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How to Find Motivation to Do Homework

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Megaera Lorenz, PhD . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 13 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 1,702,801 times.

Even if you love school, it can be hard to stay excited about doing homework. Just like with any other kind of work, it’s important to set personal goals and find your own inspiration to keep going. You can also help yourself focus by minimizing distractions and caring for yourself while you work. Finally, organize your time wisely and break your homework up into manageable pieces so it doesn’t feel too overwhelming.

Finding Your Drive and Inspiration

• Give yourself bigger rewards for bigger accomplishments. For example, you might go out for pizza with a friend after handing in an important paper.

• Just make sure you limit yourself to a specific amount of time (like 10 minutes, for example) so that you don’t end up getting totally distracted and wasting a few hours.

Did you know? Researchers in Japan recently discovered that looking at pictures or videos of baby animals before you start working can make you much more productive. [3] X Trustworthy Source PLOS ONE Online peer-reviewed, open access scientific research journal Go to source So, go ahead and watch a couple of cute kitten videos on YouTube the next time you need to work on a boring assignment. It might help!

• Doing homework with a friend doesn’t necessarily mean collaborating on the same assignments. You can just spend time together while you each do your own work. Only get your parent to help you if you need help.
• Check with your teacher first before working together with a friend on an assignment. They may want you to do the work by yourself.

• For example, if you’re a morning person, try doing your homework right after you eat breakfast.
• If you tend to get distracted while working at your desk at home, experiment with doing your homework in the library or a coffee shop instead.
• Some people also find it helpful to change their routine from time to time. If you find yourself getting bored, try working at a different time from usual or finding a new study space.

• Setting vague goals can lead to frustration. Instead of saying, “I’m going to get all my homework done this week,” try something more specific—e.g., “I’m going to work on my English essay for 1 hour every day this week.”

• For example, maybe you want to get good grades so you can get into your dream college, or possibly you’re working towards an exciting career.
• Doing a good job in your classes can also be its own reward—knowing that you worked hard and did your best is a great self-esteem booster!

Keeping Yourself Focused and Alert

• If you feel physically tense, do some yoga or light stretches before you begin to work.
• Doing breathing exercises can also help you feel more comfortable and alert.
• If you’re not already in comfy clothes, get changed before you start working. This may mean joggers, sweatpants, pjs, shorts, underwear, or even being completely naked. It's your choice.

• You’ll want a place where you can sit comfortably, but don’t get too comfortable. If you do homework in bed or on a cozy couch, you may be tempted to fall asleep!
• If you have to work at home, ask anyone who lives with you to give you a little quiet time while you do your homework.

• If you can’t resist messing around on your phone or visiting time-wasting websites on your computer, consider installing an app or a browser extension that blocks tempting apps and sites.
• Don’t try to work with a TV or radio on. If you listen to music while you do your homework, choose something that’s quiet and not too exciting, like some gentle classical music.

• Whole grains
• Healthy proteins, like fish, beans, or nuts
• Blueberries
• Leafy greens

• During your breaks, you can go for a walk, have a snack, do a little meditation , or even put your head down for a quick power nap .
• You can also use your breaks to reward yourself with a fun video or a quick game on your phone.

Did you know? Walking can improve your thinking skills. If you’re feeling stuck on a problem, going for a quick walk or even hopping on a treadmill can help! [13] X Research source

• For example, if you’ve been working on an essay for an hour or two, take a break and then switch to doing some math problems.
• Don’t try to do more than one task at once, though. Trying to multitask will disrupt your focus and cause you to make more mistakes.

Organizing Your Time Effectively

• Setting a schedule also makes it easier to avoid procrastinating .
• Make sure to schedule in time for breaks and relaxation, too!

Tip: You can avoid unpleasant surprises by writing important dates and deadlines into your schedule. For example, make note of when you have tests or quizzes coming up or when different assignments are due.

• Make an ordered list of all your tasks. Try to prioritize ones that are due soon, count towards a major part of your grade, or seem like they will be the most complicated to complete.
• Put assignments that aren’t due for a while or that you know you can finish quickly and easily at the bottom.

• For example, if you’re writing a big paper, you might break it up into pieces like doing the research, composing a bibliography, writing an outline, drafting the introduction, and so on.

• Productivity apps are helpful for some people, but they’re not for everyone. Make sure you don’t spend so much time worrying about the app that it starts to cut into your homework time! [19] X Research source

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Community Q&A

Tips from our Readers

• Start your homework as soon as you get home from school (you may need a small snack first) instead of watching tv or using the computer. If you start another activity, it will be harder to stop it to switch to homework. Go straight to homework and think of TV and the computer as your reward for finishing.
• Sometimes I have a lot of work to do and it seems overwhelming, even if the work isn't hard. If I close my eyes and imagine myself doing my homework, it doesn't feel as intimidating and gives me the feeling that I can do it.
• Make a homework playlist in your music app and play every time you sit down to study. If music with lyrics distracts you, try looking up "study playlists" and "homework playlists," as they're usually just instrumentals.
• If you can, have your parents drop you off at the library after school for an hour (or however long your homework would take) so you can stay focused. There isn't much to do at the library and it's quiet.
• Take short breaks to rest your mind for a little while so that it is ready to get back to work. This works for a lot of people who just need to decompress after a long period of working and hard thinking!
• Think about having free time after the homework to do what you want. Also, think about having the homework done, being stress-free, and not getting in trouble because you didn't do your homework.
• Dedicate a space in your house to homework and decorate it. Make your homework space a place you like to be.
• Work with a buddy who doesn't get as distracted as you. This way, your buddy can help you stay focused.
• Chewing on gum can help you stay alert and focused if you're feeling tired or distracted.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 20 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/tips-studying-motivation.html
• ↑ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0046362
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-should-students-study-tips-advice-and-pitfalls
• ↑ https://www.umassd.edu/fycm/goal-setting/resources/smartgoals/
• ↑ https://allianzassistancehealth.com.au/en/living-in-australia/studying-motivation-tips-university/
• ↑ https://www.wgu.edu/blog/improve-online-study-environment1712.html
• ↑ https://share.upmc.com/2019/08/healthy-snacks-to-power-studying/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/2016/april/4-steps-to-prioritize-tasks
• ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/18/time-management-apps-work-life-balance-productivity

About This Article

To find the motivation to do your homework, give yourself small rewards after you accomplish a goal, like a 5 minute video after finishing a reading assignment. For larger accomplishments, like completing an important paper, give yourself a bigger reward, like going out for pizza with friends. You can also try giving yourself a treat, like a scoop of ice cream or 10 minutes to text your best friend, before you begin working to lift your mood and make you more productive. If you have a friend who won’t distract you, see if they want to do homework together so you can keep each other on track. To learn how to pick the best time and place to do your homework, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Motivate Yourself: 11 Tips for Self Improvement

Achieve your goals with these science-backed motivation enhancers.

Setting a goal—anything from getting a degree or landing a new job to achieving a new level of physical fitness—is a big step toward improving your life. But following through to achieve what we’ve set out to accomplish can be challenging, especially on those days when motivation wanes. So how do you follow through on your commitments during those times when you just don’t feel like putting in the work?

We all lose motivation from time to time. When you’re feeling unmotivated, try one of these science-backed strategies to get yourself back on track toward your goal.

Put your goal on the calendar.

Make working toward your goal a habit.

Plan for imperfection.

Set small goals to build momentum.

Track your progress.

Reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones.

Embrace positive peer pressure.

Practice gratitude (including for yourself).

Do some mood lifting. 

Change your environment. 

Remember your “why.”

Self-motivation tips

Let's take a closer look at each of the above tips. Here, we'll break down these self-motivation techniques, detailing what they are and the science behind them.

1. Put your goal on the calendar.

One way to give a boost to your internal motivation is to create some external motivation: a target date. Whatever it is you’re aiming to accomplish, put it on the calendar. You may be working toward a goal with a set finish date built in. Examples include preparing for a test or taking a course with a fixed end date. 

If your goal lacks this structure, you can add it by deciding on a date by which you could realistically achieve your goal. 

Want to run a 5k or marathon? Sign up for a race on or near your target date. Considering a degree? Research the application deadline and write it down. Aiming to learn a new career skill? Register for a course and set a target date to finish. 

Having a target date not only helps you stay motivated, it also helps you track your progress—you always know how much further you have to go. This can have a big impact on your performance [ 1 ].

Tip: Setting a target date

Be realistic when setting your target date, but resist the urge to give yourself more time than you’ll need. Studies show that we sometimes perceive longer goals as more difficult, even when they’re not. This can lead to a greater likelihood of procrastination or quitting [ 2 ].

2. Make working toward your goal a habit.

When you make working toward your goal a habit—an automatic conditioned response—you no longer have to rely so much on feeling motivated. How do you turn a behavior into a habit?

Identify a trigger. 

Choose something that you already do everyday, like brushing your teeth or eating lunch, to be a trigger for the action you want to make a habit. Write out an “if-then” plan (also known as an implementation intention).

For example, if you want to create a habit of studying for a class everyday, your if-then plan might look like this:

If I pour my first cup of coffee, then I will spend five minutes on my math homework. 

To build consistency in exercise, it might look like this:

If I get up and brush my teeth, then I will immediately put on my workout clothes.

Making this plan and committing it to writing could increase the likelihood of following through [ 3 ].

Start small.

