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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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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., 8 easy ways to finish your homework faster.

How many times have you found yourself still staring at your textbook around midnight (or later!) even when you started your homework hours earlier? Those lost hours could be explained by Parkinson’s Law, which states, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, if you give yourself all night to memorize those geometry formulas for your quiz tomorrow, you’ll inevitably find that a 30 minute task has somehow filled your entire evening.

We know that you have more homework than ever. But even with lots and lots to do, a few tweaks to your study routine could help you spend less time getting more accomplished. Here are 8 steps to make Parkinson’s Law work to your advantage:

1. Make a list

This should be a list of everything that has to be done that evening. And we mean, everything—from re-reading notes from this morning’s history class to quizzing yourself on Spanish vocabulary.

2. Estimate the time needed for each item on your list

You can be a little ruthless here. However long you think a task will take, try shaving off 5 or 10 minutes. But, be realistic. You won’t magically become a speed reader.

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3. Gather all your gear

Collect EVERYTHING you will need for the homework you are working on (like your laptop for writing assignments and pencils for problem sets). Getting up for supplies takes you off course and makes it that much harder to get back to your homework.

The constant blings and beeps from your devices can make it impossible to focus on what you are working on. Switch off or silence your phones and tablets, or leave them in another room until it’s time to take a tech break.

Read More: How to Calculate Your GPA

5. Time yourself

Noting how much time something actually takes will help you estimate better and plan your next study session.

6. Stay on task

If you’re fact checking online, it can be so easy to surf on over to a completely unrelated site. A better strategy is to note what information you need to find online, and do it all at once at the end of the study session.

7. Take plenty of breaks

Most of us need a break between subjects or to break up long stretches of studying. Active breaks are a great way to keep your energy up. Tech breaks can be an awesome way to combat the fear of missing out that might strike while you are buried in your work, but they also tend to stretch much longer than originally intended. Stick to a break schedule of 10 minutes or so.

8. Reward yourself! 

Finish early? If you had allocated 30 minutes for reading a biology chapter and it only took 20, you can apply those extra 10 minutes to a short break—or just move on to your next task. If you stay on track, you might breeze through your work quickly enough to catch up on some Netflix.

Our best piece of advice? Keep at it. The more you use this system, the easier it will become. You’ll be surprised by how much time you can shave off homework just by focusing and committing to a distraction-free study plan.

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Homework Hacks: 8 Tips to Get It Done Faster

Homework is no fun, especially if you’ve got a full schedule. You only have a little bit of time and a little bit of energy. And it takes so long to get through it.

Not anymore. We’ve got some helpful homework hacks for you that will make doing your homework faster and less painful.

1. Plan Your Homework and Make a List

When you start your homework, you’ll probably jump right into the first thing on your mind or the first thing you pull out of your backpack, then work your way through the rest of your assignments. There’s a better way.

Figure out how much time you have to do homework, then list out all the different tasks that you have to do. Estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment to see if you need to allow yourself more time. Be realistic. Once your list is complete you can work straight through instead of stopping frequently to figure out what to do next. It will also be extremely gratifying to cross things off after each assignment you finish!

2. Get Out All the Books and Supplies You Need

While you’re working, you discover you need a calculator, you need a certain book, you need a new pencil, you ran out of paper… the list can go on.

Since you’ve now identified all your assignments, figure out everything you need to get each item done and bring it to your workspace so it’s there when you need it.

3. Find a Quiet Place to Work Without Distractions

Speaking of workspace, you probably prefer doing your homework in front of the TV, but that can actually be the biggest distraction of all. Sitting in front of the TV is probably slowing you down, making homework time seem much longer that it actually is.

Find a place that’s quiet, with as few distractions and clutter possible. Remember, the faster you get it done, the faster you can get back to fully enjoying Netflix.

4. Turn Off Your Phone

We know this is probably the last thing you want to hear. How can you live without your phone? But for a couple hours, its totally worth it. Every time you get a notification and check your phone, it breaks your focus. It then takes more brain power to get back on track to what you were working on.

5. Listen to Classical Music While Working

We know what you’re thinking… Classical music? Seriously?

However, classical music is great for background audio. There aren’t any lyrics or beats to distract your focus. And research has shown that students who listen to classical music score higher on tests than students who listen to other genres of music. So find some good classical playlist on Spotify, then celebrate with Queen Bey when you’re done.

6. Eat Snacks and Drink Water

At the end of a long day, you may be mentally and physically tired. If you go straight into homework it may take you a long time to finish and it won’t be your best work.

Having some light healthy snacks and drinking plenty of water helps revitalize your brain and body. Avoid soda, energy drinks, or sugary snacks that will only make you crash before you’re done.

7. Take Short Breaks in Between Homework Tasks

If you have a lot to do, you may feel the pressure to just work straight through hours and hours of homework. But this will likely end up slowing you down, prolonging the entire session.

Do your work in short sprints. Go hard at a task, then take a quick break to stretch and walk around. It’ll re-energize your mind and body to keep going. For starters, try working for 25 minutes, then taking a 5-minute break.

8. Reward Yourself After You’re Finished

Homework isn’t always fun. But negativity can slow you down.

Our brains work off of reward systems. If you give yourself a reward when finishing your homework, it makes it a lot easier to start your homework the next time and you’ll get through it faster. Rewards could be being able to watch a show, eat ice cream, play a game, or going out and doing something fun.

Now that you’ve got all these tips, go get your homework done faster than ever before. It may be hard at first, but keep using these tips and it’ll get easier as you go.

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Tips for Online Students , Tips for Students

7 Hacks For How To Do Homework Fast

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: June 8, 2021

Esteemed late and great Coach John Wooden used to say, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” The phrase that was directed towards his team of basketball players can be applied to virtually every aspect of life, including for students approaching their homework. Learning how to do homework fast is both an art and a skill.

While it’s not a race to the finish, applying the following tips and tricks can help you better manage your time. As a student, time management becomes one of the most important skills you can possess. This then transfers to your work at any job, and even the ability to balance your personal life with professional activities.

But, before we go further down this rabbit hole, let’s focus on the task at hand, which is to adopt techniques to finish your homework quickly.

Student’s workspace for homework with graph paper and supplies / https://unsplash.com/photos/TB3CxSMHqmY

How to do your homework faster.

These homework hacks can be utilized for more than just homework. For anything that you have to get done with immense focus and accuracy, consider applying the following:

1. Create a to-do list

One of the upsides of homework is that it’s black-and-white. You know exactly what you have to get done and by when. This makes it easier to create a prioritized to-do list. While making a to-do list may not seem like a big hack, it ends up being one of the most important and useful things to do along your homework journey.

Instead of opening your notebook and jumping right into the first homework assignment that comes to mind, take a few moments to review what you have to get done. To make this easier, use a homework agenda or planner, so you don’t forget your tasks. Once you have everything written out, consider due dates and the length of time it should take to cross them off the list.

Creating a to-do list that is in order of priority helps you to stay on track and also provides you with a burst of endorphins and a sense of accomplishment each time you put a check in the box of completion.

2. Remove distractions

Distractions come in many different shapes and sizes. From cell phone chimes and notifications to a sibling throwing jelly beans at you, distractions can be of any type. While you cannot control how others affect you while you work, you can take control of your own study space and habits.

Turn off your phone and electronic devices, leave them in a different room, or at least put them on silent. It’s become a habit that as soon as the screen lights up, most people stop what they are doing and take a peek. Whether you act on the notification or not, you’ve lost valuable time with the distraction. Then, you need to refocus your brain on your homework all over again. These small bouts of broken concentration add up to a lot of wasted time.

3. Estimate time

Getting your homework done quickly means that you have to first be aware of the time it takes. You can time yourself on different tasks to start gaining an understanding and general idea of what takes the most time. This way, you can work to sharpen specific skills to move faster. For example, if you’re a slow reader, then you can try to learn more about speed reading so that you can shave off time on this task.

Timing yourself is also a good idea because if all your due dates are the same for tasks, then you can at least order your to-do list based on time. If a certain homework assignment takes less time than another, it may be best to start off with that task. This not only helps you to reserve your energy for time-consuming tasks, but it also means that you get started off on a positive note by completing something quickly. You can use that momentum to continue pushing through your list.

4. Find your study location

Find the type of environment that best suits you to get work done. This could mean a coffee shop with some ambient background noise, or it could be a library so quiet that you can hear a pin drop. Every person has their own preferences when it comes to where they work the best. As long as you minimize your distractions, you can get your work done quickly given you’re in an optimal workspace.

5. Gather supplies

Say you sit down to do some math homework. Then, you realize you need a graphing calculator. So, you go to get one. You sit back down and get into the groove. But now, you have forgotten the graphing paper you need to draw the equation. It may not seem like a big deal to get back up and run to the next room for your supplies, but again, you’re losing time.

In the endeavor of minimizing wasted time, you should gather all your supplies in advance and take them with you to your workspace. In order to do this successfully, review your to-do list once again and make a mental note of everything you’ll need to get each line item done.

6. Take breaks

Breaks are not bad. Breaks are actually beneficial. However, not all breaks are made equally.

By taking breaks, you can recharge your energy and focus. This could actually translate into being able to focus for longer stretches of time. Approach your homework like you would a high-intensity interval training exercise regimen. This means that you’ll go hard for a certain amount of time (say 45-60 minutes), and then you’ll take a quick, but meaningful break (say for 15-20 minutes).

If you focus for longer amounts of time, then take a slightly longer break. This helps to avoid burnout. Your body and mind will thank you for taking healthy breaks (i.e., a short walk, stretching, or any other activity that doesn’t require too much mental capacity).

7. Reward yourself

You’re the master of your own fate (and homework). So, if you thought that it would take you 45 minutes to finish your coding exercise, but you finished it in 30 minutes, you can apply those saved 15 minutes to a reward.

By celebrating small wins, you will continue to motivate yourself to get your work done in a timely manner. Alternatively, if you don’t want to take long breaks between your tasks, you can accrue your time and spend it all doing whatever brings you joy once you finish your homework to-do list.

Woman writing in a daily planner / https://unsplash.com/photos/N9uOrBICcjY

Wrapping up.

The desire to finish homework quickly is a universal feeling. When you look at the big picture, the ability to complete homework without wasting too much time turns out to be a lesson in time management. Having strong time management skills is paramount in education, especially if you choose to do so in a self-paced and online learning environment.

Try some or all of these homework hacks so that you can know how to do homework fast. Have fun while finding out which ones prove to be most beneficial for you.

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How to Finish Your Homework

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 17 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 280,447 times.

While studying can differ for different age groups, many of the things that get in the way are the same. Whether it's your environment or time management skills, it easy for things to discourage you from finishing your homework. With a little organization and help, your homework can become approachable.

Managing Your Time

• For instance, try setting aside a time you know you can work well such as an hour or 2 before dinner, or if you're a night owl, after dinner.

• Work in hour blocks, with 50 minutes spent studying and 10 minutes spent taking a break.
• It can also be helpful to move around when you are taking your break, especially if you are working at a screen. Go for a walk outside to get your blood circulating and enjoy some fresh air.
• You might also want to eat a healthy snack on your break to improve your focus. Avoid junk food and choose something like a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, veggies, or a small portion of cottage cheese.

• Identify which assignments are worth the most points for each class. Most likely these will take the longest to complete. [5] X Research source
• Consider how long you have to do each project, and if possible, see when the assignment is introduced. Oftentimes, primary and secondary school classes do not have syllabi, so it might be harder to plan out an entire term, but if you are in college, you will most likely have a syllabus with at least a partial course schedule. Knowing how long you have to complete an assignment will help you prioritize which assignments to do first. You can also ask the teacher how long you have to complete an assignment. [6] X Research source

• Use highlighters or stickers to mark which assignments are most important.
• If you're using an online or mobile schedule, create alerts or notifications for the projects and any time-sensitive steps for those projects.

• Don't let a big project overshadow the smaller assignments you need to complete!

• Assignment outlines can help you visualize the necessary tasks to get the assignment done.

Creating a Productive Work Environment

• A desk or table would be a better location than a couch or a bed.

• Turn your phone off or on silent (not vibrate). It might be best to put the phone out of sight, or in another room while you work, as the temptation to text or get on social media can be as much of a distraction as actually using social media.
• Use an app that blocks social media. There are plenty of applications out there that can help block social media and other distracting sites (such as shopping or gaming sites). [10] X Trustworthy Source Pew Research Center Nonpartisan thinktank conducting research and providing information on public opinion, demographic trends, and social trends Go to source

• Use a white noise app to block out noise.
• Use earplugs or noise-blocking earmuffs. [12] X Research source
• Work in a quiet place, such as a library or a home office, if you have one.
• Avoid listening to music while studying. Studies have shown that although listening to music while studying lowers overall performance, this does not affect everyone equally. [13] X Research source However listening to music before studying has been shown to improve performance on cognitive tasks. [14] X Research source

Using Your Resources

• If you're too afraid to ask a teacher during class, see if you can stay behind to ask your questions.

• First, contact your school to see if there are any after-school tutoring programs. While not all primary and secondary schools offer tutoring, a vast majority of universities do. If your school does not offer tutoring, they may know of other resources for you to contact.
• Then, contact your library to see if they offer any tutoring. [18] X Research source
• In some areas, there may also be free community tutoring programs. Contact your local community center for more information.
• There are plenty of private tutors out there as well, but they can be costly (ranging from $20 to $100 an hour). [19] X Research source You can find tutors online through a number of websites, such as Craigslist or Angie's list.

• If you need to work at a library after school, ask your parents or search the web to find your local library.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• Don't feel too stressed or you'll be doing less work than you actually can. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 2
• Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 2
• Maintain a healthy diet. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 3

• Recommended time doing homework varies by age. The National PTA recommends about 10 minutes per grade level per night (30 minutes a night for the third grade). Thanks Helpful 9 Not Helpful 0
• Some people may need additional help in order to focus on their homework and finish it. If you are struggling in school, ask your parents or teachers about what resources may be available, and seek out professional help or ask your parents to do so, if necessary. Thanks Helpful 29 Not Helpful 9
• If you are under the age of thirteen, you may need to obtain your parents’ permission before downloading any computer applications. Thanks Helpful 30 Not Helpful 13

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/power-habit-charles-duhigg
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks/
• ↑ https://www.wma.us/about/titan-blog/post/~board/titan-blog/post/how-to-prioritize-school-assignments-and-homework
• ↑ https://jhsap.org/self_help_resources/school-life_balance//
• ↑ https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/studying-for-and-taking-exams/guidelines-for-creating-a-study-schedule/
• ↑ https://success.oregonstate.edu/learning/concentration
• ↑ https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html/
• ↑ https://absn.northeastern.edu/blog/8-things-to-keep-in-your-at-home-study-space/
• ↑ https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/171/
• ↑ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/acp.1731
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/talk-to-parents.html
• ↑ https://rdw.rowan.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2412&context=etd
• ↑ https://blogs.chapman.edu/scst/2016/02/09/what-tutoring-is-and-what-tutoring-is-not/
• ↑ https://undergrad.stanford.edu/tutoring-support
• ↑ https://www.ideaedu.org/idea-notes-on-instruction/encouraged-students-to-use-multiple-resources-e-g-internet-library-holdings-outside-experts-to-improve-understanding/

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8 Elements to a Successful Homework Routine

Setting aside the debate about whether or not homework is beneficial , there’s no doubt that it’s a staple of most kids’ academic routines. And while a missed assignment here or there may seem like no big deal, you might be surprised about how chronic lateness or missed practice can spiral into long-term negative impacts. Kids can quickly find themselves confused, getting bad test grades , and struggling with stress and anxiety in school.

