when it comes to school work as they get older. You can’t go off to college with them. So, as your child gets older, they should become more responsible for completing their homework with minimal reminders and check-ins with mom and dad.

Stick to It!

When you’re trying to establish any new routine, there is going to be some adjustment time. Commit to sticking it out with your homework routine, even if you face some initial resistance. Once the routine becomes a habit, it will be such a part of daily life for your kids that battles over homework will be few and infrequent. And your kids will be on the path to greater self-sufficiency and success with school work.

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Stop the morning chaos: a strong morning routine that works.

A morning routine is a set of procedures that students follow each day as they enter the classroom. The procedures can be as simple as students knowing where to store their belongings, where to place completed homework assignments, or where to sit. Having a strong set of procedures that students can implement each morning is an extremely important component of a well-managed classroom. According to Doug Lemov of Teach Like a Champion , “it is about making a habit out of what’s efficient, productive, and scholarly after the greeting and as the students take their seats and class begins.”

A strong morning routine ensures that the day starts off on a positive note and focuses students’ attention on the day’s tasks and agenda. When you establish an effective morning routine, it can strengthen classroom community, students’ self-esteem, and students’ attitudes and behavior toward school.

When you walk by my classroom each morning (before the bell rings!), you will see my students happily (and calmly) chatting with each other, turning in their homework, and sitting down to quietly begin their morning work. To an observer, my classroom looks like a well-oiled machine each morning. My students are happy, and they know exactly what’s expected of them. However, it’s important to remember it wasn’t always like this. It took me some time to realize the importance of these procedures and routines.

Now, unlike most teachers, the morning is my favorite time of the day. I get to enjoy my coffee and greet each of my students with a quick chat and sometimes a big hug. I don’t have to correct behaviors or nag them to get started on their morning work. They do these things automatically. How do students do these things automatically? Well, we spend time at the beginning of the year teaching, modeling, and practicing these specific morning expectations.

While every classroom is different, below is a list of the top 10 things you need to teach, model, and practice with your students in order to have a successful morning routine.

Notice that I wrote  Teach, Model, and Practice  in bold letters. This is extremely important because students have a lot of responsibilities in the morning. You must make those first few minutes of the day one seamless procedure. Your students need to know exactly what to do every single morning that they walk into your classroom. You have to teach your students the step-by-step procedures you want them to implement, you have to model how to do it correctly, and you have to let them practice these procedures until they can do them independently and with success.

For more information on how to explicitly teach, model, and practice procedures and routines, check out my blog post HERE :

Again, it’s important to remember that every classroom and school is different. You may have 20 things your students need to do each morning or 5. Below, I’m sharing my step-by-step morning routine that has worked for me with 100% success.

Students don’t have a lot of time for breakfast, so it’s important that they skip their lockers and go sit down for breakfast first.

After breakfast, students walk back to our hallway to drop their personal belongings off at their lockers. I don’t let students interrupt learning to constantly go out to the hallway and grab forgotten items out of their lockers. Instead, I explicitly teach them what needs to stay in their lockers and what needs to come in the class with them. All outside gear and backpacks stay in their lockers. Things like school supplies, books, water bottles, a snack, etc. must come in the classroom.

In the past, I left a sign outside my door each day to remind students what they need to bring in from their lockers, but this became too much work for me to manage. Now, I explicitly teach my students what they will need at the beginning of the school year and through practice, they remember their items each day.

With this step, I also teach students how to properly shut their locker doors. It’s not fun when your class is trying to take a test, and the class across the hall is slamming their locker doors. It’s important to be considerate to the other classrooms around you. I also teach my students the importance of quickly dropping their personal belongings off at their locker and coming into the class. Before I did this, I had girls looking in mirrors and brushing their hair at their lockers for ten full minutes!

To repeat what I wrote above…YES, you need to teach this! In my first year, before I knew I was supposed to teach this, I had a student hurl their belongings like a professional basketball player across the room in hopes they would land on their desk.

Again, to repeat above, you NEED to teach this. In the past, I have had students attempt sword fights with chair legs and almost poke an eye out. You’d be surprised what they can do with a chair.