Notice that the above examples do not say that you’ll read six chapters of your textbook, watch two hours of lecture videos, or spend an hour sweating on the treadmill.

Getting started is often the hardest part on low-motivation days, and starting is much easier when the task is small: Five minutes of study or putting on your workout clothes [ 4 ]. 

These seemingly small actions can prime your mind for the task at hand, so the followthrough—a longer study session or a full workout—can happen more naturally with less mental resistance, according to The Science of Self Help [ 5 ]. 

3. Plan for imperfection.

It’s great to feel excited and confident about achieving your goal, but it’s also possible to be too optimistic [ 6 ]. Not every day will go exactly as planned, and that’s okay. Life happens. 

One way to boost motivation on difficult days is simply to plan for them. As you think about your goal, jot down a list of the things that could get in your way. If you’re taking an online course, this could include:

Losing internet access

Getting a phone call in the middle of a study session

Having a child home sick

Feeling stuck on a difficult concept or assignment

If your goal is to go running everyday, some obstacles might include:

Rainy weather

Getting asked to stay late at work during the time you usually run

We can’t predict everything that could happen, but we can predict those obstacles that are likely to happen from time to time based on our unique circumstances. 

Once you have your list, make a plan for how to handle the obstacle. How can you plan ahead for when your internet goes out? Maybe you could keep a few lecture videos downloaded to your phone or computer for offline access, or you could identify a nearby coffee shop that offers free wifi. 

Now when that obstacle pops up, instead of losing motivation and feeling deflated, you have a plan in place to keep the momentum going.

Keep in mind that for some obstacles, missing your task is a perfectly acceptable plan.  

The WOOP method

Next time you’re setting a goal for yourself, practice the WOOP technique, pioneered by Dr. Gabriele Oettingen. This stands for Wish , Outcome , Obstacle , and Plan . What is your wish? What would be the outcome of that wish coming true? What main obstacle stands in your way? What can you do to overcome that obstacle?

4. Set small goals to build momentum.

“If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another.” 

Naval Admiral William H. McRaven gave this advice during his commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. The former Navy SEAL was onto something.

Research shows that frequent small successes can build a sense of momentum that can in turn drive long-term success, especially early in the process [ 7 , 8 ]. Whatever your big goal may be, start by breaking it down into smaller chunks. Getting a new job might be a big goal. Smaller goals could be updating your resume, making a portfolio website, earning a certification, or attending a networking event.

Did you know?

Setting goals at the start of a new week, month, or year can naturally lead to increased motivation [ 9 ]. We tend to mentally associate these temporal landmarks with new beginnings while creating mental distance from any perceived shortcomings in our past. Now that’s what we call a motivational Monday.

5. Track your progress.

Seeing progress can be highly motivating [ 10 ]. You’ll find many tools out there to help you track your goals. This could be as simple as a to-do list or calendar where you can cross off tasks or days as you complete them. Or you might opt for a free tool like Trello , which allows you to create a personalized digital task board to categorize your big goal into daily, weekly, monthly, or even yearly sub goals.

Another option is to draw a progress bar on a sheet of poster board or paper. Hang it somewhere where you’ll see it regularly, and fill it in as you get closer to your goal.

What is a SMART goal?

Sometimes the best goals are SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. 

6. Reward yourself for the little wins as well as the big ones.

It feels good to be rewarded for our work. But rewards can also improve motivation and performance. Rewarding yourself for reaching small milestones and completing big goals could boost your interest and enjoyment in the work you’re doing [ 11 ]. 

These rewards don’t have to be big or cost a lot of money. Here’s a quick list of ideas you could use to reward yourself:

Take a short break

Go for a walk outside

Enjoy your favorite snack

Read a chapter of your favorite book

Spend a few minutes meditating

Listen to an episode of your favorite podcast

Plan a night out with friends

Play an online game

Visit a free museum or attraction

Have a long bath or shower

Call a friend or family member

Spend a few minutes making your own reward list so that you’re ready to celebrate your wins, big and small.

7. Embrace positive peer pressure.

You’re ultimately the one who puts in the work to achieve your goals. But other people can be a great motivator. 

Research shows that feeling like you’re part of a team can lead to boosted perseverance, engagement, and performance, even if you’re working alone [ 12 ]. Depending on your goal, this might mean joining a study group, running team, gym class, professional organization, or virtual challenge. 

Another study suggests that sharing your goal with someone whose opinion you value can strengthen your commitment to attaining that goal [ 13 ]. For work goals, consider sharing with a mentor or supervisor. You might choose to share educational goals with a teacher or academic advisor, or fitness goals with a coach or fellow gym member who you admire.

8. Practice gratitude (including for yourself).

It might seem like gratitude would lead to complacency and acceptance of the status quo. Yet some studies have shown otherwise. Feelings of gratitude can:

Motivate self-improvement [ 14 ]

Make us feel connected to others (i.e. part of the team) [ 15 ]

Enhance motivation across time, beyond the duration of the gratitude practice [ 16 ]

Induce a sense of wanting to give back [ 17 ]

Improve physical and mental health, as well as sleep [ 18 ]

There’s more than one way to foster an attitude of gratitude. Spend the first five minutes after you wake up going through all the things you feel grateful for. Better yet, write them down in a gratitude journal. Is there someone in your life you’re particularly grateful for? Write them a letter expressing your thanks. 

9. Do some mood lifting. 

A good mood has been linked to increased productivity, and improvement in both quality and quantity of work [ 19 , 20 ]. This doesn’t mean that you have to be positive all the time—that’s not realistic. But if you’re feeling sluggish about working toward your goal, a quick mood lift could be enough to get you started.

Need some ideas for how to boost your mood? You could try to:

Spend some time in nature (or at least get some sunlight) [ 21 ]

Look at some cute pictures or videos of animals on r/aww [ 22 ]

Watch funny videos on YouTube [ 23 ]

Exercise [ 24 ]

Adopt an alter ego (i.e. the Batman effect) [ 25 ]

10. Change your environment. 

Sometimes a change of scenery can help you approach your task with fresh eyes (and a new sense of motivation). This is called the novelty effect—a short-term boost that comes from altering your environment [ 26 ]. 

If you usually study at home, have a session at your local library. Do you always watch lecture videos on your computer? Try downloading them to your phone to watch outside in the park. Switch up your running route, or try a new exercise routine. 

11. Remember your “why.”

Why is this goal important to you? Why is that reason important to you? Why is that important to you? Keep digging until you get to your ultimate “why”—the core value that’s driving your goal. 

To further reinforce your “why,” set an alarm every morning to remind yourself to spend one or two minutes visualizing what success would look like. What would it feel like to achieve your goal?

What’s your career goal?

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Meng Zhu, Rajesh Bagchi, Stefan J Hock. " The Mere Deadline Effect: Why More Time Might Sabotage Goal Pursuit ." Journal of Consumer Research 45, no. 5 (April 2018): 1068-1084.

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Benjamin Gardner. " Making health habitual: the psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice ." British Journal of General Practice 62, no. 605 (December 2012): 664-666.

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K. Woolley, A. Fishbach. " It’s about time: Earlier rewards increase intrinsic motivation ." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 114, no. 6 (2018): 877-890.

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H.J. Klein, R.B. Lount Jr., H.M. Park, B.J. Linford. " When goals are known: The effects of audience relative status on goal commitment and performance ." Journal of Applied Psychology 105, no. 4 (2020): 372-389.

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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework

How to Get Motivated to Do Schoolwork to Achieve Stellar Results

To motivate yourself to do homework, set clear, achievable goals, create a distraction-free study space, and establish a regular routine. Use a timer for focused work sessions, reward yourself after completing tasks, and maintain a positive mindset. Remember to take care of your health and seek help if needed.

• Make a Plan: Break tasks into chunks, set realistic goals.
• Seek Help: Find a mentor or use assignment services.
• Set Small Goals: Break homework into smaller, manageable objectives.
• Stay Organized: Keep workspace tidy and schedule organized.
• Take Breaks: Regular breaks to recharge.
• Give Rewards: Treat yourself for completing tasks.
• Stay Positive: Maintain an optimistic mindset.
• Get Specialized Help: Seek assistance for challenging subjects.
• Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers: Surround yourself with motivated friends.
• Eat Nutritiously: Maintain a balanced diet for focus and energy.

Are you wondering how to motivate yourself to do homework? Transform your study routine with actionable tips like staying organized, taking breaks, making a plan, etc. Read this article to help you foster focus and productivity.

Gain insight on tackling assignments and confidently turning your challenges into triumphs. Find out how to embrace the power of positive habits and witness your motivation soar. Let's break the cycle of boredom and ignite your passion for learning.

Instead of letting deadlines overwhelm you, let's turn them into milestones. With our proven methods, you can easily elevate your academic journey and conquer schoolwork. 

Motivation to Do Homework: Learn Why It Matters

Finding motivation for homework can sometimes feel impossible, especially when you're tired and overwhelmed with many responsibilities. But homework was not given by your teachers or professors as a form of torture.

It's a vital element in your academic journey, and staying motivated is the compass guiding the way to complete them. Consider motivation as the fuel propelling you through your seemingly impossible tasks.

Maintaining inspiration is crucial because it transforms routine assignments into valuable learning opportunities.

When you enthusiastically approach your homework, the benefits extend beyond completion—it fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

Embrace motivation as a tool for getting things done and fostering a positive and productive mindset. In the academic realm, staying inspired is the key to unlocking the doors to knowledge and answering the question of how to get motivated to do schoolwork.