That’s all the more reason to get a solid homework routine in place and make adjustments as needed. 

(Don’t get us wrong: we’re not proposing that kids race through their homework and turn in sloppy, incomplete work. When assigned correctly, homework provides valuable opportunities for practice, and kids should take advantage of those opportunities.) 

Here are eight elements to creating a homework routine that will help kids and teens complete assignments quickly—and well!

1. Build good assignment recording habits 

Yes, the secret to getting homework done quickly and correctly starts before kids finish their school day! 

Think about it. 

If they’re missing key details about assignment instructions or where to find what they need, the homework process automatically gets longer and more frustrating.

So, encourage your student to ask their teacher clarifying questions in class or during the school day. Teachers will often establish clear routines about where homework assignments can be found (posted in the classroom, on their website etc.). Kids should be well-versed in these routines and accustomed to writing them down or recording them as needed. If your student isn’t there yet, it’s a great place to start. 

2. Create a dedicated workspace

Ask your child: where do they do their homework? Is it on the couch with Netflix going in the background, or on the go between other activities?

If that’s the case, that could well be the root of the issue. A focused environment can make all the difference in getting homework done efficiently. Talk with your child about the best environment for giving their homework their undivided attention. 

3. Remove electronic distractions

They deserve their own category because of how frequently they are the true culprits!

As most parents are likely aware, social media, video games, and other online platforms can be a major distraction if they’re within reach during homework time. Make sure they’re removed from where your child is doing their homework: cell phones should remain in a different room, try using websites like Blocksite if internet access is necessary for their homework, and encourage low-tech alternatives (a handheld calculator instead of a cell phone, a textbook instead of a laptop, etc.).

4. Make a schedule and stick to it

Encourage your child to take stock of the night’s assignments and stick to a homework schedule to make sure they’re on track. They may need help at first to estimate how much time each assignment might take, and support from you can go a long way here! 

It also helps to jot down this schedule somewhere to have a visual reminder of how things are going. That way, if kids get distracted or are perhaps over-analyzing a homework problem, they can remember the plan.

5. Take time to gather necessary materials

Last-minute scrambling can be a major time suck. And by being proactive, your student can avoid that scramble. Before jumping into their homework, kids should make sure they have everything they need.  

This should factor into the schedule-making phase of doing homework, and once they have everything they require, kids can get started. If you’re concerned that this process might in itself become a distraction for your child, it’s probably a good idea to support and/or supervise this process, at least until kids can navigate it independently. 

6. Plan for overcoming distractions

Changing habits takes time, and expecting perfection can actually hinder progress more than it can help. Especially as kids adjust to their new homework routine, distractions and slip-ups are bound to happen, so it’s best to have a plan in place for that eventuality.

It might be wise to anticipate how kids can respond quickly if they miss an assignment or get sidetracked. Work with them to develop a plan for getting back on track, a habit that will be equally important in building strong homework habits. 

7. Schedule breaks

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could power through our to-do lists without needing to stop and take a breath? Yes, but unfortunately, we’re only human! So, it makes all the sense in the world to schedule breaks into the homework schedule. 

Ideally, these breaks should be quick and planned as part of the schedule your child has created, potentially with your help. Shoot for 5-10 minutes, something kids can easily pick up and put down so they can get back to work.

8. Pick a reward for successful homework completion! 

Positive reinforcement is what keeps good habits going over time. Make sure to praise your child for knocking out their homework in a timely manner. Brainstorm with your child about long and short term rewards, and you’ll be amazed at how they can sustain positive change. 

With all the demands of school today, it’s a game changer to have one less thing to worry about.

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iD Sites & Services do not recognize “Do Not Track” headers or similar mechanisms.

iD Tech partners with Rakuten Advertising, who may collect personal information when you interact with our site. The collection and use of this information is subject to Rakuten’s privacy policy located at  https://rakutenadvertising.com/legal-notices/services-privacy-policy/ . Our Sites & Services may also use other third-party plug-ins to provide additional services and benefits. These third parties may collect information about you as well. When we use a third-party plug-in we will attempt to provide you with the identify the plug-in, so you can visit the sites of the third-parties to view the privacy policy under which the information they collect is identified and controlled. 

We may also collect geolocation information from your device so we can customize your experience on our iD Sites & Services. In most cases, you are able to turn off such data collection at any time by accessing the privacy settings of your device and/or through the settings in the applicable GPS application. Social Media You also can engage with our content, and other offerings, on or through social media services or other third-party platforms, such as Facebook, or other third-party social media plug-ins, integrations and applications. When you engage with our content on or through social media services or other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations or applications, you may allow us to have access to certain information in your profile. This may include your name, email address, photo, gender, birthday, location, an ID associated with the applicable third-party platform or social media account user files, like photos and videos, your list of friends or connections, people you follow and/or who follow you, or your posts or "likes." For a description on how social media services and other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations, or applications handle your information, please refer to their respective privacy policies and terms of use, which may permit you to modify your privacy settings.

When we interact with you through our content on third-party websites, applications, integrations or platforms, we may obtain any information regarding your interaction with that content, such as content you have viewed, and information about advertisements within the content you have been shown or may have clicked on. Information from Third Party Services We may also obtain other information, including personal information, from third parties and combine that with information we collect through our Websites. For example, we may have access to certain information from a third-party social media or authentication service if you log in to our Services through such a service or otherwise provide us with access to information from the service. Any access that we may have to such information from a third-party social media or authentication service is in accordance with the authorization procedures determined by that service. If you authorize us to connect with a third-party service, we will access and store your name, email address(es), current city, profile picture URL, and other personal information that the third party service makes available to us, and use and disclose it in accordance with this Policy. You should check your privacy settings on these third-party services to understand and change the information sent to us through these services. For example, you can log in to the Services using single sign-in services such as Facebook Connect or an Open ID provider.

III.    Your Ability To Control Cookies And Similar Technologies As noted, we may use cookies or similar technologies to monitor and improve iD Sites & Services, support the internal operations of iD Sites & Services, personalize your online experience, support the e-signature process, and/or for internal analysis. This includes the use of third-party cookies. We use these technologies to keep track of how you are using our iD Sites & Services and to remember certain pieces of general information. 

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. Check the “Tools” or “Help” tab on your browser to learn how to change your cookie and other tracking preferences.

If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the functions of iD Sites & Services and/or some of our services will function improperly, in particular the inability to log in or manage items in your shopping cart. We do not share cookie data with any third parties. IV.   How We May Use Your Information We may use the information we collect from and about you and/or your student for any of the following purposes:

• Allow you to register yourself or your student with iD Sites & Services, or to otherwise register and open an account with us;
• Allow you and/or your student to use iD Sites & Services;
• Fulfill orders, process payments, and prevent transactional fraud;
• Respond to your or your student’s requests or inquiries;
• Provide you or your student with information about our products and services;
• Consider you for employment or a volunteer opportunity;
• Register you or your student in one of our programs;
• Verify your student's age;
• Monitor and improve iD Sites & Services, support the internal operations of iD Sites & Services, personalize your online experience, and for internal analysis;
• Protect the security or integrity of iD Sites & Services and our business;
• Facilitate the sale or potential sale of our business or any of our assets; or
• As required by law.

V.   How We Share Information We do not sell or otherwise share your or your student’s information with any third parties, except for the limited purposes described below. Parents/guardians of children under the age of 13 have the option of consenting to the collection and use of their child's personal information without consenting to the disclosure of that information to certain third parties.  

1.   Law Enforcement And Safety

We may access, preserve, and/or disclose the information we collect and/or content you and/or your student/child provides to us (including information posted on our forums) to a law enforcement agency or other third parties if required to do so by law or with a good faith belief that such access, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (i) comply with legal process; (ii) enforce the Terms and Conditions of iD Sites & Services; (iii) respond to claims that the content violates the rights of third parties; or (iv) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of the owners or users of iD Sites & Services, a third party, or the general public. We also may disclose information whenever we believe disclosure is necessary to limit our legal liability; to protect or defend our rights or property; or protect the safety, rights, or property of others.  2.   Service Providers; Colleges and Universities Information collected through iD Sites & Services may be transferred, disclosed, or shared with third parties engaged by us to handle and deliver certain activities, such as housing, meals, payment processing, mail/email distribution, software providers, and to perform other technical and processing functions, such as maintaining data integrity, programming operations, user services, or technology services. We may provide these third parties’ information collected as needed to perform their functions, but they are prohibited from using it for other purposes and specifically agree to maintain the confidentiality of such information. Some of these providers, such as payment processors, may request additional information during the course of offering their services. Before you provide additional information to third-party providers, we encourage you to review their privacy policies and information collection practices. 3.    Business Transfer During the normal course of our business, we may sell or purchase assets. If another entity may acquire and/or acquires us or any of our assets, information we have collected about you may be transferred to such entity. In addition, if any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding is brought by or against us, such information may be considered an asset of ours and may be sold or transferred to third parties. Should a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to try to require that the transferee use personal information provided through our iD Sites & Services in a manner that is consistent with this privacy statement. VI.            Our Commitment To Children’s Privacy Protecting the privacy of children is paramount. We understand that users and visitors of our iD Sites & Services who are under 13 years of age need special safeguards and privacy protection. It is our intent to fully comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). 

Our iD Sites & Services are intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly permit anyone under 13 years of age to provide us with personal information without obtaining a parent's or guardian’s verifiable consent, except where:

• the sole purpose of collecting the name or online contact information of a parent or child is to provide notice and obtain parental consent;
• the purpose of collecting a parent’s online contact information is to provide voluntary notice to, and subsequently update the parent about, the child’s participation in our iD Sites & Services that do not otherwise collect, use, or disclose childrens' personal information;
• the sole purpose of collecting online contact information from a child is to respond directly on a one-time basis to a specific request from the child, and where such information is not used to re-contact the child or for any other purpose, is not disclosed, and is deleted by us promptly after responding to the child’s request;
• the purpose of collecting a child’s and a parent’s online contact information is to respond directly more than once to the child’s specific request, and where such information is not used for any other purpose, disclosed, or combined with any other information collected from the child;
• the purpose of collecting a child’s and a parent’s name and online contact information, is to protect the safety of a child, and where such information is not used or disclosed for any purpose unrelated to the child’s safety;
• we collect a persistent identifier and no other personal information and such identifier is used for the sole purpose of providing support for the internal operations of iD Sites & Services; or
• otherwise permitted or required by law.

If we receive the verifiable consent of a child's parent or guardian to collect, use, and/or disclose the child's information, we will only collect, use, and disclose the information as described in this privacy statement. Some features of our iD Sites & Services permit a child user to enter comments, such as forums and chat rooms, through which the child could provide personal information that would be visible to other users. If you are the parent or guardian of a child user, please advise your child of the risks of posting personal information on this iD Sites & Services or any other site. VII.           Parental/Guardian Rights If you are a parent or guardian, you can review or have deleted your child's personal information, and refuse to permit further collection or use of your child's information. To exercise any of these rights, please email us at  [email protected] or send your request to:

iD Tech ∙ PO Box 111720 ∙ Campbell, CA 950011 Client Service Toll Free Number: 1-888-709-8324

VIII.         Restrictions On Child Users Children under 13 years of age are prevented from accessing areas of iD Sites & Services which include, but are not restricted to, client account information, unless approved by their parent or guardian and any course content defined as age inappropriate by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). IX.            Forums And Chats We may offer forums and chat rooms. Please be aware that anyone may read postings on a forum or in a chat room. Furthermore, any information which is posted to a forum or chat room could include personal information, which would be disclosed and available to all users of that forum or chat room, and is therefore no longer private. We cannot guarantee the security of information that any user discloses or communicates online in public areas such as forums and chat rooms. Those who do so, do so at their own risk. We reserve the right to monitor the content of the forums and chat rooms. If age-inappropriate content or potentially identifiable information is seen, it may be removed or edited by us for security, privacy, and/or legal reasons. We will not republish postings from forums or chat rooms anywhere on the Web. X.             Links And Third Parties

At our discretion, we may include or offer third-party websites, products, and services on iD Sites & Services. These third-party sites, products, and services have separate and independent privacy policies. You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third parties. We have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of linked sites, products, or services.

Our iD Sites & Services may contain links to other third-party websites, chat rooms, or other resources that we provide for your convenience. These sites are not under our control, and we are not responsible for the content available on other sites. Such links do not imply any endorsement of material on our part and we expressly disclaim all liability with regard to your access to such sites. Access to any other websites linked to from iD Sites & Services is at your own risk.  

XI.             Legal Basis for processing Personal Data and Your Data Protection Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), iD Tech’s legal basis for collecting and using your personal information as described in this policy depends on the personal Data we collect and the context in which we collect it.  ID Tech may process your personal data:

• To provide the services which you requested or purchased;
• Because you have given us permission to do so;
• To provide you with better services, including conducting audits and data analysis;
• For payment processing;
• For marketing; and 
• To comply with the law

You have certain data protection rights. iD Tech aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete or limit the use of your Personal Data.

If you wish to be informed about what Personal Data we hold about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us at  [email protected] .

In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights:

• The right to access, update, or delete the information we have on you. Whenever made possible, you can access, update, or request deletion of your Personal Data directly within your account settings section. If you are unable to perform these actions yourself, please contact us to assist you.
• The right to have your information corrected if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data.
• The right of restriction. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information.
• The right to data portability. You have the right to be provided with a copy of the information we have on you in a structured, machine-readable, and commonly used format.
• The right to withdraw consent. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time where iD Tech relied on your consent to process your personal information.

Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA). XII.           International Visitors  (non GDPR Locations) Our iD Sites & Services are operated and managed on servers located in the United States. If you choose to use our iD Sites & Services from the European Union or other regions of the world with laws governing data collection and uses that differ from the United States, then you recognize and agree that you are transferring your personal information outside of those regions to the United States and you consent to that transfer. XIII.          Data Security Commitment To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect. We also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol on your account information and registration pages to protect sensitive personal information. Sensitive data is encrypted on our iD Sites & Services and when stored on the servers.

XIV. How You Can Access, Request A Copy, Correct, Or Ask For Information To Be Deleted Access to certain personal Information that is collected from our Services and that we maintain may be available to you. For example, if you created a password-protected account within our Service, you can access that account to review the information you provided.

You may also send an email or letter to the following email or call the number provided to ask for a copy, correction, or ask us to delete your personal Information. Please include your registration information for such services, such as first name, last name, phone, and email address in the request. We may ask you to provide additional information for identity verification purposes or to verify that you are in possession of an applicable email account. Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-888-709-8324 XV. How To Contact Us/Opting Out Of Electronic Communications If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or if you have provided your email and/or address and prefer not to receive marketing information, please contact us via email or call at the number provided below.  Make sure you provide your name as well as the email(s) and address(es) you wish to have removed. 

If you have signed up to receive text messages from us and no longer wish to receive such messages, you may call or email us at the address provided below. Please provide your name, account email, and the number(s) you want removed. Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-888-709-8324 XVI.         Terms And Conditions Your use of our iD Sites & Services and any information you provide on our iD Sites & Services are subject to the terms of the internalDrive, Inc. (referred to as “iD Tech”) Terms and Conditions. XVII.         Privacy Statement Changes We will occasionally amend this privacy statement. We reserve the right to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this statement at any time. If we materially change our use of your personal information, we will announce such a change on relevant iD Sites & Services and will also note it in this privacy statement. The effective date of this privacy statement is documented at the beginning of the statement. If you have any questions about our privacy statement, please contact us in writing at [email protected] or by mail at PO Box 111720, Campbell, CA 95011. XVIII.          Your Credit Card Information And Transactions For your convenience, you may have us bill you or you can pay for your orders by credit card. If you choose to pay by credit card, we will keep your credit card information on file, but we do not display that information at the online registration site. For your security, your credit card security number is not stored in our system.

We use state-of-the-art Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology to safeguard and protect your personal information and transactions over the Internet. Your information, including your credit card information, is encrypted and cannot be read as it travels over the Internet. XIX.         Social Networking Disclaimer iD Tech provides several opportunities for social networking for both participants and staff on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. These sites are not affiliated with iD Tech and offer their own individual social networking services. Please read the following Terms and Conditions carefully, as well as the Terms and Conditions of the sites in which iD Tech has created a forum ("Group"). These Terms and Conditions are a legal agreement between you and iD Tech and apply to you whether you are a visitor to these sites or any site with an official iD Tech affiliation. iD Tech is a member of several pre-existing sites (as mentioned above). There may be, however, portions of  www.iDTech.com  that include areas where participants can post submissions. Any of the above-mentioned "Sites" (or other similar sites) have their own distinct rules and regulations. iD Tech reserves the right to take action to remove any content deemed inappropriate by the sites or by iD Tech standards. iD Tech will not be held liable for any loss of content or disagreements that may arise between the individual social networking site and the user. You understand that by registering for an iD Tech program, your participant(s) may access and upload content to social networking sites. In order to access certain features of the social networking sites or pages on iDTech.com, and to post Member Submissions, the majority of these sites require that the user open an account with them. Please note that these sites have their own individual Terms and Conditions that must be followed. Age requirements are outlined within each Site's Terms and Conditions. You hereby authorize your participant to access social networking sites while at camp and create an account if they choose to do so and if they meet the requirements listed by each site to create an account. Interaction with other users:

• iD Tech is merely providing a medium in which to socialize online with fellow participants. Users are solely responsible for interactions (including any disputes) with other Members and any volunteers that may advise and assist participants with projects and activities via your use of the iD Site & Services.
• You understand that iD Tech does not in any way screen Members or review or police: (i) statements made by Members in their Member Submissions or the Member Submissions in general; or (ii) statements made by Users or any information a User may provide via the iD Site & Services.
• You understand that your participant(s) is solely responsible for, and will exercise caution, discretion, common sense, and judgment in using the various iD Sites & Services and disclosing personal information to other Members or Users. 
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree that they will take reasonable precautions in all interactions with other Members, particularly if they decide to meet a Member offline or in person.
• Your participant's use of the social networking sites with which iD Tech is affiliated, their services, and/or Content and Member Submissions, is at your sole risk and discretion and iD Tech hereby disclaims any and all liability to you or any third party relating thereto.
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree that they will not harass, threaten, intimidate, bully, stalk, or invade the privacy of any individual in connection with your use of the social networking sites with which iD Tech is affiliated and their services, whether or not an individual is an iD Tech Member; and you further agree not to advocate such activities or to encourage others to engage in any such activities.
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree they will not give their social networking information to an iD Tech staff member.
• You and your participant(s) should also be aware that under no circumstances are iD Tech employees allowed to give personal contact information for social networking sites. This must be arranged by the participant's parent/guardian through the People Services Department.

XX.        Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy: You agree that you and your participant will not use the social networking sites to offer, display, distribute, transmit, route, provide connections to, or store any material that infringes copyrighted works, trademarks, or service marks or otherwise violates or promotes the violation of the intellectual property rights of any third party. internalDrive, Inc. has adopted and implemented a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are believed to be or are charged with repeatedly infringing the intellectual property or proprietary rights of others. XXI.       Disclaimer:   BY USING THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES OR SUBMITTING A MEMBER SUBMISSION, YOU AGREE THAT INTERNALDRIVE, INC. IS NOT RESPONSIBLE, AND WILL IN NO EVENT BE HELD LIABLE, FOR ANY: (A) LOST, ILLEGIBLE, MISDIRECTED, DAMAGED, OR INCOMPLETE MEMBER SUBMISSIONS; (B) COMPUTER OR NETWORK MALFUNCTION OR ERROR; (C) COMMUNICATION DISRUPTION OR OTHER DISRUPTIONS RELATED TO INTERNET TRAFFIC, A VIRUS, BUG, WORM, OR NON-AUTHORIZED INTERVENTION; OR (D) DAMAGE CAUSED BY A COMPUTER VIRUS OR OTHERWISE FROM YOUR ACCESS TO THE SITE OR SERVICES. THE SITE, SERVICES, INTERNALDRIVE, INC., CONTENT, AND MEMBER SUBMISSIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITH NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. INTERNALDRIVE, INC. AND ITS SUPPLIERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE SITE, SERVICES, INTERNALDRIVE, INC., CONTENT AND MEMBER SUBMISSIONS, WHETHER THE PROVISION OF SERVICES OR YOUR SUBMISSION OF A MEMBER SUBMISSION WILL PRODUCE ANY LEVEL OF PROFIT OR BUSINESS FOR YOU OR LEAD TO ECONOMIC BENEFIT, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF QUALITY, AVAILABILITY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN ADDITION, INTERNALDRIVE, INC. MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE SITE OR SERVICES WILL BE ERROR FREE OR THAT ANY ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED. SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. XXII.         Indemnification:   You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold iD Tech, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with: (i) your access to or use of social networking sites, their services, iD Tech Content and Member Submissions; (ii) your violation of these Terms of Use; (iii) your violation of any third-party right, including, without limitation, any intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property, or privacy right; or (iv) any claim that one of your Member Submissions caused damage to a third party or infringed or violated any third-party intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property, or privacy right.

iD Tech Terms & Conditions

Id tech general terms & conditions publish date: october 26, 2023.

These Terms and Conditions apply to all pages found at www.idtech.com  and all Programs operated by internalDrive, Inc. (referred to as "iD Tech") including but not limited to iD Tech In-Person programs and iD Tech Online Programs. These terms apply to all lessons, classes, courses, and options offered by iD Tech (hereinafter referred to individually as “Program” or collectively “Programs”).

Privacy Policy: By using iD Tech’s website, registering you or your student for a Program, and/or affirmatively giving your agreement, you are agreeing on your own behalf and that of your student to abide and be bound by the Privacy Policy found HERE and the Terms and Conditions contained and referenced herein.

Online Programs: If you are purchasing, or you or your student is participating in an Online Program you also agree on your own behalf and on behalf of your student, to be bound by the additional terms and conditions found HERE .

On-Campus Programs: If you are purchasing, or you or your student is participating in, an On-Campus Program, you also agree on your own behalf and on behalf of your student to be bound by the additional terms and conditions found HERE .

I. Code of Conduct

To promote the best learning environment possible, all students and parents will be held to this Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct or engaging in actions or attitudes that seem to be harmful to the atmosphere, other participants, or staff, in the opinion of iD Tech can lead to removal from a Program or Program(s). iD Tech reserves the right to dismiss students from a Program and prevent a student from attending additional Programs without any prior warning for (1) violating any of the terms of this code of conduct, or (2) if iD Tech determines that a Program is not a suitable and/or productive environment for a student (this includes incidents in which a student does not have sufficient English language skills to participate in the Program; participation in courses requires a high level of English understanding). Refunds will not be given for students dismissed for failure of the student or the parent to abide by the Code of Conduct, or if it is determined that a Program is not suitable for a student. While iD Tech strives to maintain excellent relationships with students, in some rare cases, we may determine that iD Tech is not a compatible environment for every student.

Students and parents/guardians may NEVER:

• Disrupt, bully, intimidate, or harass others;
• Use inappropriate language (for example, students cannot use of swear or curse words, racial, gendered, homophobic/transphobic, stereotypical, or culturally insensitive words, even if done in a joking manner);
• View, display or post any inappropriate material (including sexual content, material depicting inappropriate violence, racism, bullying, etc.) during a Program;
• Share Program information (including lesson plans, etc.) with third-parties, without permission from iD Tech;
• Impersonate another person; or
• Contact instructors outside of the Program.

Students also may NEVER:

• Engage in Internet hacking;
• Create an account on or log into third-party websites without the permission of their instructor;
• Use false information to create an account on or log into third-party websites;
• Share personal information with staff members or ask staff members for their personal information;
• Share or create video or audio recordings of iD Tech staff or another student without the permission of iD Tech.

Students and parents/guardians MUST:

• Follow directions/instructions of iD Tech personnel;
• If online, ensure the student attends the Program in an appropriate, private setting;
• Dress appropriately during the Program;
• Adhere to the terms of use of any sites used, including following the specified age policies; and
• Only share material that is related to lessons and appropriate.

II. Age Policy

iD Tech offers Programs for students ages 7-19. Therefore, students may interact and/or room with a student that is within this age range including 18 or 19 years old. Please note the age range of the Program being registered for.

If a student is 18 or 19 years old and participating in an On-Campus Program, they must successfully pass a criminal and sexual offender background check prior to being allowed to attend. Clients are responsible for all costs and fees associated with any background checks required for a student to attend.

III. Special Accommodations

If a student requires an accommodation to participate, or needs an aid to attend in an iD Tech Program, a parent/guardian must call iD Tech at 1-888-709-8324, no less than three weeks prior to your student’s first day of the Program to make needed arrangements.

If a student requires an aide to participate in an iD Tech Program, the aide must be age 18 or older, may not be a family member, and if it is an On -Campus Program, the aide must successfully pass a criminal and sexual offender background check prior ro being allowed to attend with the student. Aides may also be subject to fingerprinting. Clients are responsible for all direct costs, including background check processing fees, parking, and compensation for the aide’s attendance.

IV. Payment Policy

• Unless otherwise noted, all financial transactions are made and quoted in U.S. Dollars.
• All Payment Plan Fees, fees paid for Online Programs, and the $250 per week deposit for On-Campus Programs are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
• Other than if iD Tech needs to cancel a class, there are no refunds, credits or replacement days for classes missed. If iD Tech needs to cancel a class, iD Tech will either provide you a pro rata credit or reschedule the canceled class(es).
• If iD Tech cancels an entire Program for any reason, the fees paid for the Program will be refunded, less the non-refundable fees, as set out above. Non-refundable fees (other than the Payment Plan Fee, if any) will remain in your account as a fully transferable credit that is valid for three (3) years.
• iD Tech has the right to charge a $25 late fee on any payments not paid by the due date. For balances that are over 30 (thirty) days past due, iD Tech has the right to charge a 1% monthly finance charge and send the balance to a collection agency for collection (collection agency and legal fees may apply).
• All fees (registration, administrative, late, etc.) must be paid prior to the start of a Program, unless a payment plan has been agreed to. Students will be withdrawn from a Program if the Program has not been paid in full prior to the start of the Program, or if at any time a payment is not paid by the due date. No refunds, credits, or make-up classes will be provided if a session is missed due to a delinquent payment.
• By agreeing to a subscription or payment plan, you are authorizing iD Tech to auto charge the credit card on file as agreed at the time of purchase and as set out in My Account.
• A $35 returned check fee will be assessed for any checks returned or card transactions that are not honored.

V. Reservation Changes

To provide outstanding Programs, we may have to limit your ability to make changes (such as registering for a different course or changing attendance dates) and/or cancel a Program. Please reference the Terms and Conditions for specific Programs (linked above) for the rules and restrictions for changes and cancellations for that Program.

VI. Promotions and Discounts

Promotional discounts are limited to one discount per student. There may be other limitations as to how they apply, and codes must be submitted at the time of registration. iD Tech will not honor retroactive adjustments, and the total discounts received cannot exceed the total cost of the products purchased.

The Refer-a-Friend Program is a voluntary Program that applies to Small Group Classes and In-Person Programs.

• Each Referral Code can be used a maximum of 10 times. The code can only be used by students attending iD Tech for the first time (may be limited to certain Programs) and must be applied at the time of registration.
• A tuition credit will be given for each new student that registers for an In-Person Program or Small Group Class using a referral code and attends the course for which they registered.
• The Refer-a-Friend Program does not apply to siblings.
• Students may not refer each other to both qualify for the Refer-a-Friend Discount.
• Tuition credit will be applied after the referred client registers, pays in full and attends the Program. If the referred friend cancels his/her Program, the credit will be removed, and you will be responsible for any account balance that is created as a result of the lost credit.
• All tuition credits must be used in the Program term in which they are earned, can be used to offset Program tuition and other fees incurred, but do not entitle you to any form of payment.
• Tuition credits have no cash value.