Also, see those multi-colored chairs below? You bet that without proper procedures in place, students would argue over those five light blue chairs each day!

It’s important to keep a lunch menu near this area, so students always know the options that are available to them.

You can read more about my lunch choice station and set up in this blog post HERE .

I keep a morning message up on my projector screen each morning. On it, I write a simple good morning message, what is due that day, remind them what they need, and give them directions to start their morning work. It’s important to teach your students to read the entire morning message. I didn’t do that my first year and found that students were only reading the first sentence or two. Then, they were not prepared for the day!

You can watch a video about my homework management system HERE .

Before I did this, students would ask me all day long if we had gym or music and what we were doing next (even though the agenda was posted!). Now, I don’t get questions like this. Students know it is posted for them, and they can just look back to see what’s next.

The best thing I ever did was create my structured Morning Work resource that you can find HERE  (I currently have 4th grade and 5th grade versions available).

These structured Morning Work  resources are fun, engaging, and rigorous. I simply post which page students are to work on that day, and students eagerly get started each morning. I include games, puzzles, and other fun activities, so this is something students really look forward to. Throughout the years, I had never found anything that would not only hit all the standards and include review, but also be really fun. So last year, I decided to create these myself, and my kids love them.

It’s also important to remember that depending on your students, you may need to model and practice more that just what I’ve listed. I’ve had years when I needed to model and practice how to walk in the classroom during our morning routine. I’ve had years when I needed to teach my students how to appropriately say the entire Pledge of Allegiance. Other things I’ve taught in the past include how to greet friends and other teachers in the hallways (it’s important to ask for a hug before just giving one). I’ve even had to teach students how to take off their winter gear in an appropriate manner! Trust me, nothing is off limits!

Most importantly, remember to start each day by greeting each one of your students with a smile (and sometimes a hug!). “Prime time in school is the first few moments in a class. If you blow these moments, you blow the impression, the sale, and the success of a class.”- The First Day of School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong

25 Comments

Looking forward to the 4th grade version of Daily Morning Work. Can’t wait to purchase it for my class.

Thanks so much, Jackie! I’m working on the final round of edits now! Fingers crossed it’s post some time this week! :)

Love your easy to implement ideas!! Very helpful and practical.

Thank you, Catherine! I appreciate your kind words!

I CANNOT wait for the 4th grade morning work to be up on your tpt store!!

I love your work! I am looping to 4th and am looking forward to using your version of Daily Morning Work! Thanks!

Thank you so much, Joelle! I hope to have it out this week!

Very good post. It’s so important to be very clear about our expectations and model, model, model what you want. Great reminders. Thanks.

Thank you so much!

Thank you for the reminder on modeling! It is so true that nothing is off-limits! [email protected]

I love the daily work idea.

Thanks, Cameron!

I love how you thought out and broke down all the steps one by one. I won’t be surprised if you have a great year!

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Thanks so much, Emma! Fingers crossed for a great year! ;)

You are so right about those routines and spending time getting them started. It’s always the first thing I address when mentoring new teachers. Your routines here are solid and well thought out. I always sit down with those new teachers and help them plan out similar things for every single time the kids come in the room (first thing in the morning, right after recess, right after lunch, etc….).

Thanks so much for your comments, Alicia. That’s awesome that you mentor new teachers. It’s especially awesome that you provide them with this information. I didn’t learn this valuable information until I had a class of my own and no mentor to help! I can’t imagine how different my first year would have been if I had someone mentoring me! Have a great year!

Great post. I just enjoyed reading this helpful post.

Thanks, next year I hope to have a better schedule in the morning to implement these ideas!

Thanks so much, Meaghan! If you need help, don’t hesitate to ask!

I love your morning work! I feel like sometimes I spend too much time on morning work though. Do you grade them together as a class or do you grade them yourself? How many minutes does your morning routine usually take?

Hi Monica- If you have my Morning Work, I include teacher directions to give you more ideas on how to grade these. There are times we grade them as a class, and there are even times that I leave out the answer key and student’s check their own work. This usually takes no time at all. I hope this helps!