Make a Plan to Help Jump-start Everything

Every student knows the feeling of being overwhelmed by homework. Sometimes, students can't help but scratch their heads, wondering how to get motivated to do schoolwork. It is indeed easy to drag your feet and procrastinate. The secret to conquering that mountain of assignments?

Make a plan! Start by breaking tasks into manageable chunks and set realistic goals. The key is finding what inspires you—a cozy study spot, a reward system, or a study playlist. Having a plan helps organize your workload and gives you a roadmap to success.

So, take a deep breath, make that plan, and watch as motivation for homework becomes your trusty sidekick on your academic journey! 

Seek Help and Find a Mentor

When wondering how to get motivated to do homework, seeking help and finding a mentor becomes a game-changer. The benefits are profound, whether it's reaching out to an alumna, a high-achieving peer, or even considering a professional online "do my assignment" service.

A mentor provides guidance, shares insights, and instills motivation by offering a fresh perspective. Alumnae brings real-world experience which may help you understand. Your peers offer relatability and can also help explain concepts.

Finally, assignment services provide expert support to ensure you can beat your deadlines.

Guidance not only eases your academic load but also fosters a collaborative spirit. Seeking help makes your assignments less daunting. Instead of feeling as if you're drowning in tasks, your mind becomes more prepared for learning and growth.

Break Things Down and Set Small Goals for Homework Assignments

When wondering how to force yourself to do homework, the secret lies in breaking homework assignments down into smaller chunks. Transform your daunting mountain of tasks into manageable molehills. Start with bite-sized objectives that feel achievable, gradually building momentum.

It's like turning homework into a series of mini-victories, making your workload more digestible. Small goals and specific tasks not only boost motivation but also promote a sense of accomplishment.

So, rather than overwhelming yourself, slice your assignments into manageable portions and check your to-do list.

Then, watch as each completed task propels you forward. It's a strategy that helps you stop procrastinating and makes you spend time working on relevant current and future assignments.

Stay Organized to Help You Crush Those Goals

Are you curious how to get motivation to do homework? The answer lies in staying organized to help you crush your goals. Picture your workspace as a battleground—clutter is the enemy, and order is your ally. It's challenging to stay focused amid chaos.

Studies show that a tidy environment fosters mental clarity. So, organize your tasks, create a schedule, and tidy up your space. As you conquer the clutter, you'll find motivation thriving. A well-ordered work area reflects a well-ordered mind, making your homework journey smoother and the path to your goals clearer.

Get organized and watch your motivation, propelling you to academic excellence! And start expecting good grades, and not just in your favorite subject.

Take Breaks to Help You Recharge and Achieve Homework Fun

Wondering how to get motivated for homework? Embrace the power of breaks to help you recharge and do my homework . Picture your brilliant mind as a battery! Continuous work drains your brain of energy needed for motivation.

Breaks act as the charger, replenishing your mental reserves. It's not about procrastination. Instead, think of these planned breaks as strategic rejuvenation. Step away, stretch, take a walk, or indulge in a quick hobby. Spend some time alone and rest for a few hours.

You'll find renewed focus and energy as you return, making your assignments more sustainable.

Strategic breaks aren't like other distractions.

In fact, they are essential tools for maintaining motivation. So, intersperse your study sessions with short breaks and witness how recharging catalyzes academic success. 

Give Yourself Rewards

Are you thinking how to motivate yourself to do school work, especially when feeling sluggish and tired? The answer lies in giving yourself rewards when hitting milestones. Consider it a pat on your back for a job well done.

Rewards don't have to be grand. Even simple treats can work wonders! When you associate completing tasks with positive reinforcement, it creates a sense of accomplishment. This becomes a powerful motivator, especially during slumps.

Whether it's a brief break, a favorite snack, or a small celebration, these rewards are energy boosts. They will help you inject enthusiasm into your schoolwork grind. Whether you're working on social studies, classical music, or any focused course, there are many reasons why a reward in the first place will make any assignment progress much faster.

Celebrate your victories, big or small. With each celebration, watch motivation become your constant companion. 

Stay Positive and Optimistic

Maintaining an optimistic mindset is the cornerstone of tackling any challenge, including homework. Want to figure out how to stay motivated to do homework?

It starts with cultivating a positive outlook. Embrace each of your assignments as an opportunity to learn and grow. Positivity breeds motivation! When faced with difficulties, view them as stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.

Surround yourself with an optimistic atmosphere—whether it's a neat study space or the support of encouraging friends.

Celebrate small victories and approach each task believing you can conquer it. Positivity makes the homework journey more enjoyable and transforms obstacles into opportunities for success. 

Get Specialized Help When You Need It

Pondering how to be motivated to do homework, especially when facing challenging subjects like math problems or drafting an English essay?

The key is getting specialized help when you need it. College encompasses a spectrum of subjects, from English and humanities to math and statistics.

Seeking math homework help for calculus or essay assistance from experts isn't a sign of weakness. You can think of this as a strategic move. Recognizing when to ask for specialized support is a strength. It alleviates your struggles and fosters a proactive approach to learning.

So, don't hesitate to reach out when faced with academic hurdles.

Specialized help ensures you conquer the complexities and stay motivated on your educational journey. 

Hang Out With Like-Minded Peers

If you're figuring out how to get motivation to do school work, one of the answers could be in the company you keep. Imagine being with friends who party hard and ditch deadlines. Uh-oh, that spells trouble!

Instead, surround yourself with like-minded peers who share your academic goals and enthusiasm. Studying with friends who are equally driven creates a supportive environment that fuels motivation. Exchange ideas and share strategies for work-life balance.

Celebrate your successes together. The collective energy of a group with a common purpose can be contagious, making your academic journey more enjoyable.

When you're in the company of peers who are passionate about learning, the motivation to excel becomes a shared experience, propelling everyone toward success. 

Fuel Your Brain and Body with Nutritious Food 

Listen up! Eat well to stay motivated. Why does your diet play an important role in how to make yourself do homework? What you fuel your brain and body matters!

A balanced diet is the secret weapon for sustained focus and energy. Incorporate brain-boosting foods like fruits, nuts, and whole grains into your meals. Skipping meals leads to fatigue, affecting your concentration.

By nourishing your body, you're investing in your academic success. So, make your plate a palette of productivity. Then, watch how your well-fed body becomes the foundation for a motivated mind. 

Students Tend to Forget Water Intake - Will You?

Hydration is critical when figuring out how to get motivation for homework. Dehydration can significantly impact concentration and focus, putting you in a study slump.

So, as a busy student, it's vital to stay hydrated. Water is not just a refreshing beverage to quench thirst. It's also an amazing cognitive enhancer. Many studies show that even mild dehydration can lead to reduced cognitive performance.

Therefore, keep your water bottle within arm's reach while tackling assignments. And drink before you feel thirsty because you're already mildly dehydrated by then. Water helps with mental sharpness. A well-hydrated brain is focused and ready to take on the challenges of homework. 

Use an Inspiring Music Playlist

Fill your study area with an inspiring music playlist—especially if you're wondering how to become motivated to do school work or contemplating how to do my assignment excellently. Music has a magical quality that can ignite motivation.

Create a playlist filled with fave tunes that uplift your spirits and set the tone for productivity. The right soundtrack can turn mundane tasks into engaging activities.

Whether you need a boost to start your assignments or a rhythm to carry you through to ace a test, music is a powerful ally.

So, put on those headphones, hit play, and let the motivational beats become the backdrop to your academic triumphs. 

How to Get Motivation for Homework - FAQs

How to get motivated to do school work .

Do you wish to unlock how to be motivated to do schoolwork? Think of this as like finding the perfect rhythm for a dance. Start small—break tasks into manageable steps. Surround yourself with a supportive study environment.

Use inspiring music as your soundtrack. Stay positive and celebrate victories. Your academic journey is a dance of determination. 

What can I do when I have no motivation to do homework? 

Feeling the homework blues? When you have no motivation to do homework, start small—break your tasks into bite-sized chunks. Change your scenery, create a dedicated study space, and consider incorporating inspiring music.

Seek support from mentors. Remember, every small effort counts, turning your homework struggle into achievable victories.

Where to find motivation in a few hours for schoolwork when I'm lazy?  

Curious how to do homework when you don't want to? Your journey from laziness to productivity is manageable by breaking tasks into small steps.

Then, create a motivating study environment and consider help. For example, seeking physics homework help or essay writing assistance from professionals when needed.

Every small effort counts because you'll find inspiration in every completed task. 

Is seeking professional help online acceptable? 

Absolutely! When figuring out how to get the motivation to do homework, seeking professional help online is a smart move. Online assistance provides valuable support, guidance, and resources, empowering you to tackle assignments confidently. It's a proactive step towards academic success in the digital age.

If I seek online help, how much will I pay? 

The cost of online help varies based on subject, complexity, and deadline, but consider it an investment in your academic success when exploring how to motivate to do homework. Our platform offers flexible pricing, ensuring accessibility to resources and assistance tailored to your needs and budget. 

Where can I find homework help? 

When wondering how to get yourself to do homework, remember that you're in the digital age and finding homework help is a click away. Explore our online platform for personalized assistance. We provide valuable support, making your homework journey more manageable and efficient. 

Is an online assignment platform legal?