VII. Certificates/Vouchers

All certificates/vouchers are non-refundable, non-transferable, and not redeemable for cash. Certificates/vouchers must be redeemed at the time of registration. Certificates/vouchers are valid until the specified expiration date, without exception. They are valid for up to the amount issued, and any amounts not used are forfeited.

VIII. General Releases

• Media Release: As a condition of participation, you authorize iD Tech and its partners to take photos, videos, images, audio, and testimonials of and/or from you and your student and agree that said content may be used by iD Tech in promotional materials, marketing collateral, and online media. These images, testimonials, photos, videos, and audio may be shared and used by corporate partners, the media, or other organizations that work with iD Tech. You also agree that all projects and work created by your student during an iD Tech Program may be used by iD Tech in promotional materials, online, and other print media, and may be shared and used by corporate partners, the media, or other organizations that work with iD Tech. You understand that iD Tech, its owners, agents, partners, facility providers, and employees will not be held liable for damages and injuries associated with use of any content released herein, including any and all claims based on negligence. You agree that all images, testimonials, photos, video, and audio taken at or in connection with an iD Tech Program are the sole and exclusive property of iD Tech, and that iD Tech has a royalty-free, perpetual license to use copies of all student work and projects created at an iD Tech Program.
• Name and Likeness Release: As a condition of participation, you authorize iD Tech and the press to use your student's full name and likeness in print, radio, TV, and other mediums.
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How to Finish Homework FAST

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I was a competitive swimmer as a freshman in university.

I would get up at 4:30 am for practice at 5:30 AM. Then I’d bike to the station and take the 1.5-hour train to school, try to stay awake in class, then bus back to the pool in the afternoon for evening practice.

I would clock in about 20 hours of training in total every week.

Somewhere along the way I found the time to study and I ended up finishing my freshman year with a 3.8 GPA.

By my sophomore and junior years, I had retired from swimming so although it would seem like I had more time on my hands, they were disasters by comparison.

In fact, I struggled with getting up for 8 AM classes, getting all of my schoolwork done and just keeping up with readings.

If you struggle with getting all your homework done as much as I did, you’ll appreciate Ted’s story.

Ted was a high performer who was also interested in a lot of different things: naturalism, boxing, body-building and dance. And yet, Ted excelled at Harvard: during his freshman year, he took seven courses and ended up with honour grades in five of them.

Basically, Ted’s the guy you know who goes to every party, rocks the dance floor till the sun comes up, and still gets straight A’s in every class.

Ted could do this mainly because of his work-hard-play-hard work ethic: he resolved to focus solely on his work during study sessions, so that he could let loose when he was done for the day.

This strategy served him pretty well – he brought it with him even as he graduated from Harvard, went on to public service, and rose to become one of the most famous presidents the US ever had – Theodore Roosevelt .

Cal Newport in his book Deep Work tells us more about TR’s work habits:

Roosevelt would begin his scheduling by considering the eight hours from eight thirty a.m. to four thirty p.m. He would then remove the time spent in recitation and classes, his athletic training (which was once a day), and lunch. The fragments that remained were then considered time dedicated exclusively to studying. As noted, these fragments didn’t usually add up to a large number of total hours, but he would get the most out of them by working only on schoolwork during these periods, and doing so with a blistering intensity.

In essence, TR worked harder and smarter on his homework – not longer. And by the end of this post, you’ll be able to do that, too.

Let’s get into it.

Hard-Start-then-Jump-to-Easy Technique

This is a test-taking strategy from Barbara Oakley’s A Mind for Numbers – and it carries over perfectly to homework problems.

Here’s how you do it:

• Scan your assignment to identify some of the harder problems, then start in on those.
• If you’re stuck after a minute or two, disengage and jump over to an easier problem. After finishing a few of those, you can come back to the harder problem – and you’ll often find that it’s easier to solve than it was before.

This technique works because of the fact that your brain functions in two distinct ways of thinking: focused mode and diffused mode .

Focused-mode is when you directly concentrate on a problem and try to work through it logically.

By contrast, Oakley says that,

“ Diffused-mode thinking is what happens when you relax your attention and just let your mind wander. This relaxation can allow different areas of the brain to hook up and return valuable insights… Diffuse-mode insights often flow from preliminary thinking that’s been done in the focused mode.”

What that means is that to solve difficult problems, you need both modes of thinking.

First, you need to work through as much as you can to “prime the pump” with focused thinking, before letting your mind relax and let diffused thinking do its thing.

By using your technique, you’re allowing more parts of your brain to fire and help you solve a problem.

Record All Details of Sample Problems in Class

To be able to study well and feel confident, you have to have complete notes. There’s just no getting around that.

But what if your professor is the type who rambles or talks too fast?

Here are a couple of tips to help you take notes:

1. Record the problem and the answer first, before you write down the solution.

The sample problems from class are the best way to make sure that you’re covering the right material when you’re studying for exams.

This helps facilitate your studying after class because even if you don’t know exactly how to do the problem, you can always work backward from the answer. And if you get stuck, you can always get help from Google, YouTube or a friend.

This note-taking technique work especially well if you’re falling behind during the lecture because your teacher talks as fast as Kendrick Lamar raps the bridge for DNA .

2. Annotate like you’re going to teach someone else.

Ask yourself, “If I had to study this lesson from scratch with only my notes to refer to, what information would I need?”

Every little piece of information helps when you’re working through a math problem and x suddenly seems to have morphed into a ninja turtle, somewhere between steps 1 and 2.

Finally, you can also check out this comprehensive video for the best ways to take better notes faster.

Do Homework at School

Here’s something your teachers never told you: homework isn’t actually supposed to be done at home .

In fact, the best time to do your homework is when you’ve just come from class and the material is still fresh in your head.

By doing your homework ASAP, you’re able to work through the problems faster, by  reinforcing the concepts to yourself.

Similar to how Theodore Roosevelt worked intensely between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, either schedule a big gap in your day , or just stay on campus to finish homework before going home.

Looking back on my own story, I realized that when I stopped swimming, I had become far too lax with my time and, in effect, spent more time in low-intensity, ineffective studying. I also realized that having such a rigorous training schedule forced me to focus harder during the little time I had to study between practice and classes.

In Conclusion

So to sum up, in class, use the problem-answer-solution framework to take good notes, even if your teacher talks really fast. This way you capture all the example problems you need to study.

Then, use the Hard-Start-then-Jump-to-Easy technique to call on all the parts of your brain to help you solve homework problems.

And finally, by doing your homework in school, you’re taking less time to study overall because you’re doing it with more intensity and intention.

16 Best Tips on How to Finish your Homework Faster

• Post author By admin
• September 1, 2022

Doing homework can be both time-consuming and frustrating. When you are busy and you do not have enough time to complete your homework. You can follow these 16 powerful tips on how to finish your homework faster. This will help you stay on track with your homework and help you ensure that you submit them on time.

Table of Contents

Make a Plan

Before start writing homework, you should create a plan. Calculate how much time you need to finish your homework on time. According to your homework, you can plan your daily and weekly schedule. You can use the calendar for that purpose. This will help you visualize your schedule, and help you remember your homework.

Managing Your Time

You can fix a specific time to do your homework. Doing your homework at the same time each day will help you develop a regular routine. Try setting aside a time you know you can work well.

• Decide how much time you want to spend on your homework.
• Make a list of all the different tasks you need to finish.
• Estimate how much time you’ll be able to spend on each task.
• Always work according to your list.

Create a Schedule

• You need to know which assignments are most important and which will take the most time will help you manage your time effectively.
• Use highlighters to mark which assignments are most important.
• If you’re using an online or mobile schedule, create alerts or notifications for the homework.
• Don’t forget to include time for revisions, corrections, or other additional parts of an assignment.

Create an Outline for Your Homework

Make an outline of your homework to guide you through the writing process. The outline does not have to belong; it just has to be a summary of what you are going to write. Once you create the outline, show it to your teacher. Your teacher can also give you tips on additional points to raise. This will be easy and helpful for your homework.

Break Down Larger Homework Projects into Manageable Tasks

If your homework projects are larger you need to break down the project into small parts. For example: the assignment is divided into the planning, researching, writing, and revision stages.

Work in a Comfortable Environment

Finding a distraction-free area is one step to finishing your homework faster. Try sitting at a desk in a padded, comfortable chair. Avoid doing homework on the floor or on your bed, because these areas make you sleepy and distracted.

Start your homework when you’re Feeling Fresh

Start your assignment when you’re fresh and focused. Some people are comfortable after dinner and some prefer early mornings. Find the best time and make it regular. This will help you stay fresh and work productively.

Start your Homework Soon After you Get Home from School

Sometimes start homework in the evening isn’t good because it’s much harder to work quickly when you’re tired. Similarly, the next morning to do your homework sometime is incomplete. You can start your homework after some rest you get home from school.

Many teachers give students some free time at the end of class. You can also start your homework in this free time.

Complete the Difficult Assignment First

Firstly you need to complete the most challenging and time-consuming homework. Sometime you will leave them for later. You should do the opposite: complete them first. Once you’re done with that challenging homework. It will be easy to complete the other homework projects.

Take Short Breaks

You need to take a break of 10 minutes after an hour of doing homework. Drink plenty of water and eat light, healthy, tasty snacks. You need to eat healthy food that will enhance your memory, and revitalize your brain and body. Stay away from junk food and energy drinks.

Turn off your Mobile and Avoid Social Distractions

Phones are extremely distracting. If you want to finish your homework on time then turn off your mobile during the study. Use an app that blocks social media. There are plenty of applications that can help block social media and other distracting sites.

Don’t Multitask

When it comes to completing homework on time, multitasking is not the right thing to do. Schedule one homework at a time. You think multitasking saves time. But it often results in taking longer to do more tasks. You should also avoid multitasking like television or social media as well.

Ask for Help when you Need It

• You can ask your parents for your help. They always help you to homework completion and improved academic performance.
• Asking a friend for help in understanding a concept that will help to you finish your homework faster.
• If your friends can’t help, ask your professor to clarify the issues you struggle with.
• You can also post your question on Quora. You will get good answers from people that also help you.

Find Online  Help

If you need the online assignment help services provider. You can search on the internet there is many homework help website you can choose anyone. They complete your assignment within the deadline and give you a 100% unique solution. You can save your time by taking online homework help service.

Find a Tutor

An online tutor like FamilyTutor can be the best resource for improving your understanding of a subject. They have great knowledge of your subject. They give the instruction that can help you understand the homework. It is also easier to ask questions about your tutor rather than in front of the whole class.

Go to the Library

You can collect books and other useful materials for homework. Many libraries offer other resources such as tutoring, reference librarians and academic libraries, subject-specific librarians. If you need to work at a library after school, find your local library and go.

Hopefully, our tips are effective for you to finish your homework faster. If you face any difficulties to complete your homework. You can take our essay writing help at any time.

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• Create a study schedule
• Set up a homework tool kit
• Have a dedicated study space
• Have your parents help you
• Get a tutor
• Brain food and hydration
• Take breaks
• Study at the same time every day
• Ask for help

Tip #1: Create a study schedule

Homework from certain subjects, such as Maths , may take longer than others. It’s a great idea to plan out a weekly calendar based on your weekly class schedule. You’ll need to keep track of the different deadlines and commitments you have, and anticipate the amount of time you need to get different tasks done. ⏰

Not only will creating a schedule help you stay organised and make sure you get everything done in time, having a well-developed routine will also help you develop your time management skills and take responsibility. Your parents can help you with this if you need a little extra support with organising your time while learning at home .  

Tip #2: Set up a homework toolkit 

It’s a great idea to have everything you need ready to go in your at-home study space, including a homework toolkit. You don’t want to have to get your school supplies in and out of your backpack constantly, and having a separate set of supplies with everything you need at home would make things more fun and easy. ✍️

Why not put together a homework toolbox with stationery and other fun things that you may need for projects and assignments throughout the year? That way, you’ll be ready to get started as soon as it’s time for homework.

Tip #3: Have a dedicated study space 

It’s a great idea to find a distraction-free space to study at home. It doesn’t have to be fancy – you can use a desk or a table and chair to create a zone dedicated to homework . Make sure it’s in a quiet spot with no distractions such as TV nearby while you’re working. 💻

It’s a good idea for you to create a few rules that should be followed in the study area to make sure you stay on track. For example, ‘no digital devices are allowed in the zone’, and ‘the homework zone must be left tidy after the day’s homework is complete’. You can determine these rules for yourself or work it out with the help of your parents. 

Tip #4: Have your parents help you

Your parents are a great resource you can take advantage of if you need help as you’re doing your homework. If you encounter anything that makes you feel confused or need something explained more thoroughly, ask your parent or caretaker to help you. 

However, keep in mind that you’re the one who should be doing your homework – not your parents. Independent learning will allow you to learn from your mistakes and gain an understanding of where you need a little extra help. Your parents should be helping you when you need it, but they shouldn’t be doing your work for you. Homework and revision are crucial elements of learning , so it’s important that you do your own work and understand it. ✔️

Tip #5: Get a tutor

Even with the help of your parents, schoolwork can be difficult. If you find yourself struggling to grasp certain concepts or just think you could benefit from some extra one-on-one support from an experienced tutor, why not try online tutoring ? 

Your parents may realise that much of today’s school curriculum is different to what they were taught during their schooldays. It’s totally okay to admit that there are some subjects you may need some extra help with – which is where tutors come in. 👩🏽‍🏫

Tip #6: Eat brain food and stay hydrated 

Nutrition and hydration is super important when it comes to concentration, focus and energy. After a long day at school, you probably need a snack or a light meal to keep you going until dinnertime – trying to do your homework on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea. 🥗

Check out our best tips for energy foods and brain foods that’ll help you get that homework done, and don’t forget to keep sipping water! Making sure that you’re drinking enough water to stay properly hydrated is important as it’ll help you stay focused on the work at hand. 

Tip #7: Remember to take breaks

While you’re doing your homework, it’s important that you take enough breaks. Breaks are important for your concentration, especially on days when the schedule contains more than three tasks . ☝️

You should try to maintain good posture as you’re studying, and make sure to keep moving. It’s recommended that you get up to use the restroom, get a glass of water or just have a little stretching session once per hour. If you’re committed to your study session, a quick five minute break to regroup will help you maintain focus for longer and retain more of the information you’re taking in!

Tip #8: Study at the same time every day 

Creating good habits is important in order to be successful over time. It’s a good idea for you to build a routine that works for you, and having a designated time to study every day is very beneficial. ⌛

When you decide to study is entirely up to you – some people may prefer to sit down with their homework right after getting home from school so they can have the rest of the day to themselves. Others may want to have a snack or some time to relax before starting. It all depends on what works best for you, so pick the study time you’re happy with. 

