What Is The Best Time To Do Homework?
A parent’s greatest pride is seeing their children succeed. Consequently, many channel millions of dollars into their education to give them a competitive advantage. But it’s not just finances. Parents also invest thousands of hours providing care, guidance, and counseling to their children to make them model citizens and prepare them for independent lives. While things seemed more effortless in the past, contemporary parents are confronting new challenges that make parenting extremely demanding. Today’s fast-paced world, for instance, has added an unimaginable workload to parents and students, making it difficult to balance the increasing demands of homework, after-school activities, and social engagements. Ironically, many learners find extracurricular activities more enjoyable than academic ones, making it harder for teachers to keep them engaged and focused. With many students lost in between, the big question in their minds is, “What time should I do my homework?” While there’s no straight answer to this question, we’ve put together this ultimate guide for you and your kids to draw the optimum homework schedule for academic success.
Why is homework scheduling important?
Well, we’ll be lying to say that any of us enjoyed doing our homework. While there can be a few patches here and there that bring absolute pleasure, the homework experience is generally a negative one for most learners. This is because it conflicts with family time, your relaxation schedule, favorite Tv programs, and evening neighborhood dramas. And if you grew up in a generation with few entertainment technologies, you’d understand just how evenings were packed with everything else but time for classwork. Yet, the importance of education forced parents and guardians to monitor and supervise their children’s homework, which was critical to the learning process.
As much as you might hate it, doing homework helps you practice and reinforce what you’ve learned in class. It’s imperative for learners who need to review notes and other materials to grasp concepts taught in a class entirely. You can’t enjoy these advantages without proper homework strategies.
According to reliable scientific studies, having a schedule helps many learners break down their work into manageable tasks, making them appear easier and doable. Procrastination is the biggest stumbling block to getting homework done. By subdividing work into small manageable chunks, students can complete them without breaking a sweat.
Another advantage of homework scheduling is that it can help learners develop time-management skills, which are crucial for success in school and beyond. You’ve heard it said that time is money. In our fast-paced world, learning how to manage your hours and minutes can be the difference between success and failure. Scheduling homework space instills this discipline in children at a tender age, enabling them to prioritize their tasks in the future, making them more efficient adults.
Additionally, having a consistent homework schedule is critical for child monitoring. Parents have a lot to handle in their daily programs. In fact, many have accused the increasing pressure to provide for denying guardians time with their children. This has become worse over the years, with some parents working several jobs, primarily leaving their kids in the hands of teachers. Without a predictable pattern, such guardians may not get involved in their children’s education at all. However, with one, they can monitor their progress and identify areas where they may need additional support. Even when pressed for time, knowing what your child is working on allows targeted assistance, which is vital for young learners to be on track to achieving their academic goals.
What factors should you consider when scheduling homework?
Every human is unique. So are homes and families. Whatever works for you might not be suitable for any of us. At the same time, that which works for a family in the Bronx may not work for one in the suburbs. Personal, social, economic, and political differences always make our situations unique, requiring customized solutions. This is the same with studying. You cannot copy and paste a homework schedule and get optimal outcomes. So, how do you go about it? Here are a few considerations:
Learning style
People prefer different study times. While some are active and understand more in the morning, others do so in the evening. Still, some learners only enjoy midday reads. Not forgetting night owls who would rather cover their materials in the thick of the night. As a learner, scheduling your homework when you’re most alert and focused is critical.
Extracurricular commitments
You’ve probably heard the proverb, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” And it’s true. The value of extracurricular activities to children’s development can’t be overstated. The good news is that most parents allow their kids to indulge in some beneficial activities after school, including games, music lessons, arts, and athletics, among others. These activities are just as important as solving a homework problem. Therefore, it’s crucial that you schedule your classwork around them. This will give you ample time to complete them without undue pressure.
Workload
Every day is not Sunday. There will always be school days with the extra workload and those with hardly anything to do. It’s critical to understand this to distribute your tasks accordingly. For instance, if there’s little to do, you can use the time for your extracurricular activities. However, on days with an extra workload, you can minimize the time for other things. Alternatively, you can spread your class demands to the weekends and holidays – this will likely deny you quality time with family.
Prioritization
Not every homework is equal. For instance, your history assignment may require less mental resources and time than coding and programming tasks. At the same time, your math homework may be more important to you than any other task, given your relationship with your teacher or your career goals. Prioritization minimizes the stresses surrounding how to start homework with a considerable workload. You’ll know what comes ahead, helping you save time and maintain a healthy school-life balance.