I so wish you had a 6th grade version!

Thank you for the post. Do you have a third grade version?

Hi Ann! At this time, I do not.

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Productive Daily Routine Of An Online Student

Productivity

Online classes used to be something we – or at least, most of us – never even thought about. Now, it’s suddenly the new norm. And it’s a huge change for everyone!

Some people might be thriving and living their best life, while others are barely keeping up with assignments and/or having breakdowns every week.

If you’re part of the latter group, I’ve got a little something that could help. 

Oftentimes, we students become overly stressed and emotionally overwhelmed simply because we feel unproductive . Though it’s not easy to instantly become a productive person, there are small habits you can form to make the move towards that goal. One of those is to create routines!

Today, I’m going to show you what my daily routine is as an online student, along with the little things I do to keep myself organized and sane. Hopefully, you’ll walk away (click away?) with some ideas of how to maximize your day tomorrow!

My Daily Schedule

7:30 – 7:55 Wake up, wash up, get dressed…

7:55 – 8:15 Breakfast

8:15 – 8:30 Last-minute catch-up work

8:30 – 12:20 Morning online classes

12:20 – 13:00 Lunch

13:00 – 15:00 Afternoon online classes

15:00 – 17:00 Part-time job and homework*

17:00 – 18:30 Homework

18:30 – 19:00 Dinner

19:00 – 20:00 Finish homework

20:00 Begin my night routine**

23:00 Go to bed

* My job requires little energy, so I often multitask and do my homework while working. Depending on the class and the day, I can spend anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours on each assignment. I don’t suggest creating a strict timetable for your homework, as it can vary each day and you should keep going until it is completed.

** My night routine includes exercising/stretching, showering, planning out the next day (creating a todo list), maintaining my blog, and getting ready for bed.

If you’re looking for some tips to wake up earlier in the morning, I’ve got the perfect post for you:

• 7 Brilliant Tips To Wake Up Early In The Morning

Of course, there are many other habits I’ve built that help me stay productive. Let’s get into them right now!

Productivity Habits

Start an assignment asap.

As I mentioned before, this is a habit I’ve built that has helped me become productive.

As appealing as procrastinating may be, starting the assignment early is the best option here. And once you start, it’ll be easier to complete it (inertia, anyone?).

If you have trouble with procrastination, check out this post:

• How To Stop Procrastinating In 7 Simple Steps

Work with someone

It’s important to note that you must work with the right person. Working with the wrong people could lower your productivity by a lot.

Generally, when I study in a group, I look for people who:

• Are working on the same assignment as me
• I can work with easily
• I know won’t get distracted super easily

P.S. Working in a group doesn’t mean you have to be discussing all the time. In fact, my study sessions are quiet half the time unless someone asks a discussion-worthy question.

Take breaks

Although my schedule doesn’t show it, I take plenty of breaks. And you should, too!

One popular productivity technique is the Pomodoro method , in which you focus for 25 minutes then take a 5-minute break, and repeat.

I don’t follow this rule exactly, because I find that I can stay productive for longer before needing a break. Usually, I try to complete an entire task before taking a break.

It will take a little trial-and-error before you find what works best for you. And it might vary day by day, which is okay! However, once you find that sweet spot, you’ll be crushing the productivity game.

Create schedules

Time-blocking and setting goals are great ways to maximize your productivity.

Every evening, I take the time to create a schedule for the following day. I usually do this on the default Calendar on my MacBook because it’s super easy to do so.

However, if you prefer pen-and-paper planning, I do suggest getting a high-quality planner . I don’t suggest bullet journals (they take extra time to maintain aesthetics-wise) or journals (it can be difficult to get organized on a blank slate). 

If you don’t already have a planner, I highly suggest this Productivity Journal . Not only does it let you create time blocks for each day, but it also lets you prioritize tasks, set short-term and long-term goals, form habits, and more. 

You could also try out the Ultimate 3-in-1 Student Planner (made by yours truly), which includes 45 pages of planning sheets, templates, checklists, and more to help you stay organized and productive.