Tip #9: Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Homework is here to stay, and at some point every kid is going to need a little help. That’s where we come in! GoStudent tutors are equipped to help with all subjects and all learning styles. Get in touch today to book your free trial session and try it for yourself! 🚀

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Strategies to make homework go more smoothly.

Routines and incentive systems to help kids succeed

Writer: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Clinical Expert: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

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

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

Homework Routines

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

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

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

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

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

Incentive Systems

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

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

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

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

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

Developing Incentive Systems

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click here to download the homework planner and incentive sheet .

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Daniel Wong

8 Proven Hacks to Get Your Homework Done Fast

Updated on March 19, 2024 By Daniel Wong Leave a Comment

It reinforces your learning at school and enhances your knowledge. There’s no better way to master a concept than to practice solving problems related to it.

But as a student, there’s more to life than homework.

Figuring out how to balance school and work , leisure, social activities, volunteering, etc. is vital.

The good thing is that there are proven ways to be more efficient and finish your homework fast – without compromising on the quality of your work.

In this article, we’ll talk about 8 strategies you can use to maximize your efforts and get everything done in less time!

(Make sure to download your free quick action guide below.)

FREE  QUICK ACTION GUIDE:  

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12 Guaranteed Ways for Students to Improve Focus and Reduce Procrastination .  

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When is the best time to do your homework?

Getting your homework done as soon as you can is always a good idea.

After your classes, the information you’ve learned is still fresh in your memory. So applying these concepts in your assignments will be easier.

It also helps to have a routine – for instance, getting started on your homework one hour before dinner every weekday.

Find out when the best time to study is for you and build your schedule around it.

Let’s say that you always feel motivated to complete your schoolwork as soon as possible. If so, you can leverage this motivation by diving into your assignments right when you get home.

But if you need a short break, you can set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour once you get home to remind you to get started after you’ve had some rest.

What to do when you have a lot of homework

When this happens, you might feel stressed or overwhelmed.

When your to-do list gets longer and longer, the best thing you can do is to stay calm and focused.

Set yourself up to enter a flow state where you focus solely on the task at hand.

Write down all your pending assignments, and take on just one task at a time. Set a goal and timeframe for each task, and minimize distractions in your study environment.

If the assignment is complex, break it down into smaller and less intimidating steps. Checking these smaller goals off your list as you go can keep you motivated and focused.

How to finish homework fast

It’s important to work hard, but it’s also important to work smart .

Here are some of the best time-saving productivity hacks for students to make it easier and faster to complete their homework.

1. Consistently keep track of your homework

One of the biggest mistakes I see students make is thinking they’ll remember all of their assigned tasks.

I don’t doubt that you have a good memory. But keeping track of your homework by writing things down is much more efficient.

Keep a physical or digital list of all your pending assignments and their deadlines. You can consistently track your tasks using this list. A notebook or note-taking app would work well.

When it’s time to work on your assignments, pull out this list and start with the most urgent task that has the closest deadline. Continue working your way through the list based on how urgent each task is.

The list clarifies which assignments require immediate attention and which can be done another day.

This allows you to dive right into doing your homework and saves precious time.

Making lists can lighten your brain’s workload . It also helps to reduce anxiety and boost productivity.

2. Spruce things up with a study buddy

One of the best ways to boost motivation and get the ball rolling is by doing homework with a study buddy.

Having someone with you can help you to stay engaged and on task.

You’ll keep each other accountable and ensure that all assignments are completed on time.

During these study sessions, you can work together to solve challenging questions and understand difficult concepts.

3. Remove distractions (especially electronic ones)

Procrastination and distractions can kill your productivity.

Here are some study strategies to help you combat procrastination and make the most of your time:

• Find an ideal study environment at your school or at the library, or create an optimal work environment at home.
• Use earplugs or noise-canceling earphones to reduce external distractions.
• Keep only the materials and stationery you need at your desk. You can also have a water bottle and a few snacks prepared, so you won’t have to get up midway through your study session.
• Turn off your phone. In fact, it’s best to keep all your devices in a different room or at least out of arm’s reach.
• If a thought or idea pops into your head, instead of acting on it, write it down. Maybe it’s an errand you need to run or a friend you promised to call. Acknowledge these thoughts by writing them down, then take care of them after you’ve completed your homework.

4. Create a reward system

A reward system nurtures motivation – at least in the short term – by giving you something to look forward to.

It trains your brain to understand that hard work results in an enjoyable outcome. Plus, it builds a positive association with homework.

So identify some reasonable rewards that you’d enjoy. List out items or activities you value that are consistent with your goals.

What works best is building multiple practical rewards into your homework routine.

For example, you could reward yourself by listening to your favorite music after every 45-minute work session. Or you could have a quick, healthy snack after completing each set of practice questions.

Of course, you can occasionally use big rewards too. After finishing a complex assignment or a long practice exam, treat yourself to something special, like watching a show with your friends.

5. Gamify your study session

Why are video games so much fun?

Games are designed to keep you hooked on leveling up your character, exploring new worlds, and unlocking rewards.

But what if I told you that you could apply specific video game principles to your homework sessions to keep you motivated?

Research suggests that gamification could address motivational problems related to work and learning. So applying this concept will make homework and studying more fun !

One of the simplest ways to do this is by downloading gamification apps.

Some examples include Forest , Do It Now , and Habitica . These apps have features that allow you to unlock new game elements, rank up, or collect points.

This enables you to track your progress and stay on task.

6. Create a dedicated workspace

Having a suitable place at home to study will help you complete your homework faster.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s important to personalize your workspace based on what enables you to focus best.

For example, one person might enjoy having a bunch of stationery, Post-it notes, and colorful highlighters on his or her desk. But these might only serve as distractions for others.

Some people might work best with white noise or a little background chatter. On the other hand, some people might only be able to concentrate in a quiet environment.

So feel free to experiment to find what works best for you. Here are some general tips to get you started:

• Ensure that there’s adequate lighting and keep your space at a comfortable temperature.
• Reduce stress with the right scents, e.g. use a pleasant-smelling room fragrance or diffuse an essential oil.
• Personalize your work desk with items like a memo board, calendar, clock, or artwork.
• Keep your desk well-organized and clean.
• Invest in a good office chair.

7. Make a study plan

It also takes the guesswork out of the equation when allocating time.

Here’s how you can create an effective study plan:

• Cater to your specific learning preferences. Are you more productive in the morning or evening? How long can you focus without a break? Whenever possible, plan your schedule based on the times of the day that suit you best.
• Create deadlines that fall a few days before the actual ones. This gives you a cushion in case your assignments or projects take longer than expected.
• Space out your homework into blocks with rest intervals. For example, you could divide your work into 40-minute work blocks with 10-minute breaks in between.
• Limit social media usage during breaks. Scrolling through social media can take a toll on your mental capacity and eat up more time than you intended. Instead, engage in less mentally-taxing activities, like taking a stroll, performing simple stretches, or having a light snack.

8. Break up your homework into manageable chunks

It’s natural to sometimes feel overwhelmed by your assignments – especially the long, complicated, and tedious ones.

Getting started on a large or complex task might seem like you’re biting off more than you can chew. In turn, this can lead to procrastination.

One tried-and-tested study tip for handling challenging tasks is to break them down into smaller chunks.

List out each smaller task and work through the project bit by bit. You can even use programs and apps like Trello, Asana, or Notion to create daily to-do lists and keep tabs on your progress.

When you do this, the tasks become much more doable, so you’ll be able to submit your assignments on time.

How to finish homework at the last minute

But if you find yourself in this situation, the most important thing to do is to prioritize well.

Which assignments are due the soonest? And which tasks account for what percentage of your overall grade?

Write down all your pending tasks. Then, prioritize those with the closest deadlines.

You should give your best effort for every assignment, project, quiz, etc. But if you’re running out of time, it may not be possible to give your 100% effort. So do just what’s required and move on.

But make a firm commitment that you won’t do your homework at the last minute again in the future!

While homework is part and parcel of student life (and an important one at that), it shouldn’t have to be something you dread.

Try these 8 proven strategies to help you do your homework faster while making it more enjoyable!

(And if you haven’t already done so, make sure to download your free quick action guide below.)

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How to Make School Go By Faster: 13 Easy Tips

Ever been stuck in a boring class and wished that school could just hurry up and end? Well, you’re not alone. While we can’t speed up time, there are tricks to make the clock tick faster in your head. Keep scrolling to check them out!

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Table of Contents

Engagement and Participation Tips

Mental breaks and distraction tips, productivity tips.

Staring down a six-hour school day? Break it into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Think of it as twelve 30-minute episodes instead of a never-ending marathon. Focus on each “episode” as its own challenge.

Chunk Your Class Time

Instead of focusing on the entire school day, break down your class into smaller segments. Six straight hours of listening in class might seem overwhelming, but seeing it as twelve 30-minute sessions throughout the day feels more manageable. As they say, you need to focus on the step in front of you – not the whole staircase.

Switch Things Up

Feeling the monotony? Shake things up. Swap seats, change your pen color, or rock that new hoodie you bought. A little change can go a long way to refresh your brain!

Listen Actively

If your teacher says, “This is important,” they’re practically handing you the answer key to the next exam. Listen for these hints — they’ll probably help you decide what to review later on!

Participate & Ask Questions

Don’t let the fear of public embarrassment keep you quiet. If something’s unclear, raise your hand and ask. It not only clears things up, but puts you on your teacher’s radar for the good stuff (like extra help or credit).

Reward Yourself

Made it through a brutal 2 hour physics lecture? Treat yourself to your favorite snack or a quick walk. Gamify your school day with mini-goals and rewards, and you’ll find it easier to stay engaged.

Don’t Look at the Clock

We’ve all been there – watching the clock while waiting for the last hour before class ends. Constant clock-watching only makes the class drag on even longer. Make the most of the remaining minutes by actually listening to your teacher.

Learning new stuff can feel exhausting. So, when you have some free time on your hands, give your mind a break. Here are some strategies that you can use to give your brain a much-deserved rest.

Mind-wandering isn’t all bad, but do it responsibly. Important class? Stay focused. Waiting for the lecture to start? Go ahead, let your thoughts roam free.

Write a Journal or Diary Entry

If you’re feeling stressed out and anxious about school or life in general, try to put your thoughts into words through a journal or diary entry. Writing is not only a good way to pass time, but also helps in processing your emotions through reflection. Check out some of the best Notion journal templates that you can use to get started.

Doodle Away

If you feel the itch to move your hands while in the middle of class, try scribbling random things on your iPad or on a piece of paper. In fact, studies have shown that doodling improves focus and relieves stress while studying. Wanna take your doodles to the next level? Try creating mind maps of your lesson and drawing custom icons or symbols – making it the perfect study material when preparing for a test!

Pulled an all-nighter? A power nap between classes can be a lifesaver. You’ll be recharged and ready to tackle what’s next.

Making time fly while being productive is like hitting two birds with one stone. If you have nothing better to do, try stimulating your brain with other activities or tasks. Here are some productive things that you can do to make time go by quicker!

Organize Your Notes

Rewriting your notes after class is an effective way to retain information. Take it a step further by making more aesthetic notes that are personalized to your style. This will make reading them and studying for your exams more enjoyable in the future. The more creative your notes are, the more memorable they’ll become!

Do Your Homework in Advance

If you find yourself stuck in a class you’re familiar with and covering material you’ve already learned before, make the most of your time by doing your homework. You can create a short outline for a presentation or just write the introduction of an essay due tomorrow to get the ball rolling. Since you’d be able to finish your assignments earlier, you could spend your free time relaxing or doing something you love.

Plan Out Your Week

Lastly, taking the time to create your weekly schedule is both a fun and productive way to pass the time. Use your breaks during school to get ahead of your workload by planning it out. Don’t forget to make time for other extracurricular activities and adequate rest besides your usual study sessions.

So, the next time you’re faced with a long school day that feels like forever, remember these tips to make waiting for your classes to end feel like a breeze! Instead of mindlessly waiting for the clock to tick away, you can maximize your time in school in the most efficient way possible.

Which of these tips is your favorite? Are there any other strategies you use to make school go by faster? Let us know in the comments below!

Gridfiti is supported by its audience – when you buy something using the retail links in our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.  Read more  about our affiliate disclaimer.

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How to Cut Homework Time in Half

The amount of time spent agonizing over assignments bears no direct correlation to the quantity of knowledge and learning attained. in other words, homework that takes forever is pointless. so learn how to blast through school work with these tips for parents and teachers of children with adhd..

Homework problems lead to many kids with ADHD failing in school. Almost every parent of a student with ADHD has been on the front lines of homework battles, but homework doesn’t have to be exhaustive to be effective. The National Education Association and the Parent Teacher Association recommend 10 minutes per grade level per day. In other words, a sixth grader should spend roughly 60 minutes on homework, while a first grader should have no more than 10 minutes each evening. If teachers are piling it on, have a friendly discussion with them. The following strategies for how to get homework done fast can shorten completion time and reduce stress at home.

Tools for Teachers

One size doesn’t fit all. Data from assessments (formal and informal), daily observations, and anecdotal notes from the previous week should be used to determine homework assignments. Before assigning the entire class the same math practice page or reading passage, classroom teachers should consider, “What does each child need some extra practice with?” Individualizing homework increases the odds that a child will complete it.

Factor in students’ learning styles . Be creative and give students a “menu of options” for homework. Options for learning weekly vocabulary words might be to write a rap song or create a PowerPoint using the words. Students will be more enthusiastic about the homework process if they are given choices.

Have a study buddy (or two). Assign willing students to be the go-to person to answer questions from a student with ADHD who doesn’t understand the homework assignment.

Be responsive to parents who report frustration over homework. Be willing to adjust homework assignments , so that students with ADHD and LD spend a reasonable, not an excessive, amount of time doing them each evening. Does completing 50 subtraction problems really help a child learn? Wouldn’t 10 or 15 math problems provide enough practice and give you enough feedback? Try to shorten and reduce the workload — particularly the amount of writing required.

[ Free Download: The Teacher’s Guide to ADHD Learning Styles ]

Post assignments on the board. Write the homework assignment in the same place on the board each day.

Have students use an assignment calendar or agenda — then guide and monitor the recording of assignments.

Collect homework and give some feedback. It is frustrating to students and parents to spend a lot of time on assignments that the teacher never looks at.

Don’t assign homework as a punishment or a consequence for misbehavior at school. Don’t send home unfinished classwork to do as homework. Instead, provide the necessary modifications and supports, so that in-school work is in-school work, and homework is homework.