Deadlines
There will always be times when even the most intricate schedules can’t help. In fact, even the best homework tips you get aren’t foolproof. You must understand that time constraints can change everything. A person with two months in a semester to complete an assignment has scheduling freedom that one with only a weekend can’t afford. If your homework is due the next day, you must work in the evening, at night, or early in the morning before school. Whereas some will do the work in one sitting, others may choose to divide it into small manageable chunks as long as it’s completed by morning.
Study environment
Your study environment is critical to apprehending what you read. While a quiet and organized space minimizes distractions and promotes focus, helping you stay on track, a noisy and disorganized one is a hindrance. Furthermore, you’ll take longer to complete tasks in unfavorable environments. If you want to do more, prepare a comfortable and well-lit area that boosts productivity and enhances concentration.
Energy levels
Our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day. You might wake up weak and tired and end the day strong and highly motivated. On the contrary, someone else might wake up strong and hopeful, only to retire to bed extremely tired and wasted. Then there are those on an almost flat curve, not energetic nor weak. Regardless of your case, the best time to do homework is when you’re energetic and focused. If you feel like it, put aside your initial schedule and grind.
Personal strengths
Our in-built abilities determine our ability to complete tasks. This holds for both children and adults. Personal strengths such as excellent communication skills, strong problem-solving abilities, natural leadership qualities, resilience and persistence, attention to detail, creativity and innovative thinking, and positive attitude and optimism, among others, can shape how we understand things and respond to them. Therefore, it’s critical to carry out a self-autopsy to understand how our strengths can aid or hinder our progress. For example, while attention to detail is a powerful strength, it can make you consume several hours to complete simple assignments. On the other hand, if you excel in organization, you can prioritize tasks accordingly. Understanding yourself matters the most!
Breaks
While we understand that some people can work for hours on end, this isn’t a healthy trend to promote. Studies have shown that the human brain loses concentration and registers decreased performance after extended usage. Having a rest is critical to replenishing it and improving its creativity. Therefore, you must fight the urge to complete your assignments in one long sitting. If you must do so, introduce multiple short breaks in between. This will help you stay focused and avoid burnout.
Be flexible
Flexibility is a key factor when it comes to completing class assignments. As already discussed, you might be a night owl, an early bird, or a high breed, preferring different times of the day or night to do your homework. While you’re encouraged to stick to what works best for you, don’t be rigid. So, in case you’re asking, “When then should I do my programming homework?” The answer is simple, choose your most productive time and place, and be flexible. While rigidity is limiting, flexibility allows you to adjust when unexpected events arise, ensuring that you still fulfill your homework duties.
Common mistakes to avoid when scheduling homework
Even the most accomplished learners sometimes struggle to identify the best time to do homework in college. This is because so many variables are involved in making the decision. While there are innumerable formulas and iterations to adopt, the following are some of the common mistakes to avoid:
Procrastination: Don’t wait until the last minute to start working on your homework. This will attract undue pressure and frustration.
Underestimating the time needed: While some tasks may seem simple, you’ll be surprised how demanding they are once you start working. Therefore, respect every task and allocate adequate time.
Overloading one day: Rome wasn’t built in one day. Spread your work over a long period unless the deadline doesn’t allow it.
Not accounting for unexpected events: As it’s often said, sh*t does happen. Therefore, account for the unexpected, e.g., a medical emergency, electricity shortage, crashed laptop, etc.
Multitasking excessively: You can’t do everything at once. You’ll either do a shoddy job or fail to complete some tasks. So, allocate each duty its time!
Neglecting self-care: Life has so many beautiful things to offer. Avoid limiting it to classwork and home chores. Focus on yourself. Groom and care for yourself!
Failing to review and revise your schedule regularly: It’s important to reevaluate and establish what works for you and what doesn’t. That way, you can improve and be more efficient.
Schedule and reschedule for success!
Creating homework time, plan, and environment is essential for academic success. Apart from developing vital time-management skills, you can establish healthy studying habits, become organized, and be more creative. However, creating a successful homework schedule is demanding and challenging. It requires considering learning style, after-school activities, study environment, workloads, and skills, among other factors, which can be difficult to balance. The tips we’ve provided herein could be helpful if you’re stuck. However, remember to be flexible and reevaluate your schedule frequently.