Yes, seeking Python homework help , essay writing assistance, or any other service from an online assignment platform like ours is legal. We are a legitimate resource that aligns with the quest to answer how to get motivated for school work, providing valuable assistance and support to enhance your learning experience.

How to Motivate Yourself to Study: 25 Effective Strategies

Getting that studying motivation can be difficult. You start off on a high, but before long the reality of hard work sinks in.

In this ultimate guide, I show you how to motivate yourself to study by providing you with 25+ inspirational tips and strategies.

No time to waste, here’s my tips on how to get that inspiration every student needs to get motivated to study.

25 Ways to Motivate yourself to Study

1. watch this youtube video on self-discipline by will smith.

For the first 3 points, I want to get you started with some motivational videos to get you into the right headspace to build that study inspiration.

This motivational video gets you to look inwards and think about why it is you should be studying right now.

Here’s some themes Will Smith explores in this motivational video:

Self-Discipline

At the core of motivation is self-discipline.

Self-discipline is the ability to regulate your own behaviors.

It’s about convincing yourself to do things you don’t want to do because they have some longer-term value.

You need self-discipline as a student.

Self-discipline is the ability to do that studying now even if you don’t want to.

Because you’ve got aspirations to be a better you.

As will Smith argues:

“You cannot win the war against the world if you can’t win the war against your own mind.”

Self-Love is all about doing things to help yourself.

It’s about taking actions for your own good in the long run, sometimes at the sacrifice of the now.

Will Smith refers to students when he talks about Self-Love. He says:

“Self-Love is when you have a test on Monday. And I know you really want to go out with your friends but if you fail that test you’re not going to feel good about yourself. I love you too much to let you go out tonight.”

Will Smith argues that your long-term happiness is determined by your actions today. If you have the self-love and self-discipline to do the hard work now, you’ll be happier in the long run.

Self-Responsibility

Smith also talks about how you need to take responsibility for your own life.

He says it doesn’t help to think about why you’re in the situation you’re in.

If you’re poor, or having to re-do university to change careers, sure that sucks.

But your job is to take responsibility for the future because you can’t do anything about the past.

“Your heart, your life, your happiness, is your responsibility and your responsibility alone.”

You’ve got to do this. No one else can do it for you.

2. Watch this Motivational Speech about your University Degree

In this video, the speaker reminds you that you are the only one who has the power to make change.

It starts with a rough message: stop pitying yourself.

The speaker says tiredness, lack of money, or anything else are excuses. People who have succeeded have gone through the same hurdles.

The difference between success and failure is that people who succeed look inside themselves and find the strength to do the hard work.

The speaker says:

“It’s not going to come to you and fall in your lap. It’s always going to be difficult. If you want it, you’ve got to go get it.”

This video is all about digging deep. Put your head down and grind it out.

Success comes to those who earn it through hard work.

Right now, that hard work for you is to put your head down and study.

Don’t make any excuses for yourself. You can overcome the challenges. Dig deep.

3. Watch this Video about Growth Mindsets

I love the concept of the growth mindset .

What’s it all about?

It’s about believing in yourself. It’s about believing in your ability to learn.

“Failing is just another word for growing. And you keep growing. This is Learning.”

I like this video because it’s compassionate. It knows you are going to struggle and fail. And it’s message is simple: that’s okay.

Just believe in yourself and keep putting one step after another.

If you have the self-concept that you believe you can learn anything with hard work, you’re more likely dig deep and do the hard work needed to learn.

By contrast, if you’ve not got a growth mindset, you’ll blame other things. You’ll stop believing in yourself.

You need to grab hold of your growth mindset and tell yourself: “I can achieve this. I can overcome this struggle. I can ace this exam. I just need to work at it. I need to find ways to achieve it and I’ll get there in the end.”

4. Read this Book: UnF*ck Yourself

I’m suggesting you read Gary John Bishop’s UnF*ck Yourself because it’s a fast, simple read that’ll get you thinking about how to improve your own life.

It’s a simple exercise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: That is, it gets you to start sorting out your thinking.

Silence the self-defeating monologue.

It’s mean. It isn’t sympathetic. It tells you how the world is: stop thinking negative thoughts.

That negativity, those excuses, are going to bring you down.

You have struggles, and I’m sympathetic to them. But my sympathy isn’t going to solve them. And that’s what this book’s all about.

Fix the things within your power. Believe you’re capable and take the steps towards achieving what you’re capable of achieving.

The book’s by-line tells it the way it is:

“Get out of your head and into your life.”

Stop sitting around. Seriously. Just stop. If there’s more in yourself to put out there in the world, then do it.

Your life is your ultimate masterpiece. Put everything you have into it.

For you, right now, that’s studying. So get the heck off your ass and freaking study!

5. Print out Motivational Quotes and Place them around your Study Space.

The videos I provided at the start of this post are motivational. Their goal is to remind you to dig deep and try your hardest to work through the struggles you’re facing today.

But you can’t watch videos five or ten times a day. It’s just not practical.

Something that’s both motivational and practical is to select some quotes that you find inspiring.

Motivational quotes for studying might include:

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

Or how about this one:

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimer

I recommend placing these quotes in visible places around your study space.

Some visible places to put your motivational quotes include:

• On your pin board;
• On your study desk;
• On your computer desktop screen

6. Remind yourself of your Long-Term Goals

You need to know where you’re going.

Do you know why you’re sitting at the computer right now, planning to study?

What was the reason you started down the path of getting this qualification you’re studying for?

It might have been:

• For a job you’re passionate about
• To get enough money to care for your family
• To prove something to yourself
• To gather enough knowledge to start a business in your topic

…Or, any other reason!

You need to dig these goals back up when you’re at a low point and lacking motivation to study.

Write them down all over again.

In the video above, the speaker talks about creating A Vision . He says he creates his vision and then he has it handy at his desk:

“I put [my goal] on one piece of paper, I put it on my desk and I review it twice a day.”

Having that long-term goal statement sitting there on your desk visible every single day keeps it close to your heart.

It reminds you that your actions are intentional.

There’s a reason behind your study session today. It’s just one of those steps towards that long-term goal.

7. Look on a Job Search Website for your Dream Job to Motivate You

If you want to envision that long-term goal even more, you might want to do some research into it.

Actually look at it!

Most students’ long-term goals is to break into a certain career.

So, why not go onto a job search website and look at that job you want?

What does it say on there to motivate you?

Take a look at:

• The salary. Does it inspire you? Hopefully it does!
• The list of minimum requirements for the position. What are they?

When you look at the minimum requirements, you’ll probably see your degree name there: “Must have an M.Sc …” It might even say “Experience required.”

That’s okay.

But if you can see that you’re on your way right now to being able to tick off that one key requirement for the job, it might give you some more motivation.

That action of looking at the specifications for the dream job might just remind you why you’re here, today, studying your heart out.

You’ll get there one day.

But today, you study.

8. Create a List of your Medium-Term Goals.

To get to your long-term goal (say, to get that dream job), you need to set yourself a list of stepping stones to get there.

Your stepping stones might be:

• Grow my GPA this Semester to 3.0
• Get a GPA of 3.3 next Semester

…Or, anything you think is achievable with a little hard work.

These medium-term goals appear achievable than the longer-term career goal.

These goals are on the horizon.

And the best thing about these goals is you can take actions today to achieve them.

Because in reality, there’s nothing you can do right now that will tangibly make that dream job land on your lap. It’s over the horizon. You’ve set your ship in the right direction, but you can’t apply for that job today.

So what can you do in the medium-term? What’s within your power? How can you set your ship in the right direction?

These medium-term goals are more achievable, so they’re more actionable.

But they’re still not enough. Once you’ve set that list of medium-term goals, let’s break them down even more .

You need to break down your list of goals so much that you have a goal today that you can achieve.

That’s why you need to write down one short-term goal for today that will be a step towards your medium-term goals.

9. Write down one Short-Term Goal for Today.

It’s hard to see how your study session today might lead to achieving your goal in the long-term future.

But every single action counts.

To prevent overwhelm, I acknowledge that what I’m doing today may only be a miniscule step towards my big life goal.

So, I break down all of my actions into small, actionable, bite-size chunks that I can achieve on a daily basis.

It feels impossible to achieve something massive. But you can achieve a whole lot of small things that build up to that one huge goal that you want to achieve.

So, what I recommend to my students who lack motivation is this:

Write down on a piece of paper one positive thing you want achieved by the end of the day.

It might be to finish taking notes on that one chapter you’re studying.

It might be to complete three practice quizzes to prepare for your test.

Sure, it doesn’t sound like much. But it gives you something to work towards today. It focuses your mind.

And 30 days of minor achievements will eventually lead to a medium-sized achievement. It might bump your GPA up just enough to get over a hurdle, improve your CV, and get you closer to that dream job.

So set yourself one actionable goal for today. Then go out there and do the grind to make today worthwhile.

Go Deeper: 101 Short-Term Goals for Students

10. Write a letter from your future self

Now that you know your goals, visualize yourself at that point when you’ve achieved them.

What will you look back at? What will you be proud of? What hurdles will you have overcome?

You can do a small exercise that’s personal, private, and that you can keep to yourself.

Take out a pen and paper and write a letter from your future self. Put yourself in the shoes of the future version of you who’s made it to the place you want to be.

Write down a letter looking back at the path to get there. What will your future self want to say to you?

