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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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How to Focus on Homework and Actually Get Things Done: 12 Hacks for Busy Students

• September 15, 2022

Chances are, you’ve had some days when you felt overwhelmed after a long day at school. You couldn’t imagine doing anything other than plopping down in front of the television, let alone finding out how to focus on your homework. 

How can you overcome the resistance and get it done? How do you get your mind to include this task in your day as well?

With just a few adjustments, you will be able to expand your capacity to concentrate.

Why Can’t I Focus on My Homework?

Countless factors constantly fight for your attention : social media, people, overthinking, and anxiety. All of this can make you feel as though you have little control over your mind. 

If you want to start to focus better on your homework, you’ll need to set your mind up for success. Remove all distractions .

Here are two key principles that can help you be more successful in your studies:

1. Identify the distractions in your surroundings

What are the things in your daily life that take your mind away from your studies? Clearly identifying these distractions can help you understand both the problem and what causes it.

Among our environmental distractions, digital distractions are one of the worst kinds, and according to a number of studies , their effect is on the rise in the classroom.

If you’re looking to gain more concentration and, thus, form better study habits, question your online behavior first and foremost.

2. Limit the use of technology to find focus

What’s the role of social media in your daily life? Have you ever sat down to calculate how social media distracts you from doing the things you should be doing?

When you are wondering how to focus on homework long after you’ve put your phone away, you’re still thinking about the last posts you saw on Instagram. The sound of new notifications can be enough to reroute our attention from the task at hand.

And then comes the information overload, the fear of missing out, and the all-too-common signs of addictive behavior. Technology is affecting your mind more than ever, and it’s taking your focus away.

How to Focus on Homework: 12 Things You Can Do to Be More Indistractible

Here are 12 tips on how to stay focused while completing your homework, taught by superbrain coach Jim Kwik and habit transformation expert Nir Eyal .

• Make a routine
• Set up a study-friendly environment
• Avoid heavy meals
• Organize your study notes
• Tell others to stay away
• Listen to study music
• Set deadlines
• Take brain breaks
• Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
• Use time blocking
• Let go of thoughts that distract you
• Reimagine your task

Let’s look at each study hack in more detail.

1. Make a routine

Routines help you be productive without exerting as much effort. When you have homework to do, a study routine can be the reason you actually sit down, set enough time aside, concentrate, and stay focused until you complete the project.

This process doesn’t need to be complicated: just tell yourself that you will sit at your desk at home once you’re back from school. Put your phone on silent, make an outline of the work that needs to get done, and simply begin with what’s most important.

2. Set up a study-friendly environment

A place for everything and everything in its place. That applies to studying, too.

Lying in bed with your notebook is considered a distraction, as is being in the living room with your laptop while others are doing their activities.

You need an isolated place when you decide to focus on your homework. Make it feel comfortable, keep it organized, keep it clean, and consider putting up some motivational posters or positive affirmations .

3. Avoid heavy meals

It’s not advisable to have a big meal beforehand. Big meals can ruin your focus and make you feel sluggish and lazy because it takes a big amount of time and energy for your body to digest. A snack is okay.

There are also some foods , though, that are just plain bad for your productivity. For example, soda, candy, and fried foods are all full of sugar and have no nutritional value. They make your insulin spike up, but then it crashes very fast, which makes you feel depleted of energy.

4. Organize your study notes

Prioritize your work. Keep lists and place the most important items on top. Then work on the items that you should get done first.

It helps to outline what you need to do, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Use colors to highlight the essentials . 

This makes it all look much simpler and you’re more likely to actually get started. The brain loves organization and it won’t be so likely to procrastinate when it knows you have a structure set in place.

5. Tell others to stay away

Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day.

If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well. 

6. Listen to study music

There are many tracks out there designed to help your mind focus. Whether you use binaural beats or just instrumental music, the right sounds can really help to tune your brain into a productive frequency.

This meditation is also great to listen to; it puts your mind in a clear, concise, and ready-to-take-on-the-world mode:

7. Set deadlines

Even if your teacher has already given you deadlines for each assignment, set new ones yourself at earlier dates.

This helps you build discipline, learn how to focus on studying, and prioritize every day.

8. Take brain breaks

Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different —  you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.

You can also use the Superbrain Yoga Technique. In the Superbrain Quest, Jim talks about implementing it during your breaks. It goes as follows:

• Massage the left lobe of your ear with your right hand, and the right one with your left hand
• Inhale and squat down
• Exhale and come back up while continuing massaging your opposite ear with the opposite hand
• Keep going for a few minutes

As your body moves, your brain grooves. — Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest

9. Use discomfort as motivation for productivity

The brain is wired to protect us from danger, and our ancestors needed this function of the psyche to survive. Discomfort is associated with danger, and whenever they felt it, they knew it was time to run away or protect themselves in one way or another.

In today’s world, danger isn’t so imminent. However, discomfort is, and the brain still works to protect us in the same way. 

So why not use it to your advantage?

Once you have this mindset shift, you can see the discomfort that comes with doing your homework as fuel for moving forward, from pain to pleasure. So instead of procrastinating and avoiding the discomfort, just use it as motivation to get things done.

And maybe you can even save yourself a fun activity to do later in the day, so you have something to look forward to.

10. Use time blocking

You can use time blocking and set a specific amount of time for parts of your homework that needs to be done. For example, you block 30 minutes of reading, then another 30 minutes of writing down highlights from the text. 

This method will give you more structure and support you when you need to focus on school work, as you will have a dedicated structured time to do so.

11. Let go of thoughts that distract you

When you need more concentration, but your thoughts keep getting in the way, here’s a fun visualization exercise you can use:

• Before you start working on your homework, close down your eyes and imagine a flowing river in front of you. 
• Now, place every thought on a leaf and let it run down the river while watching it move away from you. 

Do this repeatedly for 5-10 minutes and see how your mind becomes clearer, more productive, and more inspired.

12. Reimagine your task

How can you make the process of doing your homework more fun? Is there any way you can think of to make it more exciting and engaging?

As you introduce play and fun into any task, your capacity to stay focused will increase. So just try out different methods to engage more in your homework. 

For example, what if you made a trivia quest about your history lesson homework? Or what about riddles to make you remember all the characters from the novel you have to read? 

Once you play around with these kinds of games, you might find that focusing on your homework isn’t as boring as you thought it would be.

Unleash the Power of Your Focus

Discovering how to focus on your homework can go beyond schoolwork and actually support you in many other activities you want to do. Concentration is one of the best skills to nurture for your growth.

If you need a little guidance at the beginning of your focusing journey, Mindvalley has it in store for you. 

By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can check out sample classes from quests that help you develop better focus and study habits, such as Becoming Focused and Indistractable by Nir Eyal and Superbrain by Jim Kwik. You can also immerse yourself in beautiful sounds and guided meditations designed to improve concentration and help you enter the flow state.

The earlier you start, the greater your journey of self-discovery will be. Welcome in.

— Images generated on Midjourney.

Recommended Free Masterclass For You

Discover Powerful Hacks to Unlock Your Superbrain to Learn Faster, Comprehend More and Forget Less

Join the foremost expert in memory improvement and brain performance, Jim Kwik, in a free masterclass that will dive into the one skill you will ever need — learning how to learn Reserve My Free Spot Now

Alexandra Tudor

Jim Kwik is the trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain and Super Reading quests. He’s a brain coach and a world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance. Known as the “boy with the broken brain” due to a childhood injury, Jim discovered strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance. He is now committed to helping people improve their memory, learn to speed-read, increase their decision-making skills, and turn on their superbrain. He has shared his techniques with Hollywood actors, Fortune 500 companies, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson to reach their highest level of mental performance. He is also one of the most sought-after trainers for top organizations like Harvard University, Nike, Virgin, and GE.

How we reviewed this article:

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Daniel Wong

How to Get Motivated to Study: 23 Tips for Students Who Procrastinate

Updated on July 14, 2023 By Daniel Wong 147 Comments

Is it hard for you to get motivated to study?

Let’s face it…

It’s so easy to watch one more video or to scroll through your social media feed one more time.

But your exams are approaching.

You have a rising sense of panic, but you don’t know where to begin. The more you panic, the harder it is to get to work.

If this is the situation you’re in, keep reading.

In this article, I’m going to explain 23 proven strategies that successful students use to motivate themselves to study.

Get ready to say goodbye to procrastination!

This article is 3,000 words long, so I’ve created a PDF summary for your convenience. Enter your email below to download it. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus 7 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to motivate yourself to study.

When you’re feeling unmotivated, taking the first step is usually the hardest part.

Here are the best ways to motivate yourself, so you can study productively .

1. Discover why you procrastinate

Procrastinating on your schoolwork  is a complex problem that can have many different causes.

Here are some of the most common:

• You’ve convinced yourself that your homework is beyond your abilities
• Putting off your homework is a way of rebelling against your parents or teachers
• You’ve decided the topic is boring
• You’re waiting for the “perfect” time to start
• The task has become so overwhelming that you don’t know where to start

Understanding why you procrastinate is a key first step to getting motivated.

Spend some time reflecting on what makes you procrastinate. This will enable you to identify which of the following tips will help you the most.

2. Break the material down into chunks

A major cause of procrastination is that the task ahead seems overwhelming.

That’s when you need to “chunk down”. Break down each task into small chunks.

Assign yourself a certain number of those chunks each day. Suddenly, you’re no longer faced with a scary task, but rather a series of manageable chunks.

A chunk might be reading two pages of your textbook, completing five multiple-choice questions, or finding four reference articles on the Internet for your paper .

3. Reward yourself

Every time you complete one or two chunks, reward yourself with a short period of relaxation.

It could be five minutes on your favourite smartphone game, a short walk, or playing the guitar.

Rewarding yourself with short and enjoyable breaks is a key part of the “chunking down” technique.

4. Create a study routine

We’re creatures of habit.

Bad study habits are easy to fall into, but you can also develop good study habits to help you keep up with your schoolwork.

If it’s a challenge for you to get motivated to study, you can put this principle to work for you.

Habits are so powerful that once you develop a study routine, you’ll find it difficult to go into relaxation mode without studying.

How should you go about creating a study routine?

The first thing to do is to set up a study schedule (see Tip #14).

Be aware, however, that habits aren’t formed overnight.

Research indicates that it typically takes 20 to 30 days to form a habit. So you’ll have to put in some work before this technique pays off.

5. Be clear about why you want to get good grades

One of the best ways to get motivated to study is to be very clear about why you want to get go o d grades in the first place.

Make a list of the reasons you want to do well academically.

Here are some typical reasons:

• I want to learn more and develop myself
• I want to develop the habit of pursuing excellence
• I want to become a more focused and disciplined student
• I want to get into a good school or programme
• I want to have a meaningful career
• I want to provide well for my family and my parents in the future
• I want to know that I gave it my best shot
• I want to live with no regrets

Write down your own list of reasons for studying hard, and put the list at your study desk.

Then, when you’re feeling unmotivated, read the list one more time.

6. Use a mind map to organise the information

If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve been taught to use lists to summarise information. A classic example is to-do lists.

As such, it may seem natural to use lists to summarise the information you’re studying.

But there are times when mind maps are more effective than lists as a way of organising information.

Because mind maps mimic how the brain works.

When you create a mind map, you’re mapping out the way your brain has processed a certain topic.

This makes it easier to get a handle on the topic. It’ll also make it easier for you to retrieve that information when you need it.

You can create a mind map using pen and paper. But if you prefer to do it on your phone, tablet or computer, you can use an app like SimpleMind .