[ Turning It In Should Be the Easy Part of Homework, Right? ]  

Provide a variety of ways for a student to get homework assignments. Record assignments on a classroom answering machine or school voicemail, as well as on the teacher’s Web page. Another option: Post homework assignments on an outside window of the classroom, so students can return to check it after school.

Provide incentives for turning in homework. Let your students play Homeworkopoly (download the game board and “Chance” cards at teachnet.com ). Every day, students who have turned in their completed homework get to roll a die and move their individual marker that number of spaces along the game board, which looks like a Monopoly board. Along the way, they may land on special squares, earning small prizes or privileges.

Have students chart their progress. Ask students to graph their own homework completion and return rates.

Check assignment calendars and planners, since students with ADHD often make careless recording errors, entering assignments on the wrong date. Routinely ask table partners or groups seated together to check each other’s assignment pads.

Are the parents in the know? Invite parents to observe lessons in your classroom, so they will have a better understanding of how to work with their child. Don’t assume that parents will know what to do or how to help their child complete the assigned tasks. Demonstrate ways for the parent to help her child. Parents are a key factor in student success, and teachers must take the initiative to educate them.

Pointers for Parents

Be there. Sit with your child and talk through what needs to be done. Once she starts to work, you may fold laundry, knit, or read in the same room. At some point, she may ask you to leave. If so, go.

Get him moving. Physical activity — walking on a treadmill or fiddling with pipe cleaners — increases alertness for mental activity. Encourage your student to walk around the house reading aloud from a book. Chances are, she will soon settle down and be able to focus on her work.

Use medication. By the time they get home from school, most kids with ADHD are tired and their medication is wearing off — a double whammy for doing homework. Talk with your doctor about prescribing a short-acting medication. When medication is working, students stay focused and complete homework more quickly. They also tend to remember the material they studied.

Set the stage. It’s the end of the day and everyone in the household is tired, but you still have to do homework. Make your child feel comfortable as he starts his homework. Have him wear comfortable clothes and make the sure the environment doesn’t distract him. Some kids need a quiet room with no distractions, while others may need a little background noise.

Make it fun. Writing definitions for 25 vocabulary words is boring. Turn it into a game! Post words and definitions around the house for them to match. Have them jump on the trampoline while learning multiplication facts. Talk with their teacher about ways to make homework active.

Avoid interruptions. Once the student begins homework, hold his telephone calls until break time or until homework is completed. You may have to take a cell phone away to keep him from texting.

Spice things up. If a homework assignment is boring, play music or TV at low volume. When reading, break assignments into segments marked by colored paper clips. When the student reads as far as the clip, he can take a break.

Skip missing information. Students with ADHD often look for excuses to stop doing their homework. So if he needs information to answer a question, have him work around it, leaving a blank that can be filled in later that night or the next day.

Take a break when no homework has been assigned. Don’t require your child to study on those days. Use the time to have fun with your child. You will deepen family relationships and build his self-esteem.

Find a tutor. If you find it hard to help your child with schoolwork, find someone who can. A junior or senior high school student may be ideal — and the right price — depending on the need and age of your child.

Put completed homework into the appropriate folder. See that completed work is placed in the designated folder and is put into the backpack the night before. To keep him from losing it before class, set up a system with the teacher to collect the work upon arriving at school.

[ The ADHD Homework System We Swear By ]

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Homework & Studying: Read These Next

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How tall is Kate Martin? Everything to know about the WNBA draft pick for Las Vegas Aces

Hawkeye team leader Kate Martin is entering the WNBA, alongside teammate and friend Caitlin Clark as the only players from the state of Iowa selected in the 2024 draft.

This was her final season playing for the Hawkeyes. Martin made career-highs this season averaging 13.1 points a game and 6.8 rebounds. This is the second season Martin aided the Hawkeyes in the NCAA title game. She ended her career with 1,229 points and 756 rebounds .

Did Kate Martin get drafted?

Yes. In the second round of the WNBA Draft Monday, Martin was selected by the Las Vegas Aces . As the 18th overall pick, Martin is one of two Hawkeyes to be drafted this year. This is the first time two of Iowa's players were selected in the same WNBA draft since 1998.

“I’m so proud of Kate because her dreams came true," Iowa coach Lisa Bluder told Hawk Central . "She has been such a big part of our program over the last six years. Her efforts did not go unnoticed by her peers. I wish Kate all the success with this next step.”

More: What did Caitlin Clark say about Kate Martin being drafted?

What should I know about Kate Martin?

In the last year, Martin became the 43rd Hawkeye in the program's history to eclipse 1,000 career points. She earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media, according to the Hawkeyes Women's Basketball website . She scored 15 or more points in 15 games and 20 or more points in three games.

Where is Kate Martin from?

Martin is from Edwardsville, Illinois, where she played for Edwardsville High School. During her high school career, she scored more than 1,000 points and was a three-year starter. She averaged 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.88 assists, according to the Hawkeyes' website .

More: Kate Martin picked by Las Vegas in WNBA Draft: What they're saying on social media

How tall is Kate Martin?

Martin stands at 6 feet, according to the Hawkeye's website . She was number 20 during her time with Iowa.

What is Kate Martin majoring in?

Martin is a graduate student at the University of Iowa. She is majoring in sports marketing.

Des Moines Register reporter Tyler Tachman contributed to this report.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at  [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at @ Kkealey17 .

How to Clean Every Room in Your Home: Smart Tips That Make Housecleaning Easier, Faster—and Done!

H ousecleaning can seem never-ending—especially if you have kids, pets or both. You barely have time to cross one item off your housecleaning checklist before you spy something else that's dirty, dusty, sticky or grimy.

What's more, cleaning can be complicated, partly due to the proliferation of different types of surfaces and fabrics, explains Brandi Winch, owner of Homemaid Cleaning Service in Kalamazoo, Michigan. "Just 25 years ago, we had something like five different floorings to choose from and four different countertops," she says. "Now we have hundreds of both, and they all require different care." And that's not even including all the fabric coverings for your sofa or variety of rugs.

The good news: "It is not difficult to learn how to clean," says Winch. It's all about finding the right technique and product. And once you master these expert housecleaning tips for dusting , mopping, scrubbing and other chores, and have the best cleaning products in your arsenal for the targeted surfaces, upkeep will be easier. Read on for the inside cleaning know-how that will help you clean everything in your home—and keep it spotless.

Housecleaning tips

While cleaning may seem like common sense (if something is dirty, wash, dust or vacuum it), pros do know certain housecleaning tips and tricks for getting the job done more efficiently and effectively.

1. Gather your supplies

Before you start cleaning, gather all the cleaning products you'll need, including a scrub brush, sponges, microfiber cloths and a bucket. Carry them in a caddy or wear them in an apron so you don't waste time looking for the right cleanser or brush.

2. Pick the right cleaning tools

Cleaning accessories make a big difference. Most cleaning pros favor microfiber cloths and mop pads because they're reusable, they don't leave behind fuzz and they're less abrasive than paper towels. Winch prefers Quickie microfiber cloths but cautions that you can't wash or dry them with high heat, since the microfiber is really a kind of plastic, not a cloth. A vacuum-mop combo that sucks up dirt while washing your floors can also be a huge two-in-one time-saver.

3. Let the products do the work

All deep-cleaning comes down to one of four things: chemicals, agitation (aka physical scrubbing), time and heat. Sometimes you may need just one of those things, and sometimes all four. "You do not remove tough grime by wiping alone," says Winch. "You get through grime with strong chemicals that require time to activate." You may need the addition of steam or hot water to remove tough stains.

4. Try cleaning on the grid

Instead of focusing on one cleaning task at a time, such as cleaning the counters, Winch starts at one end of a room and cleans everything in a space from top to bottom—in a kitchen, for example, it might be the cabinet above the sink, the sink backsplash, the sink itself, the cabinet below the sink and the baseboard—then moves to the right and repeats. It's counterintuitive, Winch says, but it's a major time saver because you aren't running around the room or retracing your steps.

5. Don't overlook the perimeter

"Most of the yuck on floors is right along the four inches or so around the edge of the room," says Winch. That's where vacuums and mops tend to miss, so if you really want a spotless floor, clean that area by hand with a designated floor cleaner and a microfiber cloth. While you're down there, clean the baseboards .

6. Put on a cleaning playlist

Listening to a playlist chock-full of good songs for cleaning won't necessarily make cleaning easier, but we promise it will make cleaning more fun.

Now that you have the basics down, learn the secrets to cleaning the house, room by room.

How to clean a kitchen

Not only is the kitchen the most-used room in the home that needs to be cleaned on average twice a week, but it's also the room with the biggest variety of surfaces, which makes it tricky, says Winch. After all, a stainless steel sink requires an entirely different cleaning product and technique than, say, granite countertops  or wood cabinets. Here's how to clean the kitchen from top to bottom.

Tackle the fridge

Because refrigerators contain food and are opened and closed constantly, sometimes by folks with dirty hands, they can be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The key to cleaning out the inside of a fridge is to be very systematic and work from the top to the bottom, so any crumbs or drips don't get missed. "People go all over the place, trying to clean the dirtiest spot first," Winch says. Follow these steps for a comprehensive clean:

• Remove all food and condiments. Toss anything that's expired, moldy or otherwise inedible.
• Pick up any large chunks of food with a paper towel and discard; then vacuum all crumbs.
• Wash removable shelving and drawers with hot, soapy water in the sink.
• Spray the ceiling, back, sides and shelves of the refrigerator with a multipurpose cleaner, then close the door and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Once the time is up, working from top to bottom, scrub any dried-on gunk with a non-scratch sponge such as a Scrub Daddy; then wipe dry with a microfiber cloth or paper towel. Go over any stubborn stains with a dampened Mr. Clean Magic Eraser .
• Replace food items, following these fridge organization tips.
• Spray and wipe down the exterior of the fridge. If it is stainless steel , avoid oil-based cleaners, which will make fingerprints stand out. A better choice is a stainless steel cleaner.

Pro tip: Clean the rubber seal around the fridge with an old replaced toothbrush  or dampened Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

De-grime the stovetop

The best way to keep any type of stovetop looking like new is to wipe up splatters and spills right away, before any heat bakes them into hardened goo. To clean an electric stovetop or to clean a gas stovetop , follow these steps:

• Remove pans or grates and soak them in the sink with a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap and warm to hot water. Let sit 15 to 20 minutes; then scrub with a scrub brush.
• Wipe away crumbs with a slightly damp microfiber towel. Then spray the stovetop with a de-greaser such as Greased Lightning or, if you prefer natural cleansers, apply a paste of baking soda and water. Let either product sit for at least 15 minutes.
• Once the time is up, scrub with a non-scratch scrubber like a Scrub Daddy. Wipe clean with a paper towel or microfiber cloth. "It's going to be messy, so don't worry about getting it all with one wipe," says Winch. Repeat spraying, scrubbing and wiping as needed.

Pro tip: "I really like using Scrub Daddy sponges , so I wanted to pass along a couple of tips for making them last longer," Winch says. First up: "Rinse the sponge after each use, then let it dry on a paper towel or slip it into the Daddy Caddy (the water drips off while the sponge stays dry)." One more tip: Don't use bleach with the Scrub Daddy. "I love both products, but they don't get along well together."

Address the oven

Although the inside of your oven is mostly hidden from view, cleaning it properly is important because food residue can create smoke and unpleasant odors that may affect the taste of the food you cook next. Self-cleaning options use very high temperatures to burn away left-behind bits, but they won't always leave your oven spotless. Here's how to do it right:

• With the oven off and cool enough to touch, remove the oven racks to clean separately.
• Spray the interior of the oven with a de-greaser, such as AspenClean Natural Kitchen Cleaner . Let it sit for 20 minutes.
• After the time is up, scrub lightly with a non-scratch pad like a Scrub Daddy to loosen dirt, then wipe with a damp microfiber cloth. Repeat as needed. Finish by drying with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Pro tip: Don't forget to clean the glass oven door for a truly sparkling clean.

Shine the sink

Even though sinks spend a lot of time around running water and dish soap, they can still accumulate a lot of dirt. Here's how to keep yours spotless:

• Start with a dry sink. "One common mistake people make with anything built up and grimy is that they wet the surface first," says Winch. But that only serves to dilute the product, she explains.
• For porcelain or stainless steel sinks (sinks made of copper or other materials require special care), apply a coating of Bar Keepers Friend to the inside of the sink and the faucet and let it sit for 20 minutes.
• While you wait, freshen up the garbage disposal , if you have one. Add a few spoonfuls of baking soda and then pour in white vinegar until it foams. With warm tap water turned on, run the disposal for about 60 seconds. "Make sure you clean it regularly so bits of food don't get stuck in it," Winch says.
• Back to the sink: Use a non-scratch plastic sponge like a Scrub Daddy to scrub the surfaces, including the faucet.
• Rinse thoroughly.

Pro tip: To make your sink look like new, go over it with a damp Mr. Clean Magic Eraser every month or so. Winch says it will even clean dirt out of the lettering around the drain.

Clean the countertops

When it comes to cleaning countertops , you need to know your surface. Though it looks attractive, natural stone—including granite and marble—is sensitive to chemicals, and over time, food and drink spills and even soap from dishwater splatter can cause erosion. Regular cleanings help prevent long-term pitting, dull spots and other damage. Natural-stone counters also need to be professionally sealed on a regular basis.

• Spray the counter with a product appropriate to the material it is made from, such as a pH-neutral cleaner for natural stone.
• Rinse well and dry with a clean microfiber cloth.

Pro tip: Wipe up any spills immediately, before they have a chance to set in and become stains.

Freshen kitchen cabinets

Cabinets often get overlooked, but they "will get dirty just existing in the room," says Winch, thanks to all the grease and dust particles in the air. Here's how to keep your kitchen cabinet doors looking new.

• Mix warm water with a few drops of Dawn Dish Soap, then wash the outside of the cabinets with a microfiber cloth.
• Rinse with a damp microfiber cloth.
• Don't forget to clean the drawer pulls and around the hinges, two of the most overlooked spots.

Pro tip: Clean cabinets top to bottom so gravity helps remove dust and dirt.

How to clean a bathroom

Between mildew, a damp environment and residue from soap, toothpaste and other products, cleaning the bathroom can be a daunting task, but the right approach will help you clean quickly and efficiently, says Sarah Mitchell, CEO of Eco Mama Green Clean in Scottsdale, Arizona. Follow her expert cleaning tips for a bathroom that gleams.

Scour the toilet

Start with the toilet , as cleaning a dirty one can disperse germs into the air, according to research. Cleaning the toilet first gives you the chance to fight those germs as you make your way to the rest of the room.