Your future self might:

• Congratulate you on overcoming certain hurdles;
• Let you know how hard it is, but also that it feels worth it in the end;
• Tell you to forgive yourself for your failures;
• Tell you to have self-belief;
• Give you some tough love. ‘Future you’ might say: “Get off your backside and start studying!”

Have a think about what letter you think that future version of you will write, and have a go at writing that letter.

It might just motivate you to dig deep today.

11. Write a Letter to your Future Self

Now that you’ve completed your letter from your future self, come back to today.

What do you want to tell your future version of you? Maybe you’ll make them some promises. Let them know that what you’re doing today is for them.

You might talk about how much you want what you’re working towards. You might tell your future self to celebrate on your behalf. You could say:

“I can’t celebrate today. I’m denying myself some pleasures because I want a greater happiness for myself tomorrow. So, please celebrate your success with the family and enjoy the delayed gratification. I did this for you!”

Writing this letter is your chance to remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s your chance to directly think about how your sacrifices will be for the good of yourself in the future.

This is an exercise in self-love and self-discipline. You’re telling yourself clearly why you need to be disciplined today.

12. Find a Goal Setting Study Partner

If possible, set those short-term goals (from Point 10) with a study partner.

There’s nothing more powerful than a study partner whose motivations and goals match your own.

Together, you can pull each other forward and apply accountability to one another.

The ideal goal setting study partner is another person studying the same course as you. Ideally, you’ll be in the same lectures and seminars as one another and aiming for the same grade as one another.

As a pair, you can work together and put your minds together to work towards your goals.

Here’s some ways to find a study partner:

• I’d start by inviting my personal friends to study with you on a regular basis.
• Add people in your course on your social media pages. This way, you’ll be able to message them on occasion and build relationships.
• Identify people in your class with similar mindsets and start to befriend them.
• Use your course’s Facebook pace (if it has one!) to put a call out for people to join your study group.

Here’s some ways to utilize your study partner:

• Agree to compare notes directly after lectures . Comparing notes allows you to see how other people have interpreted the information presented in class.
• Set up regular formal study sessions at your house, the library or a local café
• Offer to edit one another’s work.

Be aware that you need to find people who are on the same level as you – you don’t want people who are wanting to use you for information but not support you in return.

13. Create a To-Do List

Whether working with partners or alone, each study session should begin with a to-do list.

The to-do list should include points from Step 9, where I encouraged you to set super short-term micro goals. These are goals that are achievable in just one day.

Having a To-Do list gives you another level of accountability to yourself.

You’ve noted down exactly what you expect yourself to do for the day – and now you have to follow it through.

Make sure your daily to-do list is reasonable. The tasks need to be 100% achievable in one day, so long as you put the effort into it.

Next, sort the to-do list based on priority:

• What is the most important study task to complete today?
• What is the hardest task?

You should prioritize these two types of tasks. Finish the most important and hardest tasks first, when you’re most fresh.

There’s an app for that.

A great app for creating and managing to do lists is ToDoist .

The reason I love ToDoist is that I can link it up to my accountability app in Step 16, where I can wager money on whether I have achieved the goals I’ve set in my ToDoist app.

14. Use the Reddit Accountability Thread

Accountability is one of the greatest motivators.

I’ve just asked you to create a To-Do list (see point 13). This is a great step towards accountability to yourself. Now you have actionable goals and targets that should be achieved by the end of your study session.

Now you need to take that To-Do list and make yourself accountable to others.

Recently I came across a great idea on Reddit. It’s a daily accountability thread .

At the start of each day people post the things they need to get achieved for the day.

As they complete a task, they log back on and cross out each point on the accountability thread.

This does a few great things.

I’ve found accountability threads:

• Give you a sense of community. There are people there encouraging you each day and congratulating you on your small successes.
• Give you social accountability. You feel like you want to achieve these goals because there are people out there who will see if you fail.

15. Put some Skin in the Game

To take your study accountability to the next level, you need to put some skin in the game.

How do you do this?

Put some money on the line.

Get in touch with someone you trust. It could be that study partner you have, a spouse, a friend, or a parent.

Then, give them $100. No questions asked. And tell them:

“If I don’t achieve my goal for today, you can keep my $100.”

Suddenly, studying got a whole lot more serious.

If you don’t want to lose $100, you better get to the library, put your head down, and start studying!

Don’t have anyone who’s willing to mind your $100 for you?

Try out one of the accountability apps out there on the market that are happy to hold your money for you. Here’s a few of them:

StickK allows you to wager money that you only get back if you achieve your goals.

But the great catch is this: if you don’t achieve your goals, the money goes to an ‘anti-Charity’.

What’s an anti-Charity?

It’s a charity that you really, really don’t like.

So StickK gives you the option of donating money to a charity you hate like:

• A pro-Choice charity;
• A pro-Life charity;
• A pro-Gun control charity;
• A Gun rights charity;
• A political party whose views are opposite yours.

This gives an extra incentive to motivate yourself to study.

2. Beeminder

Beeminder is similar to StickK but you can link it up to ToDoist, a to-do list app. So, it checks whether you achieved your goals by looking across at your app and checking what you’ve ticked off the to-do list for the day.

16. Try to Beat your Previous Study Records

If you’re a competitive person, this is the strategy for you.

To make this study motivation strategy work, you need to keep clear track of how much or how long you studied for the hour, day or week.

Then, you need to set yourself the goal of beating your previous day’s study record.

For example:

• Between 10am and 11am you managed to study for 35 minutes, and spent 25 minutes procrastinating;
• Between 11am and 12 noon you should aim to study for 40 minutes and procrastinate for no more than 20 minutes.

This works on a daily and weekly basis as well.

17. Remove Technology Distractions

This point is crucial.

If you want to maintain motivation for the duration of your study sessions, you’ll need to cull all distractions.

If you’re anything like me, or just about any millennial, you’re addicted to technology.

Time to break the habit.

At least, it’s time to break the habit while you’re studying.

Here’s two ways to remove technological distractions.

1. Ditch your phone.

Store your phone in a room separate to your study space. Leave it in your bedroom while you’re in your study.

If you’re studying in a library, place your phone in your backpack and turn it onto Airplane mode.

The less accessible your phone, the better.

We have a tendency to reflexively turn to our phones and start scrolling through them when we’re bored. We don’t even know we’re doing it until it’s happening!

You need to take control over your self-discipline again. To start, it’s time to ditch your phone whenever you’re studying.

2. Use website blockers on your computer.

Next, download website blocker extensions into your web browser.

Website blockers allow you to select certain websites to be blocked from access for a dedicated amount of time.

You can input the amount of time you want to study into the apps and select the websites you want to block.

Brainstorm all websites you use to procrastinate and list them in your website blocker app. These include any websites you reflexively turn to when procrastinating. Also include any news websites or sites such as BuzzFeed that you regularly procrastinate on.

Here are some examples:

Lastly, you’re probably wondering what some good website blocker software might be.

Here are a few that you could try out:

• FocusMe . This app also includes a task scheduler and a break reminder to help increase productivity.
• StayFocusd . It’s for Chrome. This one is a nice, simple, clean extension for you to use. It allows you to block all websites or only ones on your block list for a dedicated amount of time.
• Freedom . For both PC and Mac. The cool thing about freedom is that you can link up your devices to block social media on your phone and computer simultaneously.
• OneFocus . A cool thing about OneFocus is that it allows you to set a level of strictness. This means you can set it so you can just set a friendly reminder when you try to access a site, or you can totally block it. It’s a bit on the expensive side at US$9.99.
• LeechBlock . I’ve added this one to the list because it’s a dedicated Firefox plugin. It has many of the same features as the others, although I like that you can set up to 6 ‘blocks’ of time in advance. Set password blocks on sites you reflexively use to make it that little bit harder to access them.

18. Make your Study Space a Dedicated Space.

One of the best ways to achieve self-discipline when studying is to get yourself ‘in the headspace’ when it’s time to study.

To get in the headspace, I recommend having a study area that you exclusively use for studying.

This will mean your don’t use your study space for anything else. Not for reading, sleeping, eating or cooking.

If your study space is only used for study, you’ll tell yourself

“I’m here now to study. That’s what being in this room is for.”

In my current house, I, unfortunately, don’t have a dedicated study space. There isn’t room for it.

That’s why I use public spaces as study spaces. Here are my favorite dedicated study spaces:

• The café: There’s one café that I go to regularly to study. It’s literally my ‘study café’.
• The library: Libraries are purpose-built study spaces. Use them!

If you want to read more about how to find a good dedicated study space, read my post: 21+ best study spaces .

19. Prioritize University.

This is really at the heart of the issue.

If you don’t make the university a priority in your life, you’ll constantly slip into unmotivated slumps.

Your studies should be a part of your identity. For the next 2, 3 or 4 years you will be a ‘student’. This means you’ll be someone who takes learning seriously, puts this huge life project front and center in your life, and makes time for it.

In fact, you shouldn’t just ‘make time for’ studies.

Studies should be a central part of your day. You should put it before other hobbies. You need to be in the headspace that says:

“Studying is an important part of my life and who I am.”

Why? Well, because you’re a person who wants to achieve your goals. This is your priority. Make it a priority and keep in there.

20. Use Rewards and Treats to Motivate yourself.

Rewards are powerful motivators. They train you to delay gratification in order to get something important done.

Delayed gratification is at the heart of the motivation formula.

Start simple with this one.