7. Make a “boring” subject interesting

When you find it difficult to study because the subject is “boring”, ask yourself:

“Is the subject really boring, or does it seem that way because I have closed my mind to it?”

As G.K. Chesterton once said: “There are no boring subjects, only disinterested minds.”

If you think a subject is boring, try to engage with the subject by asking yourself questions.

When was this technique or theory developed?

Who developed it?

What problem did it solve?

How would the world be different today if not for this technique or theory?

If you ask the right questions, you can make any subject interesting.

8. Understand the topic, don’t just memorise it

One of the keys to effective studying is to develop an understanding of a topic rather than just memorising facts.

In some situations, rote memorisation may be necessary.

But, in general, the more years you spend in school, the more you’ll be expected to understand relationships and connections between different concepts.

This will require you to apply principles to a given set of facts or to draw conclusions from a given set of facts.

Understanding a topic is far more rewarding than memorising it. So this approach to studying is not only more effective – it will keep you motivated.

9. Look for gaps in your understanding

Try giving a mini-presentation on a topic to a friend or relative. You can do this in a formal way, or you could simply talk to them about the topic.

By doing so, you’ll deepen your knowledge.

But you’ll also realise quickly if there are gaps in your understanding of the topic.

As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

10. Study in short bursts

Research shows that we learn better when we study in short bursts.

It’s called “ spaced learning ”, and the theory behind it is that learning involves the creation of memories.

Memories are formed through links between neurons. In order for these memories to become embedded, the neurons have to be left undisturbed for a period of time.

That’s why we learn better in short bursts of studying. This approach gives the neurons time to “lay down” these new memories.

Read on to Tip #11 to learn about how to put this tip into practice.

11. Use the Pomodoro technique

If you want a system for studying in short bursts, try the Pomodoro technique.

Francesco Cirillo invented the technique in Italy in the late 1980s.

Using a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato (“pomodoro” means tomato in Italian), he found he could concentrate better by studying in short stretches.

Here’s how to apply the Pomodoro technique:

• Decide on the task that you’ll work on
• Set the timer for 25 minutes
• Work on the task
• Stop working when the timer rings
• Put a checkmark on a piece of paper
• If you have fewer than four checkmarks, take a 3- to 5-minute break, then repeat from Step 1
• After four pomodoros, take a 15- to 30-minute break
• Draw a line through the four checkmarks and start counting your checkmarks afresh

There are lots of apps to help you apply the Pomodoro technique and become a student who’s better at time management . Here are some of the best apps out there .

12. Don’t expect to feel motivated all the time

Strangely enough, one of the best ways to deal with a lack of motivation is to stop expecting to feel motivated all the time.

The fact is that no one feels motivated all the time.

So don’t rely on feeling motivated in order to get the work done.

Sometimes the motivation just won’t be there.

That’s why you need a study routine and study habits , because systems always beat motivation.

13. Exercise your brain

To get motivated to study, you need to train your brain. Think of your brain as a muscle.

Developing your ability to focus is like training to be a world-class sprinter.

It’s all about consistency and making gradual progress.

Continually exercise your brain, even when you’re not studying.

You can do this by reading, thinking through challenging world issues, doing puzzles, or journaling.

The greater the variety of ways in which you train your brain, the stronger and more flexible your brain will become.

There are also various websites with exercises designed to train your brain. Here are three popular ones:

• NeuroNation

Just as with a physical workout, a key part of training your brain is rest and recovery. So make sure that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night (many students even need 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night).

Nutrition is another important aspect of training your brain.

The brain needs certain fatty acids in order to function optimally. You can get these fatty acids from eating nuts, avocados and salmon. Other brain foods include:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Pomegranate juice
• Dark chocolate

14. Organise your time

The act of creating a study schedule is a form of commitment, so it will help you to stay motivated.

Here are some useful steps in creating a study schedule:

• For each subject, make a list of the tasks you need to complete in order to be ready for the exam
• Download a study schedule template and block out the times you have available each day to study
• As far as possible, choose blocks of time that are the same each day (e.g. 3:30pm to 5:30pm) so that your study schedule is easy to remember
• Create a daily plan which lists the most important tasks to be completed for the day

Review your study schedule at the end of each week.

Assess whether you’re on track to reach your study goals by exam time. If you’re not, adjust your schedule by finding additional blocks of time for studying.

15. Study in a group

Many students find it motivational to study in a group.

Of course, it’s crucial that you find the right students to join the study group. These students should have the desire to learn the material well and get excellent grades .

I recommend that the study group have no more than four students. If the group is larger than four, it tends to become distracting.

Studying is more fun in a group.  It also gives everyone a sense of accountability.

When you study in a group, you can make commitments to each other related to new habits you want to develop, or bad habits you want to break.

But the benefits of studying in a group don’t stop there.

When you study in a group you can pool your notes together and get much better notes than any one person could possibly produce.

Also, studying in a group takes advantage of the fact that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. If there’s a concept you don’t understand, chances are that someone in your group will be able to explain it to you.

16. Make learning active, not passive

Passive learning is where you try to absorb information and knowledge. It’s based on the idea that you’re an empty vessel waiting to be filled.

But research shows that this isn’t the best way to learn.

We actually construct knowledge by integrating the new material with what we already know and have already experienced.

So if you want to learn a new topic quickly and effectively, use as much active learning as you can.

Examples of active learning are:

• Finding applications of the new topic in your own life
• Doing case studies where the new ideas or theories are put into a specific context
• Doing group projects
• Reviewing and commenting on the work of your friends
• Thinking of ways to apply concepts to problems you come across

17. Schedule relaxation

This may seem obvious, but when your focus is studying for an upcoming exam, it’s easy to forget that you need time to relax.

Remember Point #10 and “spaced learning”?

We learn new information by creating memories. But those memories need time to be formed. That means having gaps between learning spurts.

In short, you need to schedule relaxation to recharge and learn better.

18. Exercise regularly

When you’re focused on studying for a major exam, it’s common to overlook exercise.

But, as far as possible, get 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

This is because regular exercise is vital if you want to study effectively and stay motivated.

Aerobic activity, such as swimming, jogging or walking, sends oxygen, blood and nutrients to your brain.

This helps you to think and concentrate.

Research even shows that short periods of light exercise immediately after studying improves the recall of new information.

19. Visualise yourself doing the task successfully

If you’re having trouble with a particular task, visualise yourself completing that task successfully.

Sports psychologists have long known about the power of visualisation as a technique for accomplishing difficult tasks.

Visualisation uses the “theatre of the mind” to mentally rehearse completing challenging tasks.

It works by laying down neural pathways in the brain. When you repeatedly visualise yourself completing a task, it makes it easier to perform the task in reality.

So spend a few minutes every day visualising yourself successfully completing your various study-related tasks – especially if you find them daunting.

20. Remind yourself that this won’t go on forever

Studying for exams can seem like an endless marathon, but it does have an end date.

Remind yourself of this, particularly on days when you feel overwhelmed or unmotivated.

Telling yourself that “this won’t go on forever” will allow you to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel.

But it will also make you study harder, because you know that you have urgent tasks at hand.

21. Focus on the process, not the result

When you’re studying, it’s often difficult to see the fruit of your labour, especially at the beginning.

That’s why you should focus on the process, not the result.

Did you complete most of your planned tasks today? Congratulate yourself.

Did you stick to your study schedule in general today? Maintain your focus .

Did you put your phone in another room when you were studying, so you wouldn’t be distracted? Keep it up.

Remember, it’s habits that you’re trying to form.

If you get the process right, the results will follow.

22. Get rid of distractions

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many students try to study with one eye on their textbook and the other eye on their social media feed.

It’s almost as if they want to be distracted.

List all the common distractions you face when you’re studying. Do your best to eliminate every single one of them.

For example, you could:

• Turn off your Internet access
• Put your phone on flight mode
• Put your phone in another room
• Mute your group chats
• Use earplugs
• Delete all the games on your phone, tablet and computer

23. If you don’t feel like starting, set a timer for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the hardest part of anything is simply starting.

But the fear of doing something is almost always worse than the actual doing. Once you start, you’ll find it wasn’t as bad as you thought.

The same applies to the fear of learning . If you don’t feel like getting to work, set a timer for 5 minutes.

You can tell yourself that once those 5 minutes are up, you can stop work.

But, in all likelihood, you would have got some momentum going, so you’ll continue.

I hope these words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe will inspire you:

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

The keys to getting motivated to study are organising your time and work, and knowing how to use your mind effectively.

That’s what I’ve shown you in this article: 23 tips for organising your time, developing the right mindset, and using your brain in the most efficient way possible.

(Download the free PDF below to learn 7 bonus tips.)

Follow these tips for studying smart – not hard – and you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a successful student who doesn’t procrastinate!

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

April 28, 2018 at 2:41 pm

Love your ideas! especially “Break the material into chunk”, “Mind map”,”Make boring topics to interesting”, These guidelines are really effective to my studying plan. Hope you will write more books pertaining to academic excellence as I am looking forward .Kudos to you for sharing!!

April 28, 2018 at 3:06 pm

Glad you like the article!

April 7, 2019 at 11:59 pm

The article is so powerful. Great ideas Mr.Wong you’ve changed lives.

July 3, 2019 at 8:36 am

Great article, I am sure it will help me with my students.

April 26, 2019 at 9:05 pm

thank you so much this is gonna change my life

April 27, 2020 at 10:07 pm

Thank you very much am sure after reading this articles now I can say goodbye procrastination. Thanks

December 16, 2020 at 4:23 pm

August 18, 2019 at 2:57 am

Thanks a lot!

November 7, 2019 at 9:13 pm

before i used to study all day and i used to be a topper..but due to games my grades went on falling…my parents also face few business problems right now but they try their best to make me feel complete..today i felt all this and i wanted to change..so i came up to this website and went through all the tips…thanks bro and my exam are coming up..hope i do well…also before coming here i was going to open a video game but i stopped myself..i will try my best!!!

April 5, 2020 at 1:17 pm

Video games are the worst distraction 😂

April 8, 2020 at 5:29 pm

im the worst distraction

May 10, 2020 at 5:47 pm

haha..u wish!

April 23, 2021 at 1:32 pm

January 29, 2021 at 10:22 pm

Thank you so much for this content. This is the best article that I’ve read related to this subject. It is so useful.

August 8, 2020 at 1:18 am

Same here bro, I am a topper but also a pc gamer. I just don’t want to fail but I don’t want to stop playing also. But after reading this I will surely control gaming.

November 29, 2020 at 12:17 am

Hi bro do you study these days like when you read this for the first time and can you tell me some of the tips which you used to stop wasting your time

May 10, 2021 at 2:58 am

Man i have same situation, It looks you are my reflection. Reader: does it really happen in this world

July 10, 2021 at 10:24 pm

Even though i study all night i dont get good marks

April 16, 2020 at 5:11 pm

This increased interest in me to study

May 24, 2020 at 10:32 pm

this is the best thank u for helping us

October 15, 2020 at 3:04 am

January 16, 2021 at 10:42 am

Thanks.. Obviously everyone who visits this site is the one who has same issue of procrastination and wasting time.. All comments same lols

November 25, 2020 at 9:42 pm

Thanks for the guidelines, Mr. Wong.

December 15, 2020 at 10:30 pm

Wow I really liked it Thanks!

April 30, 2021 at 2:22 am

I am really thankful to you sir . This article gives me goosebumps. I hope it will definitely change my life for good

November 19, 2018 at 12:27 pm

I agree! This was very helpful and I will use it as a future reference!

November 24, 2018 at 12:52 am

July 18, 2019 at 2:43 am

Thanks a lot

March 15, 2020 at 1:17 am

Thank you much Daniel. Like a flow chart, the brain mapping is going to work wonders for connecting the subjects of my study.