YOU’LL LOVE THIS POST: The Ultimate Guide To Studying From Home

Go to class

This should be a no-brainer. If you don’t go to class, you’re missing out on a lot of possibly-important information. 

It’s also one of the few opportunities where you get to ask questions directly and communicate with your teachers or classmates. I mean, I’m pretty sure that not many students enjoy sending emails to teachers to ask for help. 

Study your mistakes

Whether this be mistakes you made on a test, quiz, or even just something you realized didn’t make sense during a discussion, you should take the time to review it and figure out what you did wrong.

Doing this will not only correct your misunderstanding, but it will also strengthen your knowledge. 

Some teachers have test corrections for mistakes, which you should definitely use to your advantage. If your teachers don’t have those, create your own version and study what you did wrong.

Make use of extra resources

We all know how robust the Internet is these days.

Although you shouldn’t rely completely on the information you find online, they can be really helpful for validating, correcting, or strengthening what you know.

If you’re trying to learn something online, make sure to go to reliable sources. Although teachers seem really against Wikipedia, I think it’s a perfectly good resource for historical or scientific facts.

Other resources like Khan Academy, Fiveable, and educational YouTube channels can also be extremely useful. Dig around, and you’ll find what you’re looking for.

I hope you found what you were looking for in this post! Though online school can be challenging, there are small things you can do to make it better.

If you’re looking for more tips about online classes and productivity, check these posts out:

• How To Motivate Yourself To Study When You Don’t Feel Like It
• 10 Powerful & Free Productivity Tools You Should Be Using

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The Daily Routine of a Student

Having a daily routine is important to maintain a structured, balanced, and (most importantly) stress-free college life. Learn more about what you can expect each day at your US university – and how you can set up your very own daily routine in the US!

When you begin your journey as an international student in the US, you may find yourself having to balance many different aspects of life. From focusing on classes and assignments, figuring out how to make college friends , participating in extracurricular activities, and more — there are so many things to keep you occupied while studying in the USA . 

Balancing everything in your daily life and academic life can be challenging, but having a daily routine can make this much simpler. Here is everything you need to know to get started!

What Is a Daily Routine of a College Student?

What is a daily routine of a college student? Daily routines are a series of actions that you complete every day; they are a natural part of your everyday life. When you repeat the same activities regularly, they eventually become habits. It is similar to how you are taught from a young age to wash your hands before every meal, or brush your teeth three times a day. 

When you start college, your class schedule can give you an idea of what your typical week looks like for the semester, allowing you to plan your time around your classes. For example, if you have classes at 9 am, you can set up a routine where you wake up by 7 am to allow time for breakfast and/or exercise. Once your classes are over, you can schedule time later in the evening to study before having a break to relax before you go to sleep. 

As you begin to create your daily routine, keep in mind that the daily routine of a student should be balanced, efficient, and streamlined. While asking for opinions from your friends and family can help, your routine should be customized to your personal life and activities. Making a daily routine and sticking to it requires discipline and drive — but it is going to be worth it. 

Why Is Having a Daily Routine Important for a Student?

Having a daily routine as a student is important because it can make the transition from home to college life smoother while also helping you keep track of all your classes, obligations, and activities.

When you begin life at college, the responsibility for your daily life and studies is on you. While your family is always just a phone call away, you have to take care of waking up on time, getting to your classes and appointments, and studying for your exams. Alongside your academic performance, you also need to think about taking care of your physical and mental wellness for the rest of your time in the US. 

Whether it involves setting aside time to study, eating your meals on time, or even exercising, making a list can help you organize your daily activities. You can even divide your schedule between daily, weekly, and monthly activities. This allows you to figure out how much time each activity needs and helps you plan your schedule accordingly. 

Remember that a healthy routine for a student not only focuses on reserving time for studies and academic activities, but also downtime and fun! Socializing with your friends, taking part in extracurriculars, and even just relaxing is just as important as your study and/or internship time. Creating a daily routine can help you balance these areas more effectively, allowing you to make the most of your time every day.