If you’re literally struggling so hard that you can’t make it through one page of reading without getting distracted, then start with a reward per page.

But, your reward needs to be proportionate.

For example, if you’re rewarding yourself per page, your reward might be something really small like a piece of candy once you’ve finished one page.

Then, build yourself up to one candy per 2 pages, then maybe a larger candy per chapter.

Something I like about the use of a reward system is that it gives you that first little kick-start to start studying, which could really snowball.

You might force yourself to do that first few minutes of study for a small reward. But then, your next 5 minutes will be that little bit easier.

Your rewards kick-start momentum.

21. Reward yourself with that Gift you’ve been wanting for Months.

Once you’ve got in place some short-term rewards, it’s time to think of a longer-term reward to work toward.

This is something you might only have the chance to reward yourself with once per semester. It’s something that you really want but have also been denying yourself.

Maybe it’s an expensive item that you’ve been eyeing off online but haven’t pressed the ‘buy’ button on yet.

It could be a watch, a new phone, or something for your car.

A larger reward needs to be attached to a meaningful medium-term goal.

Your medium-term goal might be the attainment of a certain grade or raising your overall GPA to a certain average.

The reward needs to be hard to obtain, though. It needs to be something that you will be genuinely proud of achieving. It needs to be a reward that you think it just a little too far out of reach, but that you’ll shoot for anyway.

It also needs to be something that you’re genuinely willing to deny yourself if you don’t reach the goal. If you just throw in the towel and buy the reward even if you don’t make it to the goal, then what’s the point?

And when you don’t achieve that goal, then set a new one. In fact, if you’re constantly meeting and exceeding the goals you’ve set for yourself, they’re probably too easy. So set a lofty goal, fail, and then set another one.

Keep on striving.

22. Get an Online Coach

Online coaches are personal trainers and motivators there to show you how to motivate yourself to study. They will keep you on track for achieving your goals on a medium- to long- term basis.

This blog post has hopefully handed you some motivation. But I can’t be there on a daily or weekly basis checking-in on you.

So reading this blog post just isn’t enough. You need to take another step to get on (and stay on) your path to long-term study motivation.

A cheap option for personalized, ongoing support is an online coach.

From $15 per week, you can get someone who can coach you and motivate you on how to gain and sustain good study habits .

I recommend the study coach website coach.me .

Your coach will provide chat and messaging support as well as daily check-ins to make sure you’re sticking to your goals.

The coaches also have a range of strategies to help you prioritize certain parts of your life and weed out all of those distractions that you need gone.

Take a look at coach.me’s list of coaches where you can browse for one that looks right for you.

Give it a go with their free trial before committing to a coach.

23. Make Routine your Friend

You need to wake up knowing exactly what your study goals will be for the day.

If you’re reading this post and you’ve picked up some good ideas that you want to put in place, this tip is the one that’s going to seal the deal for you.

Write down right now your to-do list for tomorrow .

From today onward, you need to have a to-do list written before you go to bed every night.

If you wake up and you need to brainstorm what you’re going to do for the day, you’ve already started the day on the wrong foot.

You need to wake up and know exactly the path that is laid out for you for the day.

Or else, you’ll have to dig deep in the morning and muster the motivation to start studying. You don’t want to be in that situation.

Studying from the beginning of the day needs to be a routine. It needs to be automatic.

To make organization and routine your friend, you need to have a plan laid out for the next day, before the day begins.

24. Make Momentum your Friend

Once you’ve gotten day one of your new study life complete, you need to make Day 2 equally as successful.

The risk you run is that your motivation will wane after the first day or two of a new study routine.

To turn study motivation (short-term inspiration) into study routine (long-term habit), you need to embrace and capitalize on the momentum you got in day 1.

The first week might be tough, but once you’ve gotten a study routine in place, you’ll start feeling more on top of your student life.

You’ll start achieving things like:

• Completing weekly readings and study tasks ahead of time;
• Doing additional extracurricular studies to get higher grades;
• Mentoring and motivating friends to follow you on the path to top grades

25. Come Back to this Post Regularly

If this post on how to motivate yourself to study got you a little more motivated and back on track, I’d encourage you to bookmark it.

Every now and then, come back and watch the videos from the first few points in this post.

Those videos will be your reminder and kick-start to ensure you keep up the momentum that you’ll need in order to be a long-term motivated, inspired and confident student.

Good luck getting motivated!

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 50 Durable Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 100 Consumer Goods Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 30 Globalization Pros and Cons

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How to Motivate Yourself to Do Homework

We all know the drill: homework can be a real drag sometimes. It’s tough staring down a mountain of assignments and not knowing where to even start. And let’s not even talk about those last minute all-nighters just to hit ‘submit’ right before class starts.

Feeling stuck and uninspired to do your homework? Get scrolling for quick and easy strategies to motivate yourself to do homework!

Looking for more student productivity tips? Subscribe to The Flow — our free quick, snappy, value-packed focus and recharge newsletter:

• First Name First

1. Break It Down

If your to-do list seems too large, try breaking it down into smaller, more manageable chunks.

Have 10 chapters of your textbook to read? Try reading the first paragraph only. Need to write a 1000-word paper? Start by writing the first sentence. Treat each chunk as a mini-goal that can be easily achieved. Soon enough, you’ll be surprised by how much work you’re able to accomplish already, and the momentum will keep you going.

Looking for a way to stay on top of your workload? Here are some of the best Notion assignment trackers to help you out.

2. Develop Routine & Structure

When motivation fails, discipline takes over. By making doing homework a habit, it’s easier to jump back into your study routine and get your tasks done. Start by creating a daily schedule that works for you and do your best to stick with it. Make use of digital planners, grade calculators, and assignment trackers to make doing homework streamlined and more efficient.

Check out some of the best Notion templates for students that you can incorporate into your work routine!

3. Elevate Your Study Space with Aesthetic Tools

The right visuals can be game-changers for your work sessions. A captivating background or well-designed tool can make the difference between slogging through your work and truly enjoying it. When your workspace is a feast for the eyes, you’re naturally more inclined to hunker down and get things done.

Whether it’s a Pomodoro timer set against a Parisian café backdrop or a virtual escape to Mount Fuji, aesthetics can turn your study grind into something you actually look forward to.

If you’re on the hunt for a one-stop-shop for all your study aesthetics, give Flocus a try. It’s a free browser-based productivity dashboard with customizable Pomodoro timers, inspiring quotes, and personalized greetings. Flocus brings a bit of romance to your daily grind. For more options, check out our full round-up of aesthetic study websites .

4. Form a Study Group

Sometimes, all we need is that extra push from our classmates who are doing the same thing to keep us motivated to finish our homework. Share your concerns, bounce ideas off each other, and lean on one another for support. That said, forming a strong support group early on in your school life can really make all the difference.

Not in the mood to meet up with friends at the library? Join the Flocus Discord server with thousands of productivity lovers and students to help you stay accountable and motivated.

5. Connect to Your “Why”

If you’re feeling unmotivated while sitting on a pile of math problems, why not try thinking about the bigger picture? Reflect on how mastering this specific topic can contribute to larger goals that you might have. The homework you’re doing might seem insignificant right now, but it’s slowly building the way for future successes in life.

6. Progress over Perfection

One of the main reasons why students usually procrastinate doing homework is the desire to do it perfectly — but this unhealthy need for perfection might be what’s killing your productivity and motivation. If you’ve spent the last three hours trying to curate the perfect plan to do your assignment, you’re probably doing it wrong. Just get started, and let the momentum guide you! You can always come back and improve later on.

7. Look for Inspiration

Reading self help books, watching study vlogs, or listening to podcasts are all effective means to learn how to stay motivated and boost your productivity. Don’t worry, motivation also often comes from the most unexpected places — a random sticky note, an unexpected text message, or a line from your favorite TV show character.

Check out our curated list of the best study motivation movies to get going with a dose of inspiration!

8. Rest When Needed

Knowing you have loads of schoolwork coming is stressful enough. Maximize the long breaks between Pomodoro sessions by grabbing a snack, doing breathing exercises , stretching, or taking a nap. Having a good amount of rest is a part of being productive and staying motivated.

That wraps up some of our best homework motivation strategies! With these techniques at your disposal, we can only hope that those long overdue assignments will become a thing of the past.

Did we miss any strategies to stay motivated while doing homework? Which strategy is your favorite to use? 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 can I stay motivated to complete homework?

Break down your study goals into smaller, more attainable chunks. Instead of panicking over the final page count for a long essay, take on each subtopic in the essay individually, and overcome them one by one.

Another way to stay motivated to complete your homework is to tie a carrot to the end of the stick, so to speak. For example, you can tell yourself, “Once I finish this assignment, and only when I’ve finished this assignment, I can hang out with my friends or play video games.”

Of course, you can also motivate yourself to complete your homework by thinking about how your accomplishment will positively benefit your future. You can think along the lines of, “If I stop procrastinating on this homework assignment and finish it now, I’ll get a better grade in class. If I get a better grade in class, my overall GPA will be higher, and I will look better on my college applications!”

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Daniel Wong

30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework

Updated on June 6, 2023 By Daniel Wong 44 Comments

To stop procrastinating on homework, you need to find motivation to do the homework in the first place.

But first, you have to overcome feeling too overwhelmed to even start.

You know what it feels like when everything hits you at once, right?

You have three tests to study for and a math assignment due tomorrow.

And you’ve got a history report due the day after.