November 26, 2020 at 1:31 am

Thanks for the help bro 🤜

December 11, 2020 at 8:20 pm

I became addicted to video games… soon after that my grades started falling… I’m currently in one of the best schools in the country but I’m the worst student in the class. I don’t know what to do… I literally can’t study anymore like I used to… hope this is gonna help me.

April 3, 2021 at 6:57 pm

Hi, maybe do not pressure yourself too much. I’m no pro but maybe setting your goal to get better scores than the second worst at first and then go rank higher each time, like levelling up. It can be fun and motivational.

Don’t play too much that you won’t sleep and eat properly. (Important bro) If gaming has become your life then think of your brain as a cpu and school a tryhard game and exam a high boss.

May 3, 2018 at 2:10 am

Very useful tips Thank you doctor

May 3, 2018 at 8:49 am

You’re welcome, Sulaiman.

May 13, 2018 at 5:08 pm

nice i have encouraged by you

May 13, 2018 at 10:12 pm

You’re welcome!

June 28, 2019 at 4:23 am

August 21, 2018 at 4:53 pm

Thank you doctor it will really help me

September 3, 2018 at 7:22 pm

Really this helped me a lot….thanks for your motivational tips and i loved that tip on bored subjects…Ones again thanks a lot Daniel..love you

September 17, 2018 at 1:06 pm

Nice blog, Thank you for shear this information, It’s very helpful for me and everyone.

October 16, 2018 at 3:48 pm

Love these tips….. Best ones I’ve come across so far hands down 🙂

October 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

Hi I am Hasin…and I am really struggling due to lack of concentration…I have only 5 months left for a crucial examination and I can’t seem to concentrate even a little bit…I read the article and feel somewhat motivated..But I am not quite sure whether I can actually convert myself from what I am right now…I am really very tensed…I just hope this works out well for me…

November 18, 2018 at 11:17 pm

You don’t have to worry set your mind to it and focus, you will do better than you could ever imagine.

December 14, 2020 at 12:29 am

January 21, 2019 at 4:26 am

bro…….5month due 5months ……more than enough …….dont be worried you nerd

April 23, 2019 at 6:23 pm

How did the exams go?

October 21, 2018 at 8:13 pm

I’m having intrest to study…first my friend was helping me in studies I got first class in Al the semester..but now he is too busy because he is teaching others..if I start to study at that movement I can understand..after tat my mind will b blank..only 2weeks left for my semester examz what should I do now??

July 17, 2019 at 1:00 am

No brother u dont have any intrest in study .Ur fathers pays money to the college to ask dought their to more and more educated qualified proffesor thain ur friend .u suppose clear your doughts from professor. So if u really want to study hard be regular in college logoff from social media take urself out from the comfort zone ,if u did the same from that period u dont need friend their to teach u .thanku

November 4, 2018 at 9:30 am

Don’t worry everything will be alright just focus on your study.

November 10, 2018 at 4:00 pm

nice thoughts to fight challenging problems

November 14, 2018 at 9:00 am

Needed it right now. phew. Thanks!

November 16, 2018 at 1:05 am

Arigato Doctor. It really helps🙃

November 17, 2018 at 7:20 pm

I needed this. I’m quiet motivated. Thank you so much.

December 26, 2018 at 8:35 pm

Great tips! One of the most basic things that we need to understand is that each and every child has a different learning capacity and different learning style. Some child might grasp things quickly, while others may take time. In high school, more studying techniques are there which can help students to score well in exams.

December 27, 2018 at 12:26 am

I need to be a member

January 4, 2019 at 4:30 pm

Hey I’m feeling motivated by reading this. And some lf the tips are really perfect for me. I literally get fully help from this article.

January 9, 2019 at 3:43 am

Really this is very helpful I like all tips thank you so much

January 18, 2019 at 12:25 am

This feels really good and it helped me a lot too thanks much!

January 19, 2019 at 9:49 pm

Explained By Heart ! Thank You Sir..

January 25, 2019 at 9:02 pm

Thanks to your hurt opinion,Really its too good.

July 17, 2019 at 1:03 am

Yes ,I’m getting hurted as well.can u please share ur ideology. I want to write a book on that.plz😭😭😭😁😭😁😭😍

January 29, 2019 at 10:21 pm

This is really helpful…I have one of my most important exams in my life in April, but I have bit of lacks here and there. Though I know 2 months is a huge time if I try, but I was really lost about how to start, now I can see some light…..Thanks a lot, for sharing these awesome ideas.

February 5, 2019 at 4:47 pm

The best way to start the study is switched off your cell phone or handover it to your parents. Then other factors will automatically followed.

February 1, 2019 at 12:15 am

The best motivational article I have ever read.thanks and keep it up.

February 2, 2019 at 1:04 am

It is really a wonderful motivation it’ll help to those who are feeling like they can’t…I’ll surely implement this during my study holidays n I am sure that I’ll get the top most rank …tqs for motivation..

February 2, 2019 at 1:16 am

i have a studying anxiety,,,my exam wkll be in 2 months and still struggling in preparing for it 🙁 i have no motivation and start the day in the idea that i want to study but ending it the opposite and stressed all the time,,any helpful suggestions

February 8, 2019 at 5:13 am

-#9 is powerful!

February 9, 2019 at 7:49 pm

Thanks for the tips and ot was really helpfull and I hope that I get succesfull.

February 11, 2019 at 5:40 pm

Thanks for your most simple and effective ways. I feel things would be easy if one follows even 5 of the above.

February 12, 2019 at 12:09 pm

final exams coming up in 2 weeks and here i am… i re-read this article whenever i feel demotivated and it definitely shows me some light. its too late for me now, but i must say, the biggest distraction is definitely your phone. so guys just give them away to your parents or whom so ever, atleast when u r studying. and make sure u hv a nice and quiet study environment. take small breaks in between and keep ur table stocked on light and healthy snacks. dont stay up too late and get atleast 6 hrs lf sleep. i hv soo many tips from reading many articles but i fail to implement it on my own study routine. anyways, all the best u guys!!! 🙂

February 13, 2019 at 2:36 am

Really these are very helpful tips and the only thing is that we have to use these tips so that we will succeed

February 14, 2019 at 2:07 am

All of your tips are really helpfull and amazing . Thank you so much for giving us such a nice ideas to get rid of our troubles.It helps me alot .

Thanks once again.

February 22, 2019 at 10:43 pm

Hi, Good day. I thank you for the paper. But, to be honest, I can not find out exactly why I do not study. I always scored good grades, but I never remember to have a strange motive for studying. And rightly so now that I am justified by a fateful exam, I do not want to study at all I’ve gotten caught up with everything and there’s no incentive to move forward I see all my dreams and I have no interest in moving I do not know what I’m doing? Thank you, if you help me

February 24, 2019 at 12:19 pm

Thank u so much

February 26, 2019 at 1:47 pm

One of the best articles have come across!. Thank you so much sir!☺ Feeling much much better.🙏

March 4, 2019 at 2:52 am

Thank you so much for typing in such an amazing article or in fact all the helpful factors that we ever needed thank you once again.

March 5, 2019 at 2:46 am

Honestly it wasn’t really helpful for me cuz I’m studying Russian and it’s really boring but I can’t ask myself those questions to make it more interesting….

March 9, 2019 at 4:50 pm

very inspiring thoughts sir.thank you!

March 9, 2019 at 5:30 pm

for me it usually happens when i decide to miss a class or two and things pile up and i get more caught up in other things besides school. Once that point hits and midterms come around next week i have to try to cram up everything because it feels like i didn’t actually learn anything up until now, it was just memorizing for quizzes and doing small homework assignments. now even knowing what to study and having the material in front of me i don’t feel motivated at all. I am a senior in college now studying computer science. I hate trying to understand certain code or other things and I end up rereading my notes or things multiple times while thinking about something else (like how much i screwed up by taking days off class!)

March 10, 2019 at 1:52 am

Thank you so much Tip 05 wow motivated me alot… am about to start studying my books now thanks to you.

But hey I got a big problem ,I can’t concentrate when my phone is not here with me. I become disturbed cause i think of it all the time while studying what should do?

March 11, 2019 at 1:01 am

Great. All these tips are really based on real facts. thanks for sharing the details.

April 1, 2019 at 8:01 am

You’re right!

March 12, 2019 at 11:07 pm

I know that if I try I can actually good grade but i m not motivated enough to try I can’t seem to get my seldf into the mood of studying since I can’t study more than one day before cause my school gives a test every day two tests on Wednesdays and homework and above all that we are learning a new language and I’m really stressed out!! I really don’t know what to do!! Please help!!!!!

March 28, 2019 at 4:08 pm

This is the best article I’ve ever read regarding procrastination !!

April 1, 2019 at 7:59 am

Thank you for this tips. 😊

April 5, 2019 at 7:44 pm

Tq so much ,I just read it’s benefit for me ,I wish I Follow your tips ..

April 8, 2019 at 2:14 pm

Thank you sir, for your great motivation.

May 6, 2019 at 1:24 am

I LIKE THAT DANIEL WONG YOU ARE HARD WORKING.’!’

May 13, 2019 at 1:10 am

Hi,my name is Ada. i just have a month and a half left of school and they are full of exams and i just cant seem to focus i don`t know what i am doing wrong because i love studying and getting a good grade but know i just don`t care. and the worst part is i really want to become a doc but i am just not getting motivated to study

May 15, 2019 at 3:06 am

I like this . It is very helpful thx

May 17, 2019 at 3:04 am

I MUST STUDY HARD THAN THINK. IT IS GREAT SUCCES IN MY FUTURE. THANKS TO DR WONG

May 19, 2019 at 2:30 am

It was an amazing article!!!. After a long period of time i regained my motivation towards studies. Thanks for such a awesome and organized suggestion.

May 20, 2019 at 12:32 am

Lovely ideas. Feeling much more motivated

May 21, 2019 at 8:45 pm

So my exam’s the day after tomorrow and I’m sitting here reading motivational blogs…..what even is my life

June 11, 2019 at 5:17 pm

Excellent article!!! For past several weeks,I was looking up for some kind of motivation and this article helped me to regain my interest in studies.Thnks a lot

June 20, 2019 at 1:30 am

Really i thought i am not motivate by anyone but i m wrong. i m feeling pleasure at the moment this is a unique way to motivate and one of best essay in world

July 29, 2019 at 12:34 am

Although i am one of top 10 students of my own class but in routine its also hard for me to be motivated and concentrated daily. so thanks for such great advice , hope it will work.

August 20, 2019 at 2:46 am

Instead of studying I’m reading this article wow 😭

September 19, 2019 at 8:03 pm

Very interesting and effective ways….. Thank you for giving us this article…

October 1, 2019 at 4:53 am

this article will save my life

October 3, 2019 at 12:14 am

My mom doesn’t have much confidence in me so this was motivating and I really appreciate your efforts and hope I really do well this year

October 3, 2019 at 11:56 pm

Wow what an amazing article thanks for this precious article it is really helped to me a lot

November 20, 2019 at 2:16 pm

I love this read with our children. Thank you so much..

November 27, 2019 at 12:30 am

I want to study

December 7, 2019 at 1:46 am

thank you daniel for giving me wonderful information

December 18, 2019 at 11:14 pm

Before I came here, I was obsessed from playing minecraft. But my exams were going on. But after visiting here, I think I am kind of relieved now. Thanx Dr. Daniel Wong

December 20, 2019 at 2:42 pm

Such a beautiful article! Really helped !All the points are so inspirational. Thank God I found this

December 29, 2019 at 7:14 pm

Awesome article Daniel. All the points are spot on. This article is motivating to not only students,kids but also to adults as we are all students of life. Thank you .