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Benefits of a Daily Routine

You may be wondering ‘what is the daily routine of a student’ and why is it so important? Here’s a quick look at the specific ways your daily routine can help you: 

Accomplish more — A routine helps you stay productive, as you have set times for different types of tasks. Challenging tasks can be made simple with a routine, especially when they are broken down into smaller parts that can be handled daily. For example, by having dedicated study time every day, you can avoid cramming for an exam at the last minute while also staying refreshed on the subject matter for your assignments and homework.

Improved mental health —Through your routine, you can organize time for everything you need to do, and this can help you avoid missing deadlines or worrying about not having time for other tasks. This can reduce your stress and anxiety which can lead to better mental health.

Stay well-rested — Apart from those occasional late nights out, if you follow a routine, you can aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. A solid six to eight hours of sleep can keep you more energized and refreshed throughout the day. 

Better physical health — Setting aside time to eat your meals and getting exercise is an important part of a healthy routine. By allocating time to these important tasks, rather than racing between classes and other activities, you can work toward keeping your physical health in good condition while you study.

To make the most of these benefits, your routine should be structured to give you plenty of time for each of your activities, from when you wake up to when you are ready to end the day. Let us take a look at what is the daily routine of a student.

A Healthy Routine for a Student

In many universities and colleges, the daily routine of a student is packed with classes, study time, campus jobs or an internship, spending time with friends, meals, extracurriculars, and more. While the exact routine will be different for every student, there are a few common factors you can start thinking about as you consider your own routine. Let’s look at the typical daily routine of a college student.

Wake Up Early

Set an alarm for a few hours before your classes start so you can prepare for your day. Waking up early gives you time to ease in to that day’s obligations and plan what you need to do, without having to rush to your classes immediately.

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

It’s tempting for busy students to grab a quick bite for every meal, but maintaining a balanced diet is very important for both your health and productivity. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! By starting your day with a healthy and filling meal, you will be energized and fueled up for the rest of the day. 

Build in Time to Exercise

As the saying goes, a fit body is a fit mind! Make time for physical activity every day to stay in shape and your mind alert. No matter your interests or current fitness, there is a wide variety of activities that may appeal, from rigorous workout regimens, yoga in your dorm, team sports or fitness classes, or even a simple jog around campus grounds. Choose the type of exercise that suits you and your lifestyle. 

Set Goals for the Day

Setting goals for the day pushes you to do your work faster and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you finish. By breaking down tasks and approaching them one by one each day, you can also avoid last-minute rushing, which helps your productivity and reduces potential stress.

You can also set long-term goals for the week, month, or semester ahead. These goals can focus on your career planning , networking, participating in extracurriculars, and more. You can work your way up to them, helping you prioritize where your efforts should be focused.

Go to Class

Your semester schedule may get packed with classes, electives, and other activities, so it could be easy to lose track of which classes you need to attend. Consider saving your class schedule on your phone or printing it out and posting it somewhere in your room so you always have a way to check it if you need to. 

Have a Consistent Study Schedule

Consistency is key, especially when it comes to your study schedule. It can seem tempting to put off studying and cram at the last minute, but this can be very stressful. Instead, consider setting aside time to revise and go through what you have learned in class every day. This way, you can retain the information that you are studying throughout the semester and keep up with any assignments and homework you have. Here are some additional study tips to help you get started.

Leave Time to Socialize

While it is important to stay focused on your degree program, college is also a time to have fun and expand your social circles. When studying in the US, you can make friends from all over the world and participate in a wide range of activities, cultures, and events. Make sure you set aside time in your routine to explore the city and meet new people!

Go to Sleep at the Same Time Every Night

Getting a good night’s rest is vital to your well-being. Going to sleep at a specific time consistently allows your body to adapt to your daily obligations and helps you rest better at night. By ending your day at 10 or 11 pm, you have plenty of time for a good night’s sleep and can still wake up early to prepare yourself for a new day.

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Final Notes

A daily routine of a student takes a lot of planning, but can be very helpful when you begin your journey in the US. A personalized routine can help you lead a stress-free and organized college life where you can balance studies, socializing, work, and anything else that interests you. Through your routine, you can adjust to your new environment and build up a sense of familiarity in your daily life that can help the US feel like your second home.