You tell yourself to get down to work. But with so much to do, you feel overwhelmed.

So you procrastinate.

You check your social media feed, watch a few videos, and get yourself a drink. But you know that none of this is bringing you closer to getting the work done.

Does this sound familiar?

Don’t worry – you are not alone. Procrastination is a problem that everyone faces, but there are ways around it.

By following the tips in this article, you’ll be able to overcome procrastination and consistently find the motivation to do the homework .

So read on to discover 30 powerful tips to help you stop procrastinating on your homework.

Enter your email below to download a PDF summary of this article. The PDF contains all the tips found here, plus  3 exclusive bonus tips that you’ll only find in the PDF.

How to stop procrastinating and motivate yourself to do your homework.

Procrastination when it comes to homework isn’t just an issue of laziness or a lack of motivation .

The following tips will help you to first address the root cause of your procrastination and then implement strategies to keep your motivation levels high.

1. Take a quiz to see how much you procrastinate.

The first step to changing your behavior is to become more self-aware.

How often do you procrastinate? What kinds of tasks do you tend to put off? Is procrastination a small or big problem for you?

To answer these questions, I suggest that you take this online quiz designed by Psychology Today .

2. Figure out why you’re procrastinating.

Procrastination is a complex issue that involves multiple factors.

Stop thinking of excuses for not doing your homework , and figure out what’s keeping you from getting started.

Are you procrastinating because:

• You’re not sure you’ll be able to solve all the homework problems?
• You’re subconsciously rebelling against your teachers or parents?
• You’re not interested in the subject or topic?
• You’re physically or mentally tired?
• You’re waiting for the perfect time to start?
• You don’t know where to start?

Once you’ve identified exactly why you’re procrastinating, you can pick out the tips in this article that will get to the root of the problem.

3. Write down what you’re procrastinating on.

Students tend to procrastinate when they’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

But you might be surprised to discover that simply by writing down the specific tasks you’re putting off, the situation will feel more manageable.

It’s a quick solution, and it makes a real difference.

Give it a try and you’ll be less likely to procrastinate.

4. Put your homework on your desk.

Here’s an even simpler idea.

Many times, the hardest part of getting your homework done is getting started.

It doesn’t require a lot of willpower to take out your homework and put it on your desk.

But once it’s sitting there in front of you, you’ll be much closer to actually getting down to work.

5. Break down the task into smaller steps.

This one trick will make any task seem more manageable.

For example, if you have a history report to write, you could break it down into the following steps:

• Read the history textbook
• Do online research
• Organize the information
• Create an outline
• Write the introduction
• Write the body paragraphs
• Write the conclusion
• Edit and proofread the report

Focus on just one step at a time. This way, you won’t need to motivate yourself to write the whole report at one go.

This is an important technique to use if you want to study smart and get more done .

6. Create a detailed timeline with specific deadlines.

As a follow-up to Point #5, you can further combat procrastination by creating a timeline with specific deadlines.

Using the same example above, I’ve added deadlines to each of the steps:

• Jan 30 th : Read the history textbook
• Feb 2 nd : Do online research
• Feb 3 rd : Organize the information
• Feb 5 th : Create an outline
• Feb 8 th : Write the introduction
• Feb 12 th : Write the body paragraphs
• Feb 14 th : Write the conclusion
• Feb 16 th : Edit and proofread the report

Assigning specific dates creates a sense of urgency, which makes it more likely that you’ll keep to the deadlines.

7. Spend time with people who are focused and hardworking.

Jim Rohn famously said that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

If you hang out with people who are motivated and hardworking, you’ll become more like them.

Likewise, if you hang out with people who continually procrastinate, you’ll become more like them too.

Motivation to do homework naturally increases when you surround yourself with the right people.

So choose your friends wisely. Find homework buddies who will influence you positively to become a straight-A student who leads a balanced life.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun! It just means that you and your friends know when it’s time to get down to work and when it’s time to enjoy yourselves.

8. Tell at least two or three people about the tasks you plan to complete.

When you tell others about the tasks you intend to finish, you’ll be more likely to follow through with your plans.

This is called “accountability,” and it kicks in because you want to be seen as someone who keeps your word.

So if you know about this principle, why not use it to your advantage?

You could even ask a friend to be your accountability buddy. At the beginning of each day, you could text each other what you plan to work on that day.

Then at the end of the day, you could check in with each other to see if things went according to plan.

9. Change your environment .

Maybe it’s your environment that’s making you feel sluggish.

When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Or is your distracting computer within easy reach?

If your environment is part of your procrastination problem, then change it.

Sometimes all you need is a simple change of scenery. Bring your work to the dining room table and get it done there. Or head to a nearby café to complete your report.

10. Talk to people who have overcome their procrastination problem.

If you have friends who consistently win the battle with procrastination, learn from their experience.

What was the turning point for them? What tips and strategies do they use? What keeps them motivated?

Find all this out, and then apply the information to your own situation.

11. Decide on a reward to give yourself after you complete your task.

“Planned” rewards are a great way to motivate yourself to do your homework.

The reward doesn’t have to be something huge.

For instance, you might decide that after you finish 10 questions of your math homework, you get to watch your favorite TV show.

Or you might decide that after reading one chapter of your history textbook, you get to spend 10 minutes on Facebook.

By giving yourself a reward, you’ll feel more motivated to get through the task at hand.

12. Decide on a consequence you’ll impose on yourself if you don’t meet the deadline.

It’s important that you decide on what the consequence will be before you start working toward your goal.

As an example, you could tell your younger brother that you’ll give him $1 for every deadline you don’t meet (see Point #6).

Or you could decide that you’ll delete one game from your phone for every late homework submission.

Those consequences would probably be painful enough to help you get down to work, right?

13. Visualize success.

Take 30 seconds and imagine how you’ll feel when you finish your work.

What positive emotions will you experience?

Will you feel a sense of satisfaction from getting all your work done?

Will you relish the extra time on your hands when you get your homework done fast and ahead of time?

This simple exercise of visualizing success may be enough to inspire you to start doing your assignment.

14. Visualize the process it will take to achieve that success.

Even more important than visualizing the outcome is visualizing the process it will take to achieve that outcome.

Research shows that focusing on the process is critical to success. If you’re procrastinating on a task, take a few moments to think about what you’ll need to do to complete it.

Visualize the following:

• What resources you’ll need
• Who you can turn to for help
• How long the task will take
• Where you’ll work on the task
• The joy you’ll experience as you make progress

This kind of visualization is like practice for your mind.

Once you understand what’s necessary to achieve your goal, you’ll find that it’s much easier to get down to work with real focus. This is key to doing well in school .

15. Write down why you want to complete the task.

You’ll be more motivated when you’re clear about why you want to accomplish something.

To motivate yourself to do your homework, think about all the ways in which it’s a meaningful task.

So take a couple of minutes to write down the reasons. Here are some possible ones:

• Learn useful information
• Master the topic
• Enjoy a sense of accomplishment when you’ve completed the task
• Become a more focused student
• Learn to embrace challenges
• Fulfill your responsibility as a student
• Get a good grade on the assignment

16. Write down the negative feelings you’ll have if you don’t complete the task.

If you don’t complete the assignment, you might feel disappointed or discouraged. You might even feel as if you’ve let your parents or your teacher – or even yourself – down.

It isn’t wise to dwell on these negative emotions for too long. But by imagining how you’ll feel if you don’t finish the task, you’ll realize how important it is that you get to work.

17. Do the hardest task first.

Most students will choose to do the easiest task first, rather than the hardest one. But this approach isn’t effective because it leaves the worst for last.

It’s more difficult to find motivation to do homework in less enjoyable subjects.

As Brian Tracy says , “Eat that frog!” By this, he means that you should always get your most difficult task out of the way at the beginning of the day.

If math is your least favorite subject, force yourself to complete your math homework first.

After doing so, you’ll feel a surge of motivation from knowing it’s finished. And you won’t procrastinate on your other homework because it will seem easier in comparison.

(On a separate note, check out these tips on how to get better at math if you’re struggling.)

18. Set a timer when doing your homework.

I recommend that you use a stopwatch for every homework session. (If you prefer, you could also use this online stopwatch or the Tomato Timer .)

Start the timer at the beginning of the session, and work in 30- to 45-minute blocks.

Using a timer creates a sense of urgency, which will help you fight off your urge to procrastinate.

When you know you only have to work for a short session, it will be easier to find motivation to complete your homework.

Tell yourself that you need to work hard until the timer goes off, and then you can take a break. (And then be sure to take that break!)

19. Eliminate distractions.

Here are some suggestions on how you can do this:

• Delete all the games and social media apps on your phone
• Turn off all notifications on your phone
• Mute your group chats
• Archive your inactive chats
• Turn off your phone, or put it on airplane mode
• Put your phone at least 10 feet away from you
• Turn off the Internet access on your computer
• Use an app like Freedom to restrict your Internet usage
• Put any other distractions (like food, magazines and books unrelated to your homework) at the other end of the room
• Unplug the TV
• Use earplugs if your surroundings are noisy

20. At the start of each day, write down the two to three Most Important Tasks (MITs) you want to accomplish.

This will enable you to prioritize your tasks. As Josh Kaufman explains , a Most Important Task (MIT) is a critical task that will help you to get significant results down the road.

Not all tasks are equally important. That’s why it’s vital that you identify your MITs, so that you can complete those as early in the day as possible.