December 31, 2019 at 8:34 pm

This article is very helpful for regular study to achieve a goal. Thanks so much!!!!

January 15, 2020 at 12:49 am

Hi Mr.Daniel ,I am Diana from Ghana. Waaaw this article is indeed a God sent to me ,and I was wandering how I’m I going to excel in my exams, but lool and behold got everything here.I really appreciate your efforts and hope that I will get good grades after my exams,God richly bless you.

January 16, 2020 at 2:55 pm

Thanks sir for your help

February 2, 2020 at 11:58 pm

I love ur idea this is amazing trick…to gain intreset in studies…it also helps in making study a daily routine…..9797663167 my whatsapp no. Plz text me there if u have more ideas

February 16, 2020 at 7:36 am

I really do hope this works for me cause I find studying boring🤦‍♂️

February 25, 2020 at 12:39 pm

I am Shwazz from Embu,Kenya …i used to perform brilliantly in my form one but my grades took a nose dive while in form two due to myself indulging into unhealthy friendship and loss of interest to study…am in my final year but the work i have to cover is too large so as to prosper but am not getting that inner instinct to study…..Please come to my rescue

March 2, 2020 at 12:42 am

thanks alot it gave me a hopefull start

March 31, 2020 at 4:53 am

wow now i will study

April 14, 2020 at 9:14 am

Great article. The article helped me to know why I am procrastinating and how to start writing my term papers. Thank you :)🙋‍♂️

May 7, 2020 at 3:11 am

Thanks a lot, you are doing the god’s work!!! I was wondering how to stop procrastinating my work as the exams are near. No 5 has helped me a lot. Can’t thank you enough!!!

May 7, 2020 at 4:12 am

i used to be brilliant student but now cause of fire age and my over confidence i lose my height and be medium class student and step by step i lose moral for studying so even foe tests and finals i dont feel anything so help me to have moral to study helppppp please

June 1, 2020 at 7:23 pm

thanks, doctor

June 8, 2020 at 10:49 pm

hi,,,,im actually preparing for one of the toughest exam in the world,JEE ADVANCE..people say your future is setteled after you get into iits…but my problem is i have no intrest in studies..i have other dreams but to fulfill my dream i have to be on safer side so i need to be in iit but i dont have intrest in studying,….. i know it is irritating for you to read my comment but just imagine how would i be feeling of all these stuff happening to me.. please help me out

June 26, 2020 at 4:36 am

Thank you doctor I appreciate your had work, you really get students issues during time of study.

July 5, 2020 at 11:30 am

The article is so amazing I’m really appreciating you Thank for this Mr.Deniel Keep it Up I am also attending your webminar…

August 19, 2020 at 8:40 am

I just don’t know what to do with myself. If someone motivates me or inspires me, i will remember it for hardly one day and after that i will forget everything and will start following the excuses of not studying. Till now i watched many motivational videos and read articles but i didn’t developed at all. I m just a dumb and boring girl. I think i will never succeed in life.

August 22, 2020 at 6:32 pm

Best motivational article i have ever read………………Thank you sir…

September 14, 2020 at 9:32 pm

I never like motivational articles but this was the best one I have ever read, thanks. Quick question, how can I avoid sleeping while studying?

September 21, 2020 at 4:39 am

In this time of the coronavirus, where we all are quarantined in the house, I am so stressed out… since we are having online classes, I am getting easily distracted through the internet… how should i stop this… hoping for the best.

October 8, 2020 at 7:00 am

Thanks a lot for this article, sir! I am a very competitive student, and I recently got a bad grade on a test and have been feeling low and unproductive, though I still have to do other homework and tests. This article has motivated me to start studying again!

October 19, 2020 at 6:21 pm

I just really wanna try your ideas. Actually I was a JEE main aspirant but really these days I am getting distracted. I will try your techniques to overcome the distractions.

November 2, 2020 at 3:37 am

Carla wants to get through university, and she knows she needs the degree to have a decent life, but she’s just not that into it. She’s never thought of herself as a good student, and that hasn’t changed much at Biust. She has trouble paying attention in those big lecture classes, which mostly seem pretty boring. She’s pretty sure she can pass all her courses, however, as long as she takes the time to study before tests. It doesn’t bother her to skip classes when she’s studying for a test in a different class or finishing a reading assignment she didn’t get around to earlier. She does make it through her first year with a passing grade in every class, even those she didn’t go to very often. Then she fails the second assessment in her first first year class. Depressed, she skips the next couple classes, then feels guilty and goes to the next. It’s even harder to stay awake because now she has no idea what they’re talking about. It’s too late to drop the course, and even a hard night of studying before the final exam isn’t enough to pass the course. In two other classes, she just barely passes. She has no idea what classes to take next semester and is starting to think that maybe she should drop out for now.

What do you think went wrong with Carla’s studies? What advice would give to her?

November 12, 2020 at 12:18 pm

It’s one of the best articles I have ever read! Hats off to you brother!

November 23, 2020 at 8:17 pm

Thanks for sharing, I love this article.

January 17, 2021 at 6:49 pm

What tip do you have for me having the highest motivation, but turning to GTA Chinatown wars?

January 26, 2021 at 5:31 pm

Thanks sir for providing such a motivating and informative post. I was searching for such an article to guide me on how to study better. Finally I found it here. Good luck to you!

February 6, 2021 at 11:30 pm

I’m going to give it a try Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

February 23, 2021 at 1:43 am

Thank you it is gonna change my life

February 24, 2021 at 9:44 pm

I really think the problem is not with the students but with the education system. It kills creativity and children’s interest.

March 10, 2021 at 2:59 am

Oh thank you bro

March 24, 2021 at 5:51 am

To be honest I’m a 10th grade student who isn’t going to school for months because of many school problems and my exams are very near and I started to think that even if I study nothing gonna change everything’s going to be ruined no matter how hard I study I can’t change the result but a huge THANKS to you that your article gave me way much courage and motivation that I felt really comfortable like my half of the problems are solved Thanks again

April 23, 2021 at 4:12 pm

Thanks for the great blog!

May 5, 2021 at 11:08 pm

this is so inspirational

May 31, 2021 at 1:43 pm

Thank you sir, It’s very helpful, all the aforementioned steps are so powerful and easy to change ones habit and improves ones interest. I was so passive in the last two months that I even didn’t touch my books and waste all my precious time on social media. But after reading this article, I feel more confident and motivated . It seems hard to start for the first time but I still remember the famous saying that “go to the last mile and enjoy it.” Thank you so much!

July 9, 2021 at 6:50 pm

Thank You For Sharing Valuable Information. Really This Was Very Informative Article.

March 10, 2023 at 9:17 pm

Hope it works out for me because I’m so restless when it comes to studying

October 3, 2023 at 7:56 am

thank you very much for all this information and advice , i am sure it will help me in my studies more

October 11, 2023 at 7:06 pm

Hello. This was an amazing article. You have changed my and Amber’s lives. We will now study a lot, maybe. Thank you sooo much.

November 26, 2023 at 1:00 pm

Thank you Daniel! Bookmarked a while ago, re-reading again. You make it easy to read/digest.

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Why Can’t I do My Homework With Solutions

• Post author By admin
• August 30, 2023

Struggling with homework? Explore common challenges for why can’t I do my homework. From procrastination to focus issues, discover how to tackle ‘Why Can’t I Do My Homework’ head-on.

Imagine this: You’re cozied up at your desk, surrounded by textbooks, with a daunting pile of homework staring you down. Your brain feels like it’s taken a vacation, and you can’t help but wonder, “Why can’t I do my homework?”

If that scenario sounds familiar, welcome to the club! We’ve all been there, and it’s like homework has this magical power to turn us into amateur detectives trying to solve the case of the vanishing motivation.

But here’s the good news: you’re about to embark on a journey to demystify the reasons behind the “homework struggle.” Think of us as your friendly tour guides, here to unravel the mysteries, expose the culprits, and offer you some killer strategies to conquer the homework conundrum.

So, get ready to uncover why homework sometimes feels like a cryptic puzzle and learn how to transform it from a dreaded chore into a manageable mission. It’s time to dive in, have some fun, and crack the code on “Why can’t I do my homework?”

Table of Contents

Why Can’t I Do My Homework?

There are numerous reasons why someone might struggle with completing their homework. Here’s a list of common factors that can contribute to the challenge of “Why can’t I do my homework?”

Overwhelming Workload

A heavy workload can leave students feeling buried under a mountain of assignments. For instance, imagine a high school student juggling multiple advanced classes, each assigning substantial homework.

The sheer volume of work can be intimidating and make it difficult to manage time effectively, leading to incomplete or rushed homework.

Lack of Motivation

When a topic doesn’t spark interest, motivation can dwindle. Consider a student who loves history but dreads algebra.

The excitement for history homework may result in diligent completion, while the algebra assignment might be delayed or avoided due to lack of enthusiasm.

Procrastination

Procrastination is the art of delaying tasks until the last possible moment. Take, for instance, a college student who decides to binge-watch a TV series instead of starting their term paper.

This can result in a panic-induced rush to complete the paper, often leading to subpar work.

Distractions

An environment filled with distractions, like a noisy dorm room or a bustling café, can hinder concentration.

For example, a university student trying to study for an important exam in a crowded coffee shop may struggle to focus amidst the cacophony.

Time Management Issues

Poor time management can mean allocating too little time for homework. Consider a scenario where a student spends too much time on social media or extracurricular activities, leaving minimal time for academic tasks.

Difficulty Understanding the Material

If a student struggles to grasp concepts from class, completing homework becomes an uphill battle. For instance, a high school student may find calculus homework challenging if they don’t comprehend the underlying principles taught in class.

Fear of Failure

The fear of not meeting expectations can create anxiety around homework. Imagine a college student afraid of disappointing their parents with low grades. This fear can paralyze them, making it difficult to start or complete assignments.

Personal Problems

Personal issues such as family conflicts or relationship problems can be emotionally draining. Suppose a high school student is experiencing family troubles; their emotional distress may make it nearly impossible to focus on homework.

Health Issues

Physical or mental health problems can impact the ability to concentrate on homework. For example, a college student dealing with depression may lack the energy and motivation to complete assignments.

Perfectionism

Striving for perfection can lead to excessive time spent on a single assignment. Think of a high-achieving student who meticulously edits and revises an essay, constantly second-guessing themselves and ultimately missing deadlines.

Lack of Resources

Insufficient access to study materials or a quiet study space can hinder homework completion. Suppose a student lacks internet access at home for research purposes; this limitation can impede their ability to complete assignments that require online resources.

Language Barriers

For students learning in a non-native language, understanding and completing assignments in that language can be especially challenging.

For instance, an international student may struggle with English-language assignments, leading to slower progress.

Negative Peer Influence

Peer pressure can tempt students to prioritize social activities over homework. Imagine a high school student invited to a party on a homework-heavy night; the temptation to attend the party may lead to incomplete assignments.

Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, may require specialized support to complete their homework effectively. Consider a student with dyscalculia attempting math homework without the necessary accommodations, which can result in frustration and incomplete work.

Teacher-Student Mismatch

Sometimes, a student’s learning style doesn’t align with the teaching style of a particular teacher, making homework more challenging.

For example, a student who learns best through hands-on activities may struggle with a teacher who primarily uses lectures for instruction.

Lack of Interest in the Subject

If a student lacks interest in a particular subject, they may find it hard to motivate themselves to do the associated homework.

For instance, a high school student passionate about literature may struggle to engage with physics assignments, leading to procrastination.