If you want to learn more about preparing a daily routine and which factors you should consider, reach out to a Shorelight advisor. Your advisor is ready to provide support across a wide variety of areas, including assistance with visas, scholarships , Optional Practical Training (OPT) support, and much more. 

Here’s how Shorelight can help you transition into campus life >

Services that set you up for success

• ― Detailed school information
• ― School match and compare
• ― Events calendar
• ― Advisory services
• ― Connect with students
• ― Comprehensive application review
• ― Localized entry requirements
• ― Rapid admissions turnaround
• ― Transfer services
• ― Timeline management
• ― Dedicated visa app guidance
• ― Visa interview preparation
• ― Pre-arrival checklist
• ― University-specific preparation
• ― International-friendly add-ons
• ― Airport pickup
• ― Dorm setup and bedding
• ― Campus orientation
• ― Cultural group outings
• ― Student advising
• ― Needs assessment and testing
• ― Transfer placement
• ― Academic counseling
• ― Customized English courses
• ― Virtual study programs
• ― Career preparation
• ― Upskill development
• ― Resume and cover letter prep
• ― Professional networking
• ― OPT placement

Master Your Time: The Ultimate Daily Routine of students for Productivity (2024)

Daily routines are the habits that act as the building blocks to shape a productive day. These habits and routines drive us towards our goals. And they also motivate us to achieve more in less time. A good daily routine of student sets the right mood and momentum to plan a high-performance day. It allows a student to prioritize tasks in order to manage his/her time and energy effectively.

Most of us try to create a healthy and balanced lifestyle. But again, it can be a tough task to establish everything in a daily routine. And stick to the daily plan all the time. Especially for students, routines, and structures are imperative to jumpstart a day. Because these habits help them to make the right use of time, in order to study and spare time for leisure as well.

Here’s a look at some effective and practical tips for daily schedules.

5 Benefits of a Daily Routine for Students

1.helps in being organized.

Setting a daily routine time table helps students to know, and understand the entire day plan well in advance. This gives them more time to prepare for each task/activity planned during the day. And eventually makes them more organized. Other than this advantage, being organized also allows more time for personal interests and hobbies.

2. Reduces Stress Levels

Stress is a common problem among students in India. And the recent example is the increase in their stress levels due to the pandemic disruption. A survey shows that 25% of students experienced average stress levels. 6% experienced severe stress. And 45% experienced mild stress.

Simple activities like maintaining a dairy called ‘my daily routine’ can reduce everyday stress levels. This is an incredible solution for students to battle with everyday stress. And an equally effective method to improve their mental health despite a hectic lifestyle.

3. Brings Down the Cognitive Load

Establishing a day routine of students also reduces the cognitive load (the functioning and use of memory resources). Research has proved that the tasks performed with less conscious thoughts do not add to one’s cognitive load. Habits, structures, or plans can make things easy and seamless. And the best part is that one can easily connect one activity/task with the other to optimize results.

4. Improves Self-Awareness

Eminent psychologists and speakers have reiterated the importance of self-awareness in improving one’s quality of life. Self-awareness is highly empowering as a crucial life skill. And by establishing practical routines, students can find time to introspect and reflect upon their real selves and their thought processes to be more self-aware.

5. Keeps the Body and Mind Healthy

Eating the right food is not the only way to keep one’s health intact. It also requires a planned approach to carry on daily activities to ensure sound mental and emotional health. Daily routine of student supports perfect day planning with enough scope for all other things that hold importance. 

Let’s explore more about the importance of creating these schedules for traditional/online school students.

What is the Importance of Establishing a Daily Routine for Students?

A daily routine time table helps the child to understand the importance of all the tasks. In this way, it helps the child to develop a balanced approach towards life. And also motivates to complete all tasks on time. Another great advantage is that the daily routine of a student at home is a fantastic way of keeping the child away from the habits of procrastination.

Children who know the importance of schedules are also likely to stay consistent and well-planned even in adulthood. They are also likely to be more productive adults. And have the potential to be great professionals with superior time management abilities.