• Squirt a toilet bowl cleaning product inside the bowl and under the rim. Scrub the inside of the bowl with a toilet brush. (You may want to don gloves and a mask.)
• For hard-water stains in the porcelain, gently file with a pumice stone toilet bowl cleaner . Flush to rinse.
• Wipe the exterior of the toilet, including the tank, with a disinfecting wipe .

Pro tip: Be sure to clean all the way down to where the toilet meets the floor, an area that tends to collect dirt and grime, says Vanesa Amaro , housecleaner and CleanTok personality.

Scrub the bathtub

Bathtubs are naturally prone to buildup from soap and other products, as well as mildew. How you clean will depend on what your tub is made of: porcelain, enameled cast iron, acrylic or fiberglass. If you're uncertain that a product will be safe, test it in an inconspicuous area first.

• Spray a dry tub with a commercial cleaner (Mitchell likes Zep Power Foam Tub Cleaner) and let it sit for 20 minutes. Pre-soaking will make it easier to scrub dirt loose after the cleaners do their work, says Mitchell.
• Use a non-scratch sponge such as a Scrub Daddy, or a nylon bristled brush, to scrub the tub.
• Rinse the tub with clean water.
• Use an all-purpose cleaner or wipe to wipe down the outside of the tub.

Pro tip: To keep the tub clean longer, rub it down with a soft, dry cloth to remove excess moisture after every use.

Clean the shower

Similar to tubs, showers experience significant buildup from soap and other products, as well as mildew—and how you clean will depend on your shower's material. If you're not sure if a product will be safe, test it in an inconspicuous area first.

• Spray a dry shower with a commercial cleaning product such as  Clorox Plus Tilex Fresh Daily Shower Cleaner ; then let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to cut through grime and buildup. (Note: You should not leave cleaners on natural stone.)
• Use a non-scratch sponge such as a Scrub Daddy, or a nylon bristled brush, to scrub the shower walls and glass shower doors .
• Rinse the shower. Squeegee to remove excess water.
• Those with tile showers will also need to know how to clean grout .

Pro tip: For a natural cleaning solution, make a paste of baking soda with a small amount of water. Use it in place of a commercial cleaning product.

Wipe down mirrors

Bathroom mirrors can be prone to toothpaste spatters, makeup smudges and other marks. Cleaning them takes finesse if you want to avoid leaving streaks. Follow these steps:

• Mix hot water and a drop of liquid dish soap.
• Using a microfiber cloth dipped in the mixture and wrung out (so it's damp), start at the top left corner of the mirror and wipe in a Z-shaped pattern until you reach the bottom right corner. You want to always pull any dirt downward and not go over the same surface you already cleaned, to avoid streaks, says Elena Ledoux, founder and CEO of Superb Maids in Las Vegas.
• Repeat with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Pro tip: Don't forget to clean out the medicine cabinet while you're at it.

How to clean a bedroom

Your bedroom is your refuge from the world, so keeping it clean is a priority. Cleaning also helps reduce allergens that can lurk in the place you spend an average of eight hours a night. Clearing away any clutter and vacuuming the floors and carpets, including under the bed, is a good start. You'll also want to wipe down surfaces such as nightstands, dressers and mirrors using a disinfecting cleaner and a microfiber cloth, Mitchell says.

Change the bed sheets

The quickest way to straighten up a bedroom is to make the bed, complete with freshly laundered linens. After all, sheets accumulate dirt, dead skin cells, body oils, sweat and dust mites , according to The Sleep Foundation. You'll want to change and clean your bedding weekly , at minimum. Here's how:

• Strip the bed of the fitted and flat sheet, pillowcases and comforter or duvet cover.
• Wash the bed linens, following any specific care instructions from the manufacturer. If you have a machine-washable mattress pad cover , toss it in too.
• Remake the bed with fresh, clean sheets.

Pro tip: Reach for oxygen bleach , not regular, to get yellow stains out of pillows , says Lori Williamson, founder of Now It's Clean. Those yellow stains are caused by sweat and are protein-based. "Bleach isn't the ideal solution, as it can cause further yellowing," she explains.

Clean a mattress

Just because mattresses are usually covered doesn't make them immune to stains or odors. Refer to the manufacturer's instructions about cleaning your mattress. For general freshening up, Mitchell recommends doing the following on a monthly basis:

• Sprinkle baking soda on top of the mattress. Let it sit for 15 minutes to absorb odors.
• Vacuum the mattress to remove the baking soda.

Pro tip: Every six months, flip your mattress to promote even wear.

Vacuum blinds

Window treatments can also harbor dust and allergens. There are a number of ways to clean blinds, depending on the material. These steps work for most varieties:

• Close the blinds with the slats facing downward.
• Use a vacuum with a brush attachment or a microfiber cloth to clean horizontally across each blind slat, working from top to bottom.
• If the blinds are really dirty, mix some water with a drop of liquid dish detergent, dip a microfiber cloth into the sudsy water, then wring it out and wipe each blind.
• Dry with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Pro tip: Machine-wash or dry-clean drapes .

How to clean a living room

Living is messy, and this room shows it—with snack crumbs,  pet hair , sundry papers and more. Keep it at its best with these tips.

Refresh couches

Cleaning a couch not only makes it more pleasant to sit on, but it can also help it last longer too. How you clean depends on the material of your couch, so always read the labels for care instructions.

• Remove the cushions. Vacuum the couch to suck up any crumbs and dust bunnies. Keep an eye out for loose change.
• Treat any stains on the cushions according to the care tag label.

Pro tip: Some fabric sofas, including velvet, can benefit from a steam cleaning.

Polish wood furniture

Wood furniture such as end tables and bookshelves need regular dusting and should also get an occasional deep-clean to preserve the wood.

• Spray a microfiber cloth with a cleaner that's designed for use on wood, such as Method Daily Wood Cleaner .
• Wipe the furniture down.

Pro tip: Furniture polish is generally not necessary, but you can wax wood once it's clean to help protect it. Apply the wax to clean wood using a microfiber cloth, then buff it in the direction of the wood grain.

Dust your TV

TVs have gotten larger and larger over the years—ideal for streaming your favorite flick, but less so when it comes to cleaning. If your living room features a large-screen television, you might be surprised by the collection of smudges, streaks and fingerprints you can see when it's turned off. To make your TV smudge-free , follow these tips.

• Spray a TV screen cleaner  on a microfiber cloth—never directly on the screen, as electronics can be sensitive to moisture.
• Starting at the top left corner of the screen, wipe in a Z-shaped pattern until you reach the bottom right corner. This will prevent streaks.

Pro tip: Remember to dust the TV cabinet if you have one, and give the remote a quick swipe with a disinfecting wipe.

Wash your windows

Windows can get surprisingly filthy, and that actually affects the quality of the light coming through them. Nothing says clean like a clear, shining windowpane.

• Dust or vacuum around the window frame and sills.
• Spray a commercial glass cleaner such as Windex on the glass pane; then wipe in an S-shaped pattern using a microfiber cloth. This technique helps you cover more surface area more quickly and prevent streaks, explains Ken Fisk, director of technical services at Window Genie, a Neighborly company.
• Repeat for each pane.
• Dry using a squeegee or a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Pro tip: Focus on cleaning one window at a time and spray as you go. According to Fisk, letting the solution dry on the window leads to streaks.

Clean your floors

Dirt accumulates quickly on floors because of gravity: After all, everything ends up on the floor regardless of what room you're in. How you clean a floor varies, depending on its material, and while vacuuming is generally a good first step to suck up loose debris, many surfaces require a more thorough technique.

Mop laminate floors

The No. 1 rule of laminate floors is to never get them too wet, because moisture can seep into the cracks between boards and cause damage. That's why you never want to spray products directly on a laminate floor.

• Use a product designed for laminate floors, such as Zep Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner , and prepare it according to the package directions; then transfer to a spray bottle. If it needs to be diluted, use cold to lukewarm water, recommends Pam Clyde, owner of BritLin Cleaning, as hot water may cause the cleaning agent to evaporate too quickly.
• Spray a microfiber mop pad with just enough cleaner to moisten it.
• Starting at the farthest point away from you, work in 5-by-5-foot sections. Begin in one corner and move the mop in an S-shaped pattern, rotating the mop head at each curve. After completing a section, go over it with a dry mop pad in the same pattern to dry the floor.
• Repeat until the entire floor is clean.

Pro tip: Vinegar, while excellent for cleaning many things, is too abrasive for laminate floors, according to Clyde. If you want to use a natural cleaner, try Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds Biodegradable Cleaner .

Polish tile or marble floors

Not every tile floor is the same, but what usually makes them difficult to clean is the grout lines. Do these last, after the tile has been cleaned.

• Prepare the appropriate cleaning product for the material. A pH-neutral cleaner can be used on any type of tile, Clyde says.
• Soak a microfiber mop pad in the cleaning solution; then wring it out so it's damp but not dripping.
• Start at the farthest point away from you and work on one section of the floor. Move the mop in an S-shaped pattern, rotating the mop head at each curve. Repeat until the entire floor is clean, regularly changing mop pads as they get dirty.
• Spray a grout brush with the same pH-neutral cleaner or a product designed for grout. Gently scrub the grout lines with the brush and rinse with clean water.

Pro tip: If regular cleaning doesn't clean stained grout, try a product that contains a touch of bleach, like Lysol’s Mold and Mildew Remover .

Tips for keeping a clean home

All the professional cleaning tips in the world won't help if you don't address some of the things that are getting your house dirty in the first place. Here are a few ways to ease your cleaning burden.

Leave shoes at the door

Much of the dirt that enters a home is brought in by the people who live there. "Want to keep your floors cleaner? Take off your shoes when you enter the house," Amaro says. "Keep 'house shoes' by the door."

Monitor the air

Making sure air vents are cleaned regularly and filters in heating, air conditioning units and air purifiers are clean can help cut down on allergens and dust. In the kitchen, making sure to run your exhaust fan while cooking can help reduce grease and odors.

Patrol your pets

"Keeping a clean home with pets requires a bit of extra effort," says Mitchell, "but it's worth it to maintain a healthy and hygienic living space with our furry friends." One of her favorite pet hair removers is a device called a ChomChom , which is kind of like a lint roller without the sticky paper. There are also specific kinds of vacuums for pet hair , and if you own one or more pets, it makes sense to invest in one. While pet hair tends to be a major issue, it's also important to be mindful that pets occasionally make messes, so keep some pet odor eliminators and pet stain removers handy.

By incorporating these habits into your routine, you can cut down on the time and energy you spend cleaning your space, and have more time to enjoy it.

• Brandi Winch, owner of Homemaid Cleaning Service in Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Sarah Mitchell, CEO of Eco Mama Green Clean in Scottsdale, Arizona
• Vanesa Amaro , housecleaner and CleanTok personality
• Elena Ledoux, founder and CEO of Superb Maids in Las Vegas
• Lori Williamson , founder of Now It's Clean
• Ken Fisk, director of technical services at  Window Genie , a  Neighborly  company
• Pam Clyde, owner of BritLin Cleaning
• PubMed : "Toilet hygiene—review and research needs"

The post How to Clean Every Room in Your Home: Smart Tips That Make Housecleaning Easier, Faster—and Done! appeared first on Reader's Digest .

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NCAA allows transfers to be immediately eligible, no matter how many times they’ve switched schools

FILE - Wachovia Center operations manager Jim McDonald, left, and carpenter foreman Tim Allen remove the protective film covering the NCAA logo at mid-court on the center’s basketball court, Wednesday, March 15, 2006, in Philadelphia. NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements — after the association fast-tracked legislation Wednesday, April 17, 2024, to fall in line with a recent court order. (Ed Hille/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP, FIie)

FILE - South Carolina players work out during a practice at the Women’s Final Four NCAA college college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 2, 2022, in Minneapolis. NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements — after the association fast-tracked legislation Wednesday, April 17, 2024, to fall in line with a recent court order. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

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NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer — as long as they meet academic requirements — after the association fast-tracked legislation Wednesday to fall in line with a recent court order.

The NCAA announced the Division I Council’s decision becomes official Thursday when its meeting adjourns. The change still needs to be ratified by the DI Board next week, but that is expected.

The new rules will go into effect immediately, though in reality they have already been enacted through a lawsuit filed late last year.

Transfer windows, which are sport-specific, remain in place and require undergraduate athletes to enter their names into the portal at certain times to be immediately eligible at a new school. Graduate students can already transfer multiple times and enter the portal outside the windows while maintaining immediate eligibility.

A coalition of state attorneys general late last year sued the NCAA, challenging rules that forced athletes that wanted to transfer multiple-times as undergraduates to sit out a season with their new school.

A judge in West Virginia granted the plaintiffs a temporary injunction, lifting requirements for multiple-time transfers to request a waiver from the NCAA to be immediately eligible to compete.

The NCAA quickly requested the injunction be kept in place throughout the remaining school year to clear up any ambiguity for athletes and schools. The association has had to issue guidance to its members to clarify what that means for next season. Now the rules match the court ruling.

By eliminating the so-called year-in-residence for transfers, an athlete must be academically eligible at the previous school and not subject to any disciplinary suspension or dismissal to compete immediately at a new school. Transferring athletes must also meet progress-toward-degree requirements before competing.

“We hope that this practical approach to transfer eligibility requirements will encourage student-athletes to make well-informed decisions about transferring and the impacts such a move could have on their ability to graduate on time in their degree of choice, particularly as it relates to transferable credits,” Florida deputy athletic director and council chairwoman Lynda Tealer said in a statement.

The board will ask the committee on academics to explore creating a new metric — similar to the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rating — that would hold schools accountable for graduating the transfers they accept.

The portal windows are currently open for both football and basketball, and the lifting of restrictions on multiple-time transfers has led to an uptick in athletes looking to switch schools.

In a notable move that would not have been permissible without a waiver under previous rules, Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor entered the portal in January after Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired, committed to Iowa, but then changed his mind during the spring and has reentered the portal with the intention to reenroll at Alabama.

The DI Council also moved forward on legislation that would allow schools to be more actively involved in securing sponsorship deals for their athletes. Schools could still not directly pay athletes, but they could facilitate NIL opportunities between third parties and athletes.

AP Sports Writer John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia, contributed to this report.

Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Premium Content

How do you create your own ‘Blue Zone’? Here are 6 tips

From prioritizing breakfast to allowing yourself to indulge, these small changes recommended by author Dan Buettner can help improve your overall well-being.

These six powerful food practices create a virtuous circle between food, healthy social networks, moving naturally, strong spiritual life, and overall well-being. Try incorporating them into your daily routine and create your own personal “Blue Zone”—a place to live your longest, healthiest life.