Lack of Support

Some students lack a support system at home or school and may not have someone to turn to for help when they’re stuck on a problem.

Imagine a middle school student without access to a tutor or supportive parents; they might struggle to complete challenging assignments independently.

Insufficient Feedback

Without timely feedback from teachers, students may struggle to understand their mistakes and improve. Consider a scenario where a college professor rarely provides feedback on assignments; students may miss the opportunity to learn from their errors, leading to repeated difficulties.

Test Anxiety

Worrying about upcoming tests can distract students from focusing on their homework. Think of a high school student with a major exam approaching; their anxiety about the test may lead to procrastination or difficulty concentrating on other assignments.

Environmental Factors

Living in a noisy or chaotic environment can make it challenging to concentrate on homework. For instance, a university student sharing a small apartment with roommates who frequently host loud gatherings may struggle to find a quiet space for focused study.

Lack of a Structured Routine

A lack of a structured routine can lead to inconsistency in homework completion. Imagine a college student without a regular schedule; their homework habits may become erratic, impacting productivity.

Financial Stress

Students facing financial stress may need to work part-time jobs, leaving less time and energy for homework.

Suppose a college student must work long hours to cover tuition costs; this can result in exhaustion and insufficient time for assignments.

Technology Addiction

Excessive use of technology for non-educational purposes can interfere with homework completion. Consider a high school student addicted to online gaming; this addiction may lead to prolonged screen time and delayed homework.

Lack of Rewards

When students don’t see rewards or benefits from doing their homework, they may question its value. Think of a middle school student who receives no feedback or recognition for completed assignments; this lack of positive reinforcement can diminish their motivation.

Excessive workload and high expectations can lead to burnout, making it impossible to approach homework with enthusiasm. Suppose a college student takes on a heavy course load, participates in extracurricular activities, and works part-time; this overwhelming schedule can result in burnout and reduced productivity.

These factors illustrate the diverse challenges students face when tackling homework. It’s essential to recognize that homework struggles are not uncommon, and they can result from a combination of these factors.

Identifying the specific obstacles at play is the first step toward finding effective strategies to overcome them and enhance the homework experience.

What to do if I can’t do my homework?

Have a close look at what to do if I can’t do my homework.

Prioritize tasks based on deadlines and difficulty. Break the workload into smaller, manageable chunks, focusing on one subject at a time.

Find ways to make the assignment more engaging. Connect it to your interests or future goals. Set rewards for completing tasks.

Set clear goals and deadlines. Use techniques like the Pomodoro method to work in short, focused intervals with breaks.

Create a dedicated study space free from distractions. Consider noise-cancelling headphones to block out external noise.

Use planners or digital tools to schedule study sessions and allocate time for each assignment. Stick to the schedule.

Seek help from teachers, tutors, or online resources. Break down complex topics into smaller, more understandable parts.

Shift your focus from perfection to learning. Remember that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Seek support from teachers or counselors.

Communicate with teachers about personal challenges. Consider counseling or therapy to manage emotional stress.

Prioritize self-care. Seek treatment if needed, and communicate with teachers about health-related limitations.

Set realistic goals and time limits for assignments. Aim for improvement rather than perfection.

Utilize online resources, libraries, and educational websites. Ask teachers for additional materials if necessary.

Seek language support resources, such as language classes or tutoring. Use language learning apps to improve proficiency.

Set boundaries with friends and communicate your homework commitments. Prioritize academic responsibilities.

Work with school counselors to access appropriate accommodations and support.

Adapt your learning style by seeking additional resources and discussing challenges with the teacher.

Find relevance in the subject by exploring real-world applications or connecting it to personal interests.

Reach out to teachers, classmates, or academic support services for assistance. Join study groups for collaborative learning .

Request feedback from teachers or peers, and actively seek ways to improve.

Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, before studying and tests. Seek test anxiety management strategies.

Create a peaceful study environment. Consider studying at a library or during quieter times at home.

Establish a daily routine that includes specific homework times. Stick to it consistently.

Balance work commitments with schoolwork. Seek support from school financial aid or scholarships.

Use apps and tools to block distracting websites during study sessions. Set screen time limits.

Set personal rewards for completing homework, such as enjoying a favorite snack or watching a short video.

Prioritize self-care, including sufficient sleep, exercise, and relaxation. Adjust your workload to prevent overexertion.

By tailoring these strategies to your specific challenges, you can significantly improve your ability to tackle homework effectively and reduce stress associated with assignments.

Remember that seeking support from teachers, counselors, or peers is a sign of strength, not weakness, and can be a valuable resource in overcoming these challenges.

Why wont my brain let me do my homework?

Ah, the age-old struggle of the brain resisting homework – we’ve all been there! Here’s why your noggin might be playing hard to get, and some tips to outsmart it:

If the homework feels about as exciting as watching paint dry, your brain’s probably hitting the snooze button. Try making it more interesting – relate it to something you’re into, or break it down into bite-sized, less yawn-inducing chunks.

If you’ve been in the procrastination party, your brain’s probably protesting your last-minute panic. Set a schedule, try the Pomodoro Technique (work for 25 minutes, break for 5), and chip away at it bit by bit.

In today’s digital circus, distractions are the headliners. Your brain might prefer cat videos to calculus. Create a study sanctuary, and consider apps that block Facebook or Instagram when you’re in study mode.

When the homework pile looks like Mount Everest, your brain’s understandably in panic mode. Prioritize your tasks, tackle them one by one, and suddenly, it feels like a series of small hills instead.

Lack of Understanding

If the material’s about as clear as mud, homework’s a no-go. Don’t hesitate to ask for help – teachers, tutors, and that nerdy friend are your allies.

Stress or Anxiety

Stress and anxiety can make your brain do a vanishing act when it’s homework time. Try some Zen techniques like deep breathing or a quick jog to shake off the nerves.

A tired brain’s like a grumpy toddler – it won’t cooperate. Ensure you’re well-rested, eating right, and staying hydrated. A happy brain is a productive brain.

Just remember, homework resistance is a universal experience. The trick is finding your unique hacks to outsmart your brain’s games and make the homework mountain a molehill. You’ve got this!

Why can’t I just do my homework ADHD?

Why is it so darn tough to buckle down and tackle homework when you’ve got ADHD in the mix? Well, let’s break it down.

Attention Difficulties

With ADHD, concentrating on a single task can feel like herding cats. Homework might seem about as interesting as watching paint dry, making it extra tough to stay focused.

Impulsivity

Your brain might hop from one thought to another like a ping-pong ball, leaving homework in the dust. This impulsivity can make starting and finishing assignments a real challenge.

Hyperactivity

Sitting still for ages? Yeah, not exactly your ADHD brain’s favorite activity. That restlessness can make homework time feel like a marathon of discomfort.

Executive Functioning Woes

ADHD can throw a wrench in your executive functions – the stuff that helps you stay organized, manage time, and prioritize tasks. These skills are like homework superheroes, and when they’re not cooperating, it’s tough.

Frustration and Anxiety

Repeated homework battles can lead to frustration and anxiety. It’s like a vicious cycle – homework is hard, so you avoid it, which makes it even harder the next time.

But hey, you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve

Break It Down

Chop your homework into bite-sized bits. Completing these mini-goals feels like winning small battles in the war against procrastination.

Routine, Routine, Routine

A structured routine can be your secret weapon. Set specific homework times and stick to ’em. It’s like training your brain to get into homework mode.

No Distractions Allowed

Clear your workspace of distractions. Shut off those pesky notifications, use website blockers, and let your family or roommates know when you’re in “focus mode.”

Visual Aids

Visual tools are your buddies. Calendars, to-do lists, and color-coding can help you wrangle your tasks and keep track of time.

Take Breathers

Short, regular breaks can help you recharge. Ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? Work for 25 minutes, then chill for 5 – it’s science!

Treat Yourself

Reward yourself after finishing a task. It’s like giving your brain a high-five for a job well done.

Talk to the Pros

If you haven’t already, chat with a pro about ADHD treatments like medication and therapy. They can be total game-changers.

Get Support

Don’t hesitate to reach out to teachers or counselors for extra help or accommodations. You’re not in this alone.

Remember, homework and ADHD might be a challenging combo, but you’re not powerless. With these strategies and some support, you can take on the homework dragon and come out victorious!

Alright, fellow homework adventurers, we’ve journeyed deep into the realm of “Why can’t I do my homework?” and uncovered a treasure trove of challenges that can turn homework time into a real quest.

But here’s the secret sauce: every challenge we explored has a potential solution. From taming procrastination monsters to battling the distractions dragon and seeking the wisdom of mentors (a.k.a. teachers), we’ve armed ourselves with knowledge and strategies to conquer these homework foes.

So, the next time you’re stuck with a tricky assignment and that question pops up, remember this journey. Homework isn’t an unsolvable riddle; it’s a puzzle waiting for you to unlock. With determination, a pinch of motivation, and a dash of support, you can transform homework into a rewarding adventure.

Now, go forth, young scholar, armed with newfound wisdom, and may your homework quests be filled with curiosity, growth, and the sweet taste of victory!

Frequently Asked Questions

What can i do to overcome homework procrastination.

Procrastination can be overcome by breaking tasks into smaller, manageable parts and setting realistic deadlines. Creating a quiet, organized study space can also help.

How Can I Improve My Time Management for Homework?

To improve time management, use tools like planners or apps to schedule study sessions. Prioritize tasks and avoid multitasking to stay focused.

Is Getting Homework Help Considered Cheating?

Getting help with understanding homework concepts or solving difficult problems is not cheating. It’s a valuable part of the learning process. However, copying someone else’s work is unethical.

What Should I Do If I Don’t Understand My Homework?

If you don’t understand your homework, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Reach out to your teacher, a tutor, or classmates for clarification.

How Can Parents Support Their Children with Homework?

Parents can support their children by creating a conducive study environment, setting a regular homework routine, and offering assistance when needed. Encouragement and positive reinforcement are also crucial.

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Homework Struggles May Not Be a Behavior Problem

Exploring some options to understand and help..

Posted August 2, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

• Mental health challenges and neurodevelopmental differences directly affect children's ability to do homework.
• Understanding what difficulties are getting in the way—beyond the usual explanation of a behavior problem—is key.
• Sleep and mental health needs can take priority over homework completion.

Chelsea was in 10th grade the first time I told her directly to stop doing her homework and get some sleep. I had been working with her since she was in middle school, treating her anxiety disorder. She deeply feared disappointing anyone—especially her teachers—and spent hours trying to finish homework perfectly. The more tired and anxious she got, the harder it got for her to finish the assignments.

One night Chelsea called me in despair, feeling hopeless. She was exhausted and couldn’t think straight. She felt like a failure and that she was a burden to everyone because she couldn’t finish her homework.

She was shocked when I told her that my prescription for her was to go to sleep now—not to figure out how to finish her work. I told her to leave her homework incomplete and go to sleep. We briefly discussed how we would figure it out the next day, with her mom and her teachers. At that moment, it clicked for her that it was futile to keep working—because nothing was getting done.

This was an inflection point for her awareness of when she was emotionally over-cooked and when she needed to stop and take a break or get some sleep. We repeated versions of this phone call several times over the course of her high school and college years, but she got much better at being able to do this for herself most of the time.

