Strategies to Improve Your Productivity at HW

By Rex ’25

Have you been having trouble with finding the motivation to do your homework, or even remembering what homework you have? Don’t worry, because many students are probably feeling the same way. Here are some strategies you can use to improve your productivity and finish your homework.

1. Start working on your assignments as soon as possible. If you leave your homework as the last thing you do each night, then chances are you will probably rush through it. Remember, homework is practice for tests, and you should always try your best when doing it. Time management is key for doing your homework efficiently and effectively. For example, if you take a bus home, you can get through a lot of your homework as you ride to your stop. If you don’t take the bus, try to take advantage of any free periods that you have to do your homework. Free periods are a great time to get things done.
2. Use your planner! It’s a very useful tool for organization. If you write your assignments down in your planner, then you won’t forget what you have to do for each class. Also, planners make it so that you can access your assignments much faster. Instead of having to log on to the hub and scroll through all your class home pages to find your homework, you can easily open your planner and have all your assignments written out in front of you. If you write out your homework for each subject at the start of every class, you’ll feel less stressed and more organized at the end of the day. 
3. If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed, meet with your teacher. They are always willing to talk with you and help. If you don’t understand the assignment, they will be glad to explain it and go through the lesson with you. If you need some extra confidence to meet with a teacher, bring a friend along for support. Every teacher at Harvard-Westlake wants you to succeed and be the best student you can be. Remember this when you are feeling overloaded!
4. Finally, make sure that you have a place where you can be free from distractions when you’re doing your homework. Being able to focus on your assignments allows you to better understand the lesson, and consequently will let you get a better grade in your class. If you don’t have any place where you aren’t distracted, try to meet with your parents so that you can organize a time that you can dedicate to doing your homework. Additionally, make sure that your desk is free from other distractions besides noise, such as your phone. Your phone is likely to distract you from what you have to do, so leave it somewhere else as you finish your assignments. Moreover, this can also serve as a way to motivate yourself into finishing your homework: when you finish, you can use your phone.

Hopefully these tips will help you stop procrastinating, start working, and feel less anxiety about school. Remember: homework is your friend, not your enemy!