( The 5 'Blue Zones' where the world’s healthiest people live. )

Make it sacred

Knowing which foods to eat—and in what quantities—is the first step toward eating to 100. But there’s more that we can learn from people in the Blue Zones about food. For them, growing, preparing, serving, and eating are all sacred practices with the power to bring their families, their homes, their communities, their beliefs, and the natural world together in daily rhythms and harmonies. After watching how Blue Zones principles can come to life in North American communities, I’ve zeroed in on six powerful food practices that create a virtuous circle between food, healthy social networks, moving naturally, strong spiritual life, and overall well-being. Here they are, along with a few thoughts on how you can put them into practice in your own home too.

Breakfast like a king

An Adventist adage reminds people to eat “breakfast like a king; lunch like a prince; dinner like a pauper.” In other words, make the first meal of your day the biggest, and eat only three meals per day. The routine is the same in almost all of the Blue Zones: People eat a huge breakfast before work, a mediumsize late lunch, and a light, early dinner. They may occasionally grab a midmorning piece of fruit or a midafternoon handful of nuts, but most don’t make a habit of snacking. The average meal contains about 650 calories, so with just three meals a day and a small snack, most people get all the calories a day they need. Adding a fourth meal, even a small one, can push your calorie consumption over the top for the day. Most food is consumed before noon. Nicoyans often eat two breakfasts and a light dinner. Lunch tends to be the big meal for Ikarians and Sardinians. Okinawans like to skip dinner altogether. Many Adventists who follow the “breakfast like a king” rule eat only two meals a day, one midmorning and another around 4 p.m. Recent research supports frontloading calories early in the day.

( This American diet could add 10 years to your life. )

Take control of ingredients

For the most part, people in the world’s Blue Zones eat at home. In most Blue Zones, eating out is considered a celebratory event, a rare treat usually reserved for a wedding or other festive occasion. When you cook at home, you can control the ingredients. You can choose the freshest, highest-quality ingredients and avoid consuming cheap fillers and flavor enhancers that end up in much restaurant food. (Even high-end restaurants typically pile on butter and salt.) Cooking also nudges you into action, requiring you to stand, stir, mix, knead, chop, and lift. All of this physical activity counts more than you know, especially when compared with sitting down at a restaurant. One study followed the eating habits and caloric intake of 1,000 people for a week and discovered that people who ate out consumed on average about 275 more calories per day than people who ate at home. Why? Restaurants serve meals containing more calories. This may not sound like much, but by most estimates, just 200 extra calories per day could add up to as much as a 20-pound gain over the course of a year.

( These traditional diets can lead to long lives. )

Get back on track with a fast

Devout Catholic Sardinians and Nicoyans fast during Lent, the 40 days before Easter, during which time they abstain from meat. Studies show that occasionally going without food, even for a day, can provide health benefits. It can recalibrate insulin release, giving the pancreas a break. It can temporarily lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It works as a short-term way to lose weight, break food addictions, and perhaps even cleanse the digestive tract. Moderate fasting for longer periods can create a form of caloric restriction and may slow aging. Fasting puts the cells in our bodies into a survival mode, with at least two benefits. First, cells produce fewer free radicals, the oxidizing agents that “rust” our bodies from the inside out. Lower levels of free radicals strengthen arteries, brain cells, and even the skin. Second, fasting also seems to reduce levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone important for cell growth but potentially dangerous after about age 20, as high levels may promote prostate, breast, and other cancers.

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( Is organic food healthier? That’s the wrong question. )

Indulge a little

None of these rituals should feel like a restriction, limitation, or deprivation. Don’t cheat yourself. Go ahead and enjoy the good meals and the occasional indulgent celebration. We eat about 1,100 meals a year. If we celebrate a couple of times a week and enjoy what we love to eat, that still leaves almost 1,000 meals a year to eat the Blue Zones way. “What dieters forget is that eating is one of the greatest pleasures of the living,” said Antonia Trichopoulou, arguably the greatest living expert on the Mediterranean diet. If it makes you happy, don’t give up that slice of pie at Thanksgiving, or that piece of birthday cake, or even that weekly steak. It may not be optimally healthy, but as residents of the Blue Zones have shown us, the body has some capacity to equalize after an occasional indulgence. The trick is to painlessly find that happy balance between savoring our lives and behaving in a way that saves them for the longest possible time. In our world, those two forces are at odds, but in the Blue Zones, those two forces harmonize. So go ahead and indulge in the occasional celebration.

( Seaweed is a superfood you can forage. Here’s how. )

Make meals a time to share

Mealtimes in the Blue Zones are a time to give thanks, share stories, talk out problems, and bond as a family. As a rule, people there never eat alone, never eat standing up, and never eat with the other hand on the steering wheel. As my Ikarian guide Thea Parikos pointed out, when her family sits down to a meal, she leaves the stress of the day elsewhere. Ikarians, she said, eat slowly while holding conversations with family, a ritual good for building not only stronger family ties but also healthier bodies. How you eat can be as important as what you eat. Eating fast promotes overeating and, as research shows, can double your risk of obesity. A study found that children and adolescents who eat meals with their families at least three times a week are more likely to be in a normal weight range and have healthier dietary and eating patterns than those who don’t. A report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse also points out that teens who eat dinner with their family more than three times a week are less likely to do poorly in school. Make sure you have a comfortable table—ideally a round one—that is small enough to encourage family conversation.

( Hoping for health and fortune in the new year? Put this meal on your menu. )

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Safer kids, safer streets: Jupiter police crack down on e-bike riders who ignore rules

The popularity of electric bikes and motorcycles is growing. jupiter police have started a campaign to warn people of their potential dangers..

JUPITER — When the clock struck 4:05 p.m. at Independence Middle School one recent Thursday , students raced to the bicycle parking rack to mount e-bikes and pedal home, even if their mothers feared danger.

The sound of laughter and whirring chain rings filled the air as worried parents watched with bated breath, hoping that the kids riding e-bikes — mostly boys — wouldn’t weave in and out of lanes on the Jupiter streets. 

It is the same school attended by a young boy who was struck by a car while riding an e-bike a few weeks ago, and the same dread that has inspired Jupiter police to begin a campaign to teach people how and where to ride the popular bikes.

“There’s a reason why kids aren’t allowed to drive cars,” Jupiter Police Chief David England said. “They don’t make good decisions, they don’t perceive danger and they don’t understand the hazards that they can be causing. Kids are operating these things very unsafely.”

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Where can you ride an e-bike? Most people don't know, Jupiter police say

Officers say the problem of kids riding electric bicycles and motorcycles recklessly around town is getting out of hand as the vehicles are modified to make them go faster.

They are trying to educate as many kids and parents as they can about the legalities surrounding the two- and three-wheelers by visiting local schools and passing out fliers.

Over the past few months, England said, they have seen the biggest concentration of kids riding e-bikes around Abacoa, an area along Jupiter's southern border that is home to hundreds of families. However, he said most of the problems haven’t been with e-bikes, but their cousins: e-motos, or electric motorcycles, which are larger and heavier and can travel at faster speeds.

England says some parents are buying e-motos for their kids thinking that they are e-bikes, when they are in fact something completely different.

E-motos are off-road vehicles meant for dirt tracks. They are illegal to operate on public streets, highways or sidewalks. Still, middle school-aged kids are using them for their commutes to school.

While e-bikes can reach speeds of up to 28 mph, e-motos can go as fast as 40 mph. Many of the vehicles around town are going even faster because some riders are bypassing the speed controls on the vehicles.

By doing this, e-bikes can reach about 30 mph and e-motos can reach almost 60 , or as fast as some cars travel on highways.

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E-bikes in traffic put teens at risk, frighten drivers, police say

Florida law governs the use of e-bikes. It treats them like regular bicycles, said England, who noted that the laws surrounding e-bikes are “not as well defined” as golf carts, which share the road with cars like bikes do.

He noted that e-bikes cannot use their motors on sidewalks; their riders can only pedal them. If they are ridden on the road, a person can either pedal or use its electric power, but they have to follow the road rules associated with bicycles.

The law also requires riders under the age of 16 to wear helmets.

Jupiter police are enforcing new measures to lower the dangerous conditions. They will pull over kids who break road rules to give them a warning or issue a citation, depending on the severity of the infraction and if they have been stopped before.

A citation also could require them to pay a fine and delay their obtaining a driver's license to age 18, rather than 16.

“It’s a significant punishment for the kids who are not obeying the law,” England said. “We hope to get voluntary compliance, but if we don't and we have to deal with the same kids over and over, they will qualify for a uniform traffic citation just like anybody else violating traffic laws.”

England said police officers are concerned about the teens, and pedestrians and drivers are “scared to death” when a kid zips in front of them, not paying attention.

Other northern Palm Beach County municipalities are reporting the same issues with e-bike use but they are handling the situation differently, England said.

The Tequesta Village Council passed an ordinance in 2021 that prohibits e-bike operation on sidewalks within the village, but the council plans to “revisit” this decision. They plan to hold a workshop to discuss other options.

In Juno Beach, e-bikes are allowed on the dune walkovers or the sidewalks leading to them, Town Manager David Dyess said. Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park and North Palm Beach defer to state law and do not have any special regulations for e-bikes.

Palm Beach Gardens police officers also plan to pass out educational pamphlets around the city and issue warnings or citations to e-bike riders who break road rules in the weeks ahead.

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Recent injury to student has Jupiter families aware of e-bike's dangers

Jennifer Greenhill sat on a bench on a windy Thursday afternoon waiting for Independence Middle School to dismiss her 12-year-old son for the day. 

She watched as kids whizzed around Abacoa’s oak tree-lined streets on the electrically powered two-wheelers after school. Some pairs of kids even rode on one e-bike at the same time.

“My son begs me for an e-bike, but I say no,” said the 41-year-old Greenhill of Jupiter, who thinks the bikes are dangerous.

She said many fellow parents have had moments when they had to slam on their brakes because kids on electric bikes will swerve out in front of their cars.

“The kids don’t wear helmets, and I don’t think kids 16 and under should even be riding them,” Greenhill said. “Half of them don’t even ride on the sidewalks. They are out in the middle of the roads.”

Her son is a classmate of Ryan Gural, the Jupiter boy who was riding an e-bike when a car crashed into him on March 29. He sustained injuries including a fractured skull, a broken jaw and brain bleeding, according to news reports.

Scott Henratty, the attorney representing Gural’s family, told The Palm Beach Post that he is investigating the situation to “hold all those responsible for the traumatic injuries he sustained accountable.” He confirmed that Gural is still receiving care.

Greenhill said the accident has not discouraged her son from still wanting an e-bike.

“It’d be nice if (a school guard) was out here monitoring when the kids get out of school,” Greenhill said. “A lot of drivers don’t pay attention and the kids aren’t paying attention, and that causes a problem.”

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Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected] . Support local journalism: Subscribe today .

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Chechnya is banning music that's too fast or slow. These songs wouldn't make the cut

Rachel Treisman

Dancers wearing Chechen national costumes perform to celebrate the reelection of Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured in the background) in Grozny, Russia in September 2021. Musa Sadulayev/AP hide caption

Dancers wearing Chechen national costumes perform to celebrate the reelection of Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured in the background) in Grozny, Russia in September 2021.

Authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya are banning music they consider either too fast or too slow, effectively criminalizing many genres.

The Chechen Ministry of Culture announced the ban on its website last week, by the order of Culture Minister Musa Dadayev and with the agreement of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

"Musical, vocal and choreographic" works will be limited to a tempo of 80 to 116 beats per minute (BPM) to "conform to the Chechen mentality and sense of rhythm," said Dadayev, according to the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

"Borrowing musical culture from other peoples is inadmissible," Dadayev said, per a translation by The Guardian . "We must bring to the people and to the future of our children the cultural heritage of the Chechen people. This includes the entire spectrum of moral and ethical standards of life for Chechens."

Main Character of the Day

There's a 'volume war' happening in music.

Russian media report that artists have until June 1 to rewrite any music that doesn't conform to the new rule, though it's not clear how it will be enforced.

Chechnya is a roughly 6,700-square-mile autonomous republic situated in the North Caucasus of southern Russia and home to some 1.5 million people , the vast majority of whom are Muslim. Its leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has consistently quashed dissent in the territory since he came to power in 2007 — nominated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he remains close.

Over the years, dissidents, human rights activists and journalists — as well as their family members — in Chechnya have faced threats and reported instances of abduction, arbitrary detention and death. Chechen authorities also orchestrated what Human Rights Watch describes as "lethal purges of men perceived to be gay or bisexual" in 2017 and 2019. (Kadyrov said in 2017 , "We don't have any gays ... If there are any, take them to Canada.")

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has said Kadyrov's regime "maintains hegemony through the imposition of a purported 'traditional' version of Islam, which falsely claims to defend local belief and culture, and combat violent extremism."

"In reality, Kadyrov has [co-opted] Chechen religion and culture to support his brutal regime, which violates the secular constitution of the Russian Federation and international standards of freedom of religion or belief," it added.

While Chechnya waged two wars against Russia for its independence in the 1990s and early 2000s, it remains part of Russia and is now seen as its close ally in the war against Ukraine. Even so, it's held on to its language and culture, in which folklore plays a major role . Traditional Chechen music includes instrumental songs and epic ballads, according to the Guardian .

The government's crackdown on certain musical tempos would silence most modern music genres. Electronic styles of music like house, techno and dubstep all tend to have BPMs of over 116 , says the audio tech company Izotope, while the average tempo of 2020's best-selling pop songs was 122 BPM, according to the BBC.

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The independent Russian news outlet Meduza said the tempo of the Russian national anthem would be considered too slow under the new limit, reports RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. But it would seem to permit hip-hop music, which generally has a BPM of 85 to 95.

Some songs that would fit the bill include Beyonce's "Texas Hold 'Em" (110 BPM), the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" (104 BPM), Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" (82 BPM), ABBA's "Dancing Queen" (101 BPM) and Taylor Swift's 10-minute version of "All Too Well" (94 BPM), among others.

Here are examples of songs that wouldn't:

• "Little Wing" by Jimi Hendrix (71 BPM)
• "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin (69 BPM)
• "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse (72 BPM)
• "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston (68 BPM)
• "Imagine" by John Lennon (76 BPM)
• "Hello" by Adele (79 BPM)
• "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles (129 BPM)
• "Cruel Summer" by Taylor Swift (170 BPM)
• "16 Carriages" by Beyonce (127 BPM)
• "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana (117 BPM)
• "Toxic" by Britney Spears (143 BPM)
• "Hotel California" by the Eagles (147 BPM)