When Mental Health Symptoms Interfere with Homework

Kids with mental health or neurodevelopmental challenges often struggle mightily with homework. Challenges can come up in every step of the homework process, including, but not limited to:

• Remembering and tracking assignments and materials
• Getting the mental energy/organization to start homework
• Filtering distractions enough to persist with assignments
• Understanding unspoken or implied parts of the homework
• Remembering to bring finished homework to class
• Being in class long enough to know the material
• Tolerating the fear of not knowing or failing
• Not giving up the assignment because of a panic attack
• Tolerating frustration—such as not understanding—without emotional dysregulation
• Being able to ask for help—from a peer or a teacher and not being afraid to reach out

This list is hardly comprehensive. ADHD , autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety , generalized anxiety, panic disorder, depression , dysregulation, and a range of other neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges cause numerous learning differences and symptoms that can specifically and frequently interfere with getting homework done.

The Usual Diagnosis for Homework Problems is "Not Trying Hard Enough"

Unfortunately, when kids frequently struggle to meet homework demands, teachers and parents typically default to one explanation of the problem: The child is making a choice not to do their homework. That is the default “diagnosis” in classrooms and living rooms. And once this framework is drawn, the student is often seen as not trying hard enough, disrespectful, manipulative, or just plain lazy.

The fundamental disconnect here is that the diagnosis of homework struggles as a behavioral choice is, in fact, only one explanation, while there are so many other diagnoses and differences that impair children's ability to consistently do their homework. If we are trying to create solutions based on only one understanding of the problem, the solutions will not work. More devastatingly, the wrong solutions can worsen the child’s mental health and their long-term engagement with school and learning.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about children who sometimes struggle with or skip homework—kids who can change and adapt their behaviors and patterns in response to the outcomes of that struggle. For this discussion, we are talking about children with mental health and/or neurodevelopmental symptoms and challenges that create chronic difficulties with meeting homework demands.

How Can You Help a Child Who Struggles with Homework?

How can you help your child who is struggling to meet homework demands because of their ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD , school avoidance, or any other neurodevelopmental or mental health differences? Let’s break this down into two broad areas—things you can do at home, and things you can do in communication with the school.

Helping at Home

The following suggestions for managing school demands at home can feel counterintuitive to parents—because we usually focus on helping our kids to complete their tasks. But mental health needs jump the line ahead of task completion. And starting at home will be key to developing an idea of what needs to change at school.

• Set an end time in the evening after which no more homework will be attempted. Kids need time to decompress and they need sleep—and pushing homework too close to or past bedtime doesn’t serve their educational needs. Even if your child hasn’t been able to approach the homework at all, even if they have avoided and argued the whole evening, it is still important for everyone to have a predictable time to shut down the whole process.
• If there are arguments almost every night about homework, if your child isn’t starting homework or finishing it, reframe it from failure into information. It’s data to put into problem-solving. We need to consider other possible explanations besides “behavioral choice” when trying to understand the problem and create effective solutions. What problems are getting in the way of our child’s meeting homework demands that their peers are meeting most of the time?
• Try not to argue about homework. If you can check your own anxiety and frustration, it can be more productive to ally with your child and be curious with them. Kids usually can’t tell you a clear “why” but maybe they can tell you how they are feeling and what they are thinking. And if your child can’t talk about it or just keeps saying “I don't know,” try not to push. Come back another time. Rushing, forcing, yelling, and threatening will predictably not help kids do homework.

Helping at School

The second area to explore when your neurodiverse child struggles frequently with homework is building communication and connections with school and teachers. Some places to focus on include the following.

• Label your child’s diagnoses and break down specific symptoms for the teachers and school team. Nonjudgmental, but specific language is essential for teachers to understand your child’s struggles. Breaking their challenges down into the problems specific to homework can help with building solutions. As your child gets older, help them identify their difficulties and communicate them to teachers.
• Let teachers and the school team know that your child’s mental health needs—including sleep—take priority over finishing homework. If your child is always struggling to complete homework and get enough sleep, or if completing homework is leading to emotional meltdowns every night, adjusting their homework demands will be more successful than continuing to push them into sleep deprivation or meltdowns.
• Request a child study team evaluation to determine if your child qualifies for services under special education law such as an IEP, or accommodations through section 504—and be sure that homework adjustments are included in any plan. Or if such a plan is already in place, be clear that modification of homework expectations needs to be part of it.

The Long-Term Story

I still work with Chelsea and she recently mentioned how those conversations so many years ago are still part of how she approaches work tasks or other demands that are spiking her anxiety when she finds herself in a vortex of distress. She stops what she is doing and prioritizes reducing her anxiety—whether it’s a break during her day or an ending to the task for the evening. She sees that this is crucial to managing her anxiety in her life and still succeeding at what she is doing.

Task completion at all costs is not a solution for kids with emotional needs. Her story (and the story of many of my patients) make this crystal clear.

Candida Fink, M.D. , is board certified in child/adolescent and general psychiatry. She practices in New York and has co-authored two books— The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child and Bipolar Disorder for Dummies.

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Can’t do Homework: What to do When Scared, Stressed or Unable

• by Joseph Kenas
• February 6, 2024

Assignments might be a pain, but it’s necessary to maintain good marks and stay on course in education.

Whether you’re a little overwhelmed with the number of assignments or simply a procrastinator, you may find yourself in a situation where you simply can’t complete your homework on time.

While you should always start your homework as early as possible, late assignments can be made up without too much trouble, provided you’re willing to put in the extra time.

In this article, we discuss various reasons why students can’t do their homework and some things to do when you are unable to complete it.

What to Do When you can’t do Homework

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably in a pickle. You’ve got homework to do, but you just can’t seem to get it done.

It’s not that you don’t want to, you just can’t get yourself to do it.

It’s a problem for a lot of students. The good news is that there are solutions when can’t do your homework. Here are a few tips to consider:

1. Ask for a Deadline Extension

From time to time many students have to do something important that prevents them from being able to study for a test, complete an assignment or participate in an online class.

The solution is to ask your teacher for an extension. You can do this by email , in person, or even over the phone. If you know you will not complete your assignment in time, reach out to your teacher before the date of the submission.

Assignment extensions are almost always granted when you tell your instructor in time and give them a valid reason.

2. Hire a Writer

If you’re short on time, you may be considering hiring homework help. This can be a great alternative to giving up or making excuses for your teacher.

However, if you are going to hire a homework helper, you need to know what you are looking for. You might have friends or relatives who can do your work, but it is important to find an expert who can do the job right.

You need to make sure that the person you hire has the qualifications and experience to write a top-notch paper. There are a lot of homework services out there. The going rate for a homework help site is between $10 to $20 per page.

Some sites will also provide you with a free sample and a free revision, so you can make sure that the work is completed to your satisfaction. 

3. Defer the Course

If you are facing the problem of not being able to do your homework always, you should consider the option of deferring the course.

In some cases, it might result in more severe consequences than dropping the class, but if you are determined to pass the course and can’t do your homework due to some legitimate reasons, you should consider deferring it.

These reasons include some financial difficulties and other family problems.

4. Study more

Sometimes the homework is too hard and you cannot get the right answer for it. However, doing homework requires you to study.

You can do some research on the internet to find out more information about the homework. You can also refer to textbooks and class notes.

5. Take a Break to Relax

When you feel like you are tired of doing your homework, it’s time to take a break. Take a walk outside, go talk to your friends or have a snack.

You can also take a quick nap to rejuvenate yourself. Your brain will be able to think better if you give it some time to relax.

6. Friends to help

When you cant do your homework, there is always a friend who can help you tackle it. It can be either a relative or someone who has passed the level of education you are in.

Try to get someone who is an expert in that field to help you. You can also get your friend from the same course so that you can help each other with ideas.

7. Consult your Teacher

If you’re stuck on a homework problem and you don’t have anyone to turn to for help, it’s always a good idea to consult the teacher.

Your teacher will have the answers you’re looking for and will be able to help you get back on track. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to your teacher, you can always go to another teacher at the same school or another school.

Reasons why Students can’t do their Homework

Students fail to complete their assignments for a variety of reasons. This understanding can help instructors change their teaching methods and help students more. Below are some of the reasons why students fail to do their homework:

1. Lack of Enough Time

Most students participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities. Although these activities are beneficial and can help children stay interested in school, they can also make it difficult for them to complete homework in time.

Also, some older students may have other obligations such as jobs.

2. Failure to Know the Importance of the Homework

If students recognized the importance of their assignment, they would be more motivated to complete it. Everyone, even students, wants to get involved in activities that will benefit their life.

Students can rebel because they see schoolwork as a waste of time. They believe that if they can successfully solve a few math questions, then fifty problems is a waste of time.

3. Failure to Understand the Homework

One of the most common reasons students fail to do their assignments is a lack of comprehension.

If students don’t get adequate teaching, they don’t learn the fundamental abilities they require to do a project.

To ensure that learners understand the assignment at hand, teachers should make sure assignment directions are as explicit as possible.

4. Assignments from other Teachers

This is especially dangerous in high school when pupils have a variety of teachers instructors at this level frequently have no idea if students have assignments from other teachers.

They assume that students need only thirty minutes to do their assignments. However, if they have eight topics and each professor assigns thirty minutes of assignment, the learner will be working on them for three to four hours which is hard.

5. Lack of Feedback from Teachers

If a student complete homework, they anticipate receiving feedback. They may receive a grade, and they also desire feedback, particularly on written homework.

When the instructor fails to give this feedback, most learners do not see the point of the homework.

It’s therefore important for teachers to provide feedback either in writing or include the homework revisions in ca class discussion for the students to benefit.

6. Family Issues 

Some learners come from homes where education is not valued. The student is unlikely to receive help or inspiration to do assignments as a result.

Other homes place high importance on education, yet their parents are either unable or unwilling to assist their children with schoolwork.

Some students also reside in chaotic circumstances where they may lack a tranquil location to study or the necessary resources to complete their assignments.

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

I Hate Myself for Not Doing My Homework

Reader’s Question

I’m in high school and would consider myself to have above average intellect. Still, I’m getting Ds and Es in school.

I seem to do well on all of the tests, but when I get home from school and I have to do my homework, I just can’t make myself do it. My teachers ask me why I don’t do my homework and I tell them I just don’t care anymore. But in reality I do care — I hate myself for not doing the work. Still, when I get home from school I just can’t make myself do the work. Then, when I get my report card, I look at the grades and just cry myself to sleep. I want to do better but I just can’t seem to make myself work harder. Is this just me being lazy or is there something more?

Psychologist’s Reply

Because there could be so many underlying reasons for your quandary, it’s not possible to make an accurate assessment from such a distance. That’s why it would be in your and your family’s best interest to seek out an evaluation by a mental health professional experienced in such issues.

Some of the possible reasons for your difficulties can include:

The aforementioned are just a few of the many possible explanations for your difficulties other than pure laziness. Your problems might be related to some very different causes other than a deficiency of character. My best suggestion: talk openly with your parents and school counselor about your concerns, and seek a professional opinion about the best ways to address the issues.

Please read our Important Disclaimer .

• school and studies
• self-esteem

All clinical material on this site is peer reviewed by one or more clinical psychologists or other qualified mental health professionals. Originally published by Dr George Simon, PhD on July 29, 2010 and last reviewed or updated by Dr Greg Mulhauser, Managing Editor on July 29, 2010 .

https://askthepsych.com/atp/2010/07/29/i-hate-myself-for-not-doing-my-homework/

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How to Avoid Getting in Trouble for Not Doing Your Homework

Last Updated: April 9, 2024

This article was co-authored by Alicia Oglesby . Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. This article has been viewed 99,424 times.

Homework generally isn’t that much fun. But it generally is a requirement that has a pretty decent-sized impact on your grade, so if you want (or need) to do well in a class, getting the homework done is a big deal. So what happens if you forget to do one of the assignments? You have a few options; the first and best is, of course, to not to forget to do it in the first place. But if that’s not an option, there are a few other measures you can take to try to get out of a homework scrape. Read on to find out more.