What Is a Daily Routine of a School Student?

In general, a student’s daily plan starts with getting good sleep (recommended hours i.e. 7 to 8). The first part of the plan (around 6: 30AM) is obviously devoted to the morning chores (cleaning, washing, and dressing up, etc.). Breakfast time depends on whether the child prepares it himself/herself or if someone else is willing to prepare it.

Post the breakfast preparation, the student takes the first meal of the day. And leaves for school or attends an online class. After school hours around 2:00 PM or so, the student heads back home and takes the next meal. For many student’s afternoon time is good for a quick nap. And the early evening time is again devoted to homework followed by some play time.

The day ends with some leisure activity like watching TV or consuming content through a streaming platform. Before gaining to bed many students also read a book. And this is where the day ends.

Most daily schedules seem quite similar for many students. But again, there is still scope to make it more productive through some effective strategies.

How to Establish a Healthy Routine for a Student?

You can plan a realistic daily routine of student by segregating all important tasks into the following headers:

• Daily chores
• Self-study duration

Here’s a quick example of a daily routine time table for a school-going child.

A simple schedule like this can be used to help your child manage his/her time effectively. However, we can further make use of some tips to boost productivity.

Effective Tips to Boost a Student’s Productivity:

• Plan fun activities on weekends/holidays to get your child into the habit of getting up early even when there is no school.
• Nurture a habit of reaching all places in advance to avoid any late coming or procrastinating tendencies.  
• Get the child into the habit of jotting important points, such as to-do lists or checklists.
• Reinforce good behavior related to daily schedules. And never forget to appreciate sincere efforts.
• Never force skipping breaks or cut down on leisure hours to chase more productivity. This can lead to a negative approach to following schedules.
• Do not make adjustments (for unforeseen situations) a habit for the child.
• Involve the child in discussions related to these schedules.
• Do not imitate anyone’s schedule. And firmly stick to what goes well with your family.
• Take time to understand and be open to changes if your child finds it difficult to follow your plans. 

The Need to Plan the Daily Routine of a Student at Home

The pandemic has aggravated the pace of the eLearning industry. As a result, online schooling, distance learning, and hybrid learning are now quite popular among Indian students. 

Let’s look at a brief outline of the eLearning industry facts[P2]  (India):

As of 2020 :

• India had 700 million internet users.
• The eLearning industry’s market size was estimated to be around $735 million.
• By the year 2025, the industry is expected to grow 8 to 10 times.
• The number of active EdTech setups was 4,530 with 435 of these founded between 2018-2020.
• The value of the Indian online education market was 39 billion (in Rupees) in 2018. The same is estimated to be 360 billion by the year 2024. 

How to Plan the Daily Activities of a Student at Home?

Online schooling or self-studying options can be highly productive if we know how to make the most of these formats. You can create a planner for students who study from home. And to help them stay away from procrastination. Try to make use of simple tools such as Google Calendar, reminders , to-do lists, checklists, positive reinforcement techniques, etc. 

Final Thoughts

Routines are essential to make the most of our time and energy. Simple habits of creating daily routine of student can be a powerful support to your parenting journey. We hope this write-up helped you to gain valuable insights about creating these schedules. And their importance in a student’s life.

We all know that creating and following schedules certainly calls for dedication, commitment, and adherence. But many times, we need to remind ourselves that the actual key to make these plans a success is CONSISTENCY!

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What are the benefits of a daily routine? Daily plans/schedules improve one’s efficiency and productivity. These are also helpful in reducing everyday stress levels. And make the individual happier and more self-aware.
• How to create a healthy routine for a student? A good routine must balance the time of sleep, food, study, recreation, and some buffer time slots to make up for any unforeseen circumstances.
• How to manage the daily routine of a student at home? Parents/caregivers must take extra efforts to ensure that the child’s sleep, self-study, homework, and playtime is managed well. It is important to create practical schedules. And stick to it without too much leverage.
• What are some good daily activities for students? Activities like yoga, meditation, music, dancing, swimming, skating, and sports et. are quite helpful for students in most age groups.
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