Using Good Judgment

• Explain why you didn’t do the homework--maybe you forgot about the assignment, got home late, fell asleep, etc. Don’t sugarcoat your reason, but do use some discretion; if you didn’t do your homework because you were at an all-night kegger, keep your reason general (ie, “I didn’t get home until late”) rather than overly specific (ie, “I was too busy doing keg stands”).
• Apologize. After giving your reason, sincerely apologize. Don’t gloss over this part--the sincerity of your apology will impact how likely your teacher is to want to help you. If you don't feel comfortable talking to the teacher directly, feel free to send them an email or leave them a note.
• Explain that it won’t happen again--and make sure it doesn’t. Let your teacher know that this was a rare instance of you lapsing on a responsibility and that you’ll be careful that it doesn’t happen again. And--this part is important--keep your word. If you make forgetting your homework habitual, your teacher will not only stop believing your excuses, they’ll rapidly become less sympathetic to your apologies.
• Ask for another day to finish the assignment. The best case scenario here is that your teacher will grant you extra time to complete the assignment and won’t penalize you for turning it in past the original deadline. More likely, though, your teacher will offer to let you turn in the assignment late, for partial credit. Don’t gripe about or be ungrateful for partial-credit--it will make it less likely that your teacher will extend you a similar opportunity in the future.

• Ask the teacher to help you understand the assignment and to let you have another chance at completing it. This both buys you more time and has the added benefit of getting you one-on-one homework help as well.

• If the story’s creative or amusing enough, your teacher might cut you some slack simply because you didn’t give them one of the same boring excuses they always hear.
• For example, maybe it just so happened that your parents went out last night and left you with a family friend who turned out to be a clairvoyant and burned all of your homework because he looked into the future and saw that if he didn’t destroy it all your cat would rip your homework to shreds while you slept and you would breathe in a fatal amount of air-borne paper bits and choke to death.

Avoiding Bad Excuses

• It should be obvious, but don’t use “the dog ate my homework.” You might as well not even bother coming up with an excuse at all.
• Don’t just say “I lost it” unless you can come up with a believable set of extenuating circumstances to explain how it got lost. Saying it just got lost randomly is pretty transparent.

• Instead of blaming the printer or your laptop, etc., explain that you had trouble when you were trying to print (or whatever) the homework right before class but that you’ll email it to your teacher by the end of the day. You can buy more time with that, and quickly type it up.
• Just be sure you actually do send it to them by the end of the day--preferably by 5 pm. [2] X Research source

• First, since it’s your responsibility, not theirs, to make sure you’re up-to-date on assignments, this excuse is pretty much like telling the teacher that it was your own fault.
• Second, because, from your teacher’s point of view, an entire classroom of other students managed to find out about and do the homework, so it clearly isn’t as hard as you’re making it out to be. [3] X Research source
• And finally, the ignorance excuse won’t work because when you’re absent, your teacher expects that you’ll find out everything you missed. If didn’t, your teacher will again see it as your own fault.

Avoiding the Situation in the First Place

• Start by writing down every assignment and its due date as soon as it’s assigned.
• Be sure to write all of your assignments down in the same place so you don’t miss any or have to go on a desperate search every time you want to know what’s due. A day planner, dedicated homework notebook, or scheduling app are all good options.

• Whenever you get an assignment, estimate how long it will take to complete and set aside the necessary time accordingly.
• If it’s an assignment that will take several days or even several weeks, set aside as many blocks of time as you’ll need to complete it over that span of time.

• Don’t procrastinate on homework--don’t let yourself play video games or chat on Facebook until you’ve finished your night’s assignments.
• Do the harder assignments first. Getting the harder work out of the way first is a more efficient and rewarding use of your time.
• Reader Poll: We asked 172 wikiHow readers how to avoid making the same mistake, and 8% said they would ask loved ones to hold them accountable. [Take Poll] While this may not be the best strategy according to our readers, try making a routine for yourself.

• If you have a study-hall period, a free period, a few minutes between classes, a 10-15 minute bus ride home, etc., use that time to work on homework. Sure, you’d rather be talking to friends or playing on your phone, but if you want to have your homework done, you’ll need to actually take the time to do it. [4] X Research source

• Start by approaching the teacher. Explain your difficulties and ask for their help. That’s what your teachers are there for, after all--to help you learn. (And if they show any reluctance to help, remind them of this fact.) They’re the best source of help since they’re the ones making and grading the homework, and having the help of an insider is often invaluable.
• Get help from a classmate. If your teacher isn’t able to give as much help as you need, supplement their help with help from a classmate who understands the material and is doing well in the class. If you aren’t sure who that might be, ask your teacher for suggestions.
• Get a tutor. Many schools offer free peer-tutoring services that can be a significant help. Ask your teacher or an administrator whether such services are available. If not, consider looking into hiring a tutor. There are a number of professional tutoring services to choose from, or you might try hiring a local college student for tutoring help.

• Even if you think you’re a great multi-tasker, trying to do homework while also texting, catching up on Facebook, and tweeting about how much you hate homework is actually hurting you more than helping you get through the process.
• Moreover, though multitasking can be an asset for some activities, it isn’t an asset when studying. When you’re multitasking, your mind leaves your current train of thought (like, say, trigonometry) and takes up a new train (maybe texting a friend about tomorrow’s plans), and the result is that you end up doing worse on both.
• Find a quiet, distraction-free space to do your studying. The better you’re able to concentrate, the better you’ll do on your work and the more quickly you’ll get through it. Put away or turn off anything you know will distract you (your phone, Facebook alerts, whatever). [6] X Research source
• If you find yourself being distracted by thoughts of other things you should or want to be doing, keep a piece of paper next to you where you can write down those thoughts as they come up. Don’t dwell on them, just write them down and know you can get back to them later. [7] X Research source
• Set small goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. For example, set a goal to study for 15-20 minutes straight and then reward yourself with a small treat when you do so. [8] X Research source

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You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://www.brighthubeducation.com/study-and-learning-tips/51078-10-most-common-homework-excuses/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html?view=ptr
• ↑ http://success.oregonstate.edu/learning-corner/learning-college/concentration-distractions

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10 Reasons Why Students Don’t Do Homework

January 18, 2019 by Inspired Together Teachers 3 Comments

Though the issue of homework is complicated and often involves a debate of whether or not homework is actually beneficial, the fact remains that most teachers still assign homework and some students will not do their homework.

If we can understand why students don’t do their homework, we have a better chance of both assigning homework that students will do and in doing what we can to create the motivation for them to do it. At the very least, understanding that there are many reasons that students don’t do homework can help teachers to realize that it isn’t personal. Students often don’t do homework for reasons that aren’t even about you, your teaching, or your subject matter.

Here is a list of 10 reasons that students don’t do homework, aligned with suggestions that may help to alleviate the problem.

They don’t know how to do the assignment. 

In order to do their work, students need to understand the directions and have the basic skills need in order to complete the task. This usually means that students have been introduced to a topic, have had some instruction and are not trying to learn something new and difficult on their own. The material also needs to be at the students’ instructional or independent level. Be sure your directions are clear and specific and that the level of the work is appropriate for the students.

They don’t understand the purpose for the assignment.

When students understand the importance of something they are learning, they are more likely to feel compelled to do it. We want to know and do things that are going to help us in our lives. When students perceive an assignment as busywork, they often rebel. If a student can do ten math problems correctly, doing one hundred math problems is overkill and perceived as busywork. So is spending hours using a dictionary to define words. Make sure that students know how the homework will help them. Help them to connect the content to real world tasks.

Students are overwhelmed by the enormity of the task.

We’ve all had experiences where we have felt overloaded with too much to do. As adults, we have also figured out ways to break down tasks. Students are still learning to manage large tasks. Help them to break down large assignments into smaller parts. Instead of assigning a large project due in three weeks, help students to break down the project into smaller chunks and then assign smaller chunks for homework in the days leading up to the due date for a big project.

Assignments are based on low level tasks.

Basic recall gets boring quickly. An assignment such as giving students fifty sentences and having them underline the noun once and the verb twice is drudgery and doesn’t engage them. How much more fun would it be to have a contest to see who could correctly incorporate the most verbs in a sentence?  Consider homework that require higher thinking levels such as application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Students have too many assignments. 

This is a particular danger in middle and high school when students have many different teachers. At this level, teachers often don’t know what other teachers are assigning. You may think that homework will only take them thirty minutes. But if they have seven subjects and every teacher gives them thirty minutes of homework, the student is facing three to four hours of homework. Good teaching teams often discuss homework assignments and try to balance the load so that students don’t have many big assignments due at the same time.

Students don’t have time.

Many students are involved in many extracurricular activities. This is positive and those activities often help students to be engaged with school. When you add practices or games into the mix, it often becomes impossible to do hours of homework on any given night. Older students may have jobs or other responsibilities. Consider giving students assignments ahead of time so they can work on them throughout the week rather than assigning everything to be due the next day.

Students don’t get feedback on their work .

When a student turns in an assignment, they expect feedback. They may get a grade, but they also want comments, especially on written work. Homework should be an opportunity for learning. Students need feedback in order to learn. Teachers can read student work and provide feedback, or use homework in classroom discussions and activities in ways that allow students to get feedback or use their work for a purposeful activity.

Sometimes, the reason that students don’t do work is not related to you or your content. These are more difficult to control, but there are usually positive things you can do to help with the situation.

Students don’t have an appropriate environment to do work at home .

Let’s face it, some students live in chaotic environments. They may not have a quiet place to work or the tools they need in order to do homework. Having a one-on-one conversation with students can help. Talk about what they need in order to do their work and how they might get it. Could they stay at school and extra hour and work in a quiet room? Could they go to the public library? Could they carve a quiet corner of their home?

The student’s family is not supportive of education.

As much as we wish it weren’t true, some students come from families that do not value education. The student is not then likely to get the support or encouragement to do homework. Other families value education, but parents are absent or unable to help their children with homework. Your first instinct might be to “fix” the family. An easier route is to work with the student. Be their encourager. Let them know that you think they can succeed. Let them know how valuable a good education might be to them. We know of a first grader whose parent would not read with him. The teacher made a deal that the student could read to his baby brother, his dog, or even a stuffed animal. If he did that, he could sign his own name on the form that parents usually signed stating that they read together.

The student is rebelling against a parent.

If a parent cares about a student’s grades and a student is trying to rebel, often a quick way to do so is to stop doing homework. This usually gets the parent’s attention quickly. This is particularly true in cases where parents are very demanding and very controlling. Sometimes, the only way an adolescent knows how to rebel is to refuse to do something. This causes grief for both parties. Guiding the parent and student to compromise can be successful.  Essentially, help them to negotiate trade. For example, if the student agrees to do homework each night when he chooses to do it, the parent gives up the demand that it be done immediately when the student gets home from school. Both parties can even sign a contract.

If you suspect a student is rebelling, see if you can find out why. That will also help you see possible solutions. Don’t hesitate to get help and support from a guidance counselor, instructional coach or administrator.

These are some of the most common reasons students don’t complete homework. There are undoubtedly many more possible reasons. Though you can’t control all things, you can try to identify why students aren’t doing the homework and then see if there are ways to fix the problem. If we keep our eye on the goal, which is learning, it is less likely that we will fall into the “blame and punish” game that many teachers engage in. Blaming and punishing don’t usually result in more learning!

What are some of the effective strategies you have used to increase homework completion? We would love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

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October 3, 2022 at 11:41 pm

For me, I struggled to do homework as a child because my attention needs were not met. I had no friends in school and spent the whole day wishing to be with family who loved me, only to be forced into isolation again for an hour of homework that I couldn’t always do alone and made me feel inferior and hopeless about myself and the future. Meanwhile, everyone else, in my mind, was doing something fun together while that was happening and I felt like I was being punished.

In adulthood, work has taken the place of homework and I am even more unhappy, isolated and have no life outside work that makes up for it. Luckily, I am not the type to become addicted to substances.

So, don’t let you child’s fate be like mine. Make sure your child’s needs for love are met, and that way they will have the internal strength to do an unfun task, and each one thereafter.

October 5, 2022 at 2:59 pm

Hi Christine, Thank you for sharing your experiences. You are not alone in your struggles either as a child or now as an adult. I hope that you are getting help for your depression. You can get better! There are ways to shift your mindset and to discover ways to be happier. No one has a perfect life, but we can all find ways to enjoy life. I hope you can find someone to talk to who can help you through your struggles. You are worth it!

[…] you know that one of the top 10 reasons kids don’t do their homework is lack of an appropriate space to do assignments at […]

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School refusal and the Australian families gripped by blame, shame, and the fear of a lost education

A growing crisis of school refusal is gripping Australia, leaving families in a hidden struggle.

When it first started happening, Alice would drag her daughter Frieda into kindergarten screaming.

The school staff would restrain the five-year-old as they locked the door.

"If tough love worked, my child would be at school. The things we put her through … I'm ashamed of it," Alice says.

She knows what other parents judge her for — being a mother who can't get her child to school.

"It's a really lonely and confusing and shameful world because you assume that you are the problem," the Sydney mum says.

"You see other families, their kids just happily going to school … and you feel like you're just in this complete other world."

Frieda, now eight, is one of the thousands of children in Australia experiencing 'school refusal', also known as 'school can't' — children who have difficulty attending school due to emotional distress.

Some days Frieda lasts to the 3pm bell, others she might only make it to the school gate or not leave home at all.

"I get a bit upset when I usually don't make it to school. 'Cause I really want to, but somehow I don't know how to get there," Frieda says.

For parents, it's a living nightmare that can result in broken careers, fear of kids missing out and threats of fines and prosecution.

For the education system, it raises fundamental questions about whether schools can actually include every child.

Distress and disengagement

An increasing number of Australian children are struggling to get to school.

In 2023, the attendance rate for students in Years 1 to 10 was 88 per cent, down from 92 per cent almost a decade earlier.

Last year, 38 per cent of all students in Years 1 to 10 were absent for more than 20 days a year – which is considered chronically absent.

Dr Lisa McKay-Brown, an education researcher at the University of Melbourne, says because there is no national data tracking the reason for absences, it's unclear what is driving disengagement.

"How many of this is medical, how many of this is school refusal, how many of this is kids on holidays? That's where the problem lies because it's really hard to resource and plan and intervene when you don't know how big the problem is," Dr McKay-Brown says.

Many parents and experts argue the more accurate term is 'school can't' — it's not that the child won't go to school, they can't.

Experts say the emotional distress can be caused by problems at home or school but is often associated with neurodiversity and mental health disorders.

"We know that there are certain groups that are more at risk than others … they may be autistic, they may have learning difficulties, ADHD. They may have anxiety or some other mood disorder," Dr McKay-Brown says.

'Ethan was left behind'

When Ethan looks at a photo of himself in grade 3, he knows behind the smile was someone without much hope.

"I felt like I wouldn't actually get a job when I get older. I would be homeless, sleeping on the side of the road," the 12-year-old says.

By grade 3 in his Geelong primary school, Ethan couldn't read or write.

He'd been falling behind for years, and becoming more disengaged.

"I couldn't even spell my name," Ethan says.

When Ethan's mum Sam saw how he was treated in class one day, it left her heartbroken.

"Instead of sitting there and writing a sentence like the other children were doing, they just said 'Oh, just draw a picture'. It pushed him further away," she says.

Pandemic lockdowns only made matters worse.

Ethan found online learning hard and later, found the return to school challenging. As he struggled to keep up, he began having physical outbursts and experiencing bullying. Eventually he started threatening self-harm if he was forced to attend school.

"It wasn't safe for me. I got bullied every day. Made me feel ... like I was locked up in a cage,” Ethan says. 

Sam, who had recently separated with four kids, was struggling to balance working to pay off her mortgage with Ethan's low attendance rate.

"Being a parent is really hard. Especially when they're having to finish school early, or you're getting phone calls saying, 'You need to come pick your child up, they've broken a window, or they've tried to self-harm'."

"You kind of can't commit to anything. Your life just goes on hold."

When Ethan's public school said they were out of options to help him, Sam added her son's name to a 100-person long waitlist for an independent school that helps youth who are disengaged from mainstream schooling.

The months slipped by as they waited for a spot.

"No child left behind is definitely not a reality, because Ethan was left behind," Sam says.

The shadow of the law

Because school attendance is required by law, for parents of kids struggling to go, the threat of legal action always looms.

When Kurt's 16-year-old daughter Hayley couldn't get out of bed to go to school, the daily texts started coming.

"Your daughter was marked absent … this absence has been recorded as unexplained or unjustified," one text from her Sydney school read.

Hayley says school staff eventually told her that her absences could result in a $11,000 fine, placing further pressure on the family.

“I had my parents coming in, like yelling at me … I got the light turned on, the blinds opened, the bed sheets pulled off, stuff like that,” Hayley says. 

During a fight with Hayley, it dawned on Kurt, who is a mental health nurse, that his daughter had depression. He'd also noticed cuts on her arms.

"The school stuff was hard, but the stuff where you cry yourself to sleep sometimes is having a child doing that themselves … and working in the industry knowing what the outcomes can be," Kurt says tearily.

Meanwhile, the texts continued, leaving Kurt fearing what might come next.

In a general statement provided to Four Corners, the NSW Department of Education said, "where attendance improvement support has been unsuccessful … and the parents have not meaningfully engaged, the matter may be referred for consideration of legal action".

Homeschooling Hayley would have stopped the texts, but for the working single-dad of two, it wasn't an option. Eventually, school staff assured him he would not be fined.

"We started talking to the deputy principal and she was excellent, so she put a plan in place with Hayley," Kurt says.

The number of homeschooled children has doubled during the past five years, from 21,456 pupils in 2019 to more than 43,797 in 2023.

Alice has seen parents post on Facebook about giving up their careers to homeschool their kids. It's an option she's thought about a lot for Frieda who has been diagnosed with autism.

"The prospect of homeschooling Frieda hangs over me every day … but I can't afford to," Alice says.

When Frieda doesn't make it into school, Alice isn't able to get through a normal work day. To make up for lost time she works into the night or over weekends.

Frieda's attendance has improved after moving to a school where staff have been more accommodating to her needs.

Despite the improvement, Alice received a formal warning letter last month regarding Frieda's attendance. A second will trigger contact from a homeschool liaison officer.

"The principal did explain it's just how the system works, and it doesn't need to be a scary thing as they may have more resources … but if I didn't have the heads up, I would have been terrified," Alice says.

"When you get something like that … it's got a shaming tone. Like you're failing at this, you're failing because your child isn't going to school all the time."

Alice feels like that sentiment runs across the department's pamphlets on school refusal, particularly the NSW Education slogan "Every School Day Counts".

"How insulting. Of course we want our kids to be going every day."

"They were putting [it] back onto the parents, it's our fault … instead of 'school attendance is tanking, so is numeracy and literacy' and the department isn't prepared to go, 'Maybe it's a problem with the system'."

'You have to go through so much trauma’ 

After a six month wait, Ethan got a place at MacKillop Education in Geelong, a non-government school that helps students disengaged from mainstream schooling to get back on track.

Teachers and the principal personally greeted the shy newcomer at the school gates every day.

With just 80 students and class sizes capped at eight, Ethan got the attention he needed to work on things like regulating his emotions when he felt challenged by the schoolwork.

"He would bite or pull his hair and he would say, 'I'm so dumb'. That's the thing that upset him most, that he thought he was stupid," says Sharyn Sadler, Ethan's support teacher.

"There was a fear of failure. And that's actually common amongst many of our children because they've experienced so much failure."

To support students' emotional regulation, classrooms are fitted with chill-out sensory spaces and teachers keep a predictable routine. Uniforms are also scrapped for students who find them itchy.

"I think there does need to be greater flexibility in the system in how we're providing education for young people to be able to access it. And that comes through knowledge, human resourcing, money," MacKillop co-principal Skye Staude says.

For most MacKillop students, the school is a transition period to get them back into a mainstream setting.

After two years at the school, Ethan's attendance went up to full-time. He can now read fluently and spell.

This year he transitioned into a mainstream government school with additional supports.

Sam knows not every child gets the opportunity Ethan does.

"Alternative schools like this, they're not as easily accessible for kids who need them. You have to go through so much trauma, so much anger. The child has to go through so much themselves to even be put in the position to access a school like this," Sam says.

"Ethan's been given that chance, and he's really grown with it."

Ethan will be a teenager next year, and he likes the person he's finally becoming.

"I feel like I got hope in myself. I'm proud of myself," Ethan says.

Sam knows that school refusal is difficult to comprehend for those that haven't lived it themselves, but knows from experience how debilitating it can be.

"You feel like there's no light at the end of the tunnel as a parent, so you're not thinking about your hopes, what you want out of your life," Sam says.

For some kids, the path ahead isn't as straightforward.

Hayley's attendance improved to 85 per cent last year when she signed up to a pilot program run by NSW Education for students with chronic attendance issues that employs interest-based learning.

But this year she's had setbacks — first with her mental health, then the program made some changes to its approach.

"Sometimes I'll be going great for a few weeks or months or even a whole year, but then stuff will not be going as great again, and then my attendance will go down again."

To stay engaged, the program has allowed Hayley to make adjustments like wearing headphones to block out distractions. She's also started attending a local school for art class four days a week.

She's noticed the change in herself.

"I'm actually doing things. Talking to people instead of staying in my room, trying to get to school."

"I want to be able to get through year 11 and 12 and get into uni to study psychology. So I've been doing as much as I can to get there."

One size doesn't fit all

The issue of school refusal, which exists largely in the shadows, was pushed into the spotlight last year by a Senate inquiry.

Greens Senator Penny Allman-Payne, who helped instigate the inquiry, says Australia's one-size-fits-all education system is outdated.

"This is the model of education that we had over 100 years ago. The world is very different now. Young people are very different now," she says.

"The good news is that we know that there are things that work: early intervention, smaller class sizes, flexible campuses, interest-led learning."

The federal government has agreed or supported in-principle two of the inquiry's 14 recommendations.

They include commissioning the Australian Education Research Organisation to analyse the drivers of school refusal and possible interventions, and disseminate school refusal training for teachers.

Alice feels like the government has stopped short of investing in schools properly. She's worried asking more of existing teachers will strain the system.

"The teachers are under so much pressure. So, they're going to do more training, more to their workload when they're already stretched?"

Frieda's attendance is now at 54 per cent, she also successfully sat her year 3 NAPLAN test.

But Alice knows there's no guarantee things will keep improving.

"I don't know what our lives are going to look like next week, next month, next year," says Alice.

The fear of the unknown scares her – if Frieda will get through the school day, if she'll get another warning letter.

"As a parent, that's pretty awful because all you want is for your kid to be happy."

Watch Four Corners: The kids who can't,  tonight from 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview .

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Do you know more about this story? Contact Four Corners here .

Story: Mridula Amin and Sascha Ettinger-Epstein

Photography: Mridula Amin

Digital Production: Mridula Amin and Nick Wiggins

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