What do you most need to get done today? That’s an MIT.

Get to work on it, then feel the satisfaction that comes from knowing it’s out of the way.

21. Focus on progress instead of perfection.

Perfectionism can destroy your motivation to do homework and keep you from starting important assignments.

Some students procrastinate because they’re waiting for the perfect time to start.

Others do so because they want to get their homework done perfectly. But they know this isn’t really possible – so they put off even getting started.

What’s the solution?

To focus on progress instead of perfection.

There’s never a perfect time for anything. Nor will you ever be able to complete your homework perfectly. But you can do your best, and that’s enough.

So concentrate on learning and improving, and turn this into a habit that you implement whenever you study .

22. Get organized.

Procrastination is common among students who are disorganized.

When you can’t remember which assignment is due when or which tests you have coming up, you’ll naturally feel confused. You’ll experience school- and test-related stress .

This, in turn, will lead to procrastination.

That’s why it’s crucial that you get organized. Here are some tips for doing this:

• Don’t rely on your memory ; write everything down
• Keep a to-do list
• Use a student planner
• Use a calendar and take note of important dates like exams, project due dates, school holidays , birthdays, and family events
• At the end of each day, plan for the following day
• Use one binder or folder for each subject or course
• Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework
• Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need

23. Stop saying “I have to” and start saying “I choose to.”

When you say things like “I have to write my essay” or “I have to finish my science assignment,” you’ll probably feel annoyed. You might be tempted to complain about your teachers or your school .

What’s the alternative?

To use the phrase “I choose to.”

The truth is, you don’t “have” to do anything.

You can choose not to write your essay; you’ll just run the risk of failing the class.

You can choose not to do your science assignment; you’ll just need to deal with your angry teacher.

When you say “I choose to do my homework,” you’ll feel empowered. This means you’ll be more motivated to study and to do what you ought to.

24. Clear your desk once a week.

Clutter can be demotivating. It also causes stress , which is often at the root of procrastination.

Hard to believe? Give it a try and see for yourself.

By clearing your desk, you’ll reduce stress and make your workspace more organized.

So set a recurring appointment to organize your workspace once a week for just 10 minutes. You’ll receive huge benefits in the long run!

25. If a task takes two minutes or less to complete, do it now.

This is a principle from David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done .

You may notice that you tend to procrastinate when many tasks pile up. The way to prevent this from happening is to take care of the small but important tasks as soon as you have time.

Here are some examples of small two-minute tasks that you should do once you have a chance:

• Replying to your project group member’s email
• Picking up anything on the floor that doesn’t belong there
• Asking your parents to sign a consent form
• Filing a graded assignment
• Making a quick phone call
• Writing a checklist
• Sending a text to schedule a meeting
• Making an online purchase that doesn’t require further research

26. Finish one task before starting on the next.

You aren’t being productive when you switch between working on your literature essay, social studies report, and physics problem set – while also intermittently checking your phone.

Research shows that multitasking is less effective than doing one thing at a time. Multitasking may even damage your brain !

When it comes to overcoming procrastination, it’s better to stick with one task all the way through before starting on the next one.

You’ll get a sense of accomplishment when you finish the first assignment, which will give you a boost of inspiration as you move on to the next one.

27. Build your focus gradually.

You can’t win the battle against procrastination overnight; it takes time. This means that you need to build your focus progressively.

If you can only focus for 10 minutes at once, that’s fine. Start with three sessions of 10 minutes a day. After a week, increase it to three sessions of 15 minutes a day, and so on.

As the weeks go by, you’ll become far more focused than when you first started. And you’ll soon see how great that makes you feel.

28. Before you start work, write down three things you’re thankful for.

Gratitude improves your psychological health and increases your mental strength .

These factors are linked to motivation. The more you practice gratitude, the easier it will be to find motivation to do your homework. As such, it’s less likely that you’ll be a serial procrastinator.

Before you get down to work for the day, write down three things you’re thankful for. These could be simple things like good health, fine weather, or a loving family.

You could even do this in a “gratitude journal,” which you can then look back on whenever you need a shot of fresh appreciation for the good things in your life.

Either way, this short exercise will get you in the right mindset to be productive.

29. Get enough sleep.

For most people, this means getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. And teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night to function optimally.

What does sleep have to do with procrastination?

More than you might realize.

It’s almost impossible to feel motivated when you’re tired. And when you’re low on energy, your willpower is depleted too.

That’s why you give in to the temptation of Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube videos more easily when you’re sleep-deprived.

Here are ways to get more sleep , and sleep better too:

• Create a bedtime routine
• Go to sleep at around the same time every night
• Set a daily alarm as a reminder to go to bed
• Exercise regularly (but not within a few hours of bedtime)
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible
• Remove or switch off all electronic devices before bedtime
• Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime
• Use an eye mask and earplugs

30. Schedule appointments with yourself to complete your homework.

These appointments are specific blocks of time reserved for working on a report, assignment, or project. Scheduling appointments is effective because it makes the task more “official,” so you’re more likely to keep the appointment.

For example, you could schedule appointments such as:

• Jan 25 th , 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm: Math assignment
• Jan 27 th , 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Online research for social studies project
• Jan 28 th , 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm: Write introduction for English essay

Transform homework procrastination into homework motivation

Procrastination is a problem we all face.

But given that you’ve read all the way to here, I know you’re committed to overcoming this problem.

And now that you’re armed with these tips, you have all the tools you need to become more disciplined and focused .

By the way, please don’t feel as if you need to implement all the tips at once, because that would be too overwhelming.

Instead, I recommend that you focus on just a couple of tips a week, and make gradual progress. No rush!

Over time, you’ll realize that your habit of procrastination has been replaced by the habit of getting things done.

Now’s the time to get started on that process of transformation. 🙂

Like this article? Please share it with your friends.

Images: Student and books , Homework , Group of students , Consequences , Why , Writing a list , Organized desk , Gratitude

January 19, 2016 at 11:53 am

Ur tips are rlly helpful. Thnkyou ! 🙂

January 19, 2016 at 1:43 pm

You’re welcome 🙂

August 29, 2018 at 11:21 am

Thanks very much

February 19, 2019 at 1:38 pm

The funny thing is while I was reading the first few steps of this article I was procrastinating on my homework….

November 12, 2019 at 12:44 pm

same here! but now I actually want to get my stuff done… huh

December 4, 2022 at 11:35 pm

May 30, 2023 at 6:26 am

October 25, 2023 at 11:35 am

fr tho i totally was but now I’m actually going to get started haha

June 6, 2020 at 6:04 am

I love your articles

January 21, 2016 at 7:07 pm

Thanks soo much. It’s almost like you could read my mind- when I felt so overwhelmed with the workload heap I had created for myself by procrastination, I know feel very motivated to tackle it out completely and replace that bad habit with the wonderful tips mentioned here! 🙂

January 21, 2016 at 8:04 pm

I’m glad to help 🙂

January 25, 2016 at 3:09 pm

You have shared great tips here. I especially like the point “Write down why you want to complete the task” because it is helpful to make us more motivated when we are clear about our goals

January 25, 2016 at 4:51 pm

Glad that you found the tips useful, John!

January 29, 2016 at 1:22 am

Thank you very much for your wonderful tips!!! ☺☺☺

January 29, 2016 at 10:41 am

It’s my joy to help, Kabir 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Always love your articles. Keep them up 🙂

February 3, 2016 at 1:21 pm

Thanks, Matthew 🙂

February 4, 2016 at 1:40 pm

There are quite a lot of things that you need to do in order to come out with flying colors while studying in a university away from your homeland. Procrastinating on homework is one of the major mistakes committed by students and these tips will help you to avoid them all and make yourself more efficient during your student life.

February 4, 2016 at 1:58 pm

Completely agreed, Leong Siew.

October 5, 2018 at 12:52 am

Wow! thank you very much, I love it .

November 2, 2018 at 10:45 am

You are helping me a lot.. thank you very much….😊

November 6, 2018 at 5:19 pm

I’m procrastinating by reading this

November 29, 2018 at 10:21 am

January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am

March 3, 2019 at 9:12 am

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! Please keep up your excellent work!

April 12, 2019 at 11:12 am

We should stop procrastinating.

September 28, 2019 at 5:19 pm

Thank you so much for the tips:) i’ve been procrastinating since i started high schools and my grades were really bad “F” but the tips have made me a straight A student again.

January 23, 2020 at 7:43 pm

Thanks for the tips, Daniel! They’re really useful! 😁

April 10, 2020 at 2:15 pm

I have always stood first in my class. But procrastination has always been a very bad habit of mine which is why I lost marks for late submission .As an excuse for finding motivation for studying I would spend hours on the phone and I would eventually procrastinate. So I tried your tips and tricks today and they really worked.i am so glad and thankful for your help. 🇮🇳Love from India🇮🇳

April 15, 2020 at 11:16 am

Well I’m gonna give this a shot it looks and sounds very helpful thank you guys I really needed this

April 16, 2020 at 9:48 pm

Daniel, your amazing information and advice, has been very useful! keep up your excellent work! May you give more useful content to us.

May 6, 2020 at 5:03 pm

nice article thanks for your sharing.

May 20, 2020 at 4:49 am

Thank you so much this helped me so much but I was wondering about like what if you just like being lazy and stuff and don’t feel like doing anything and you don’t want to tell anyone because you might annoy them and you just don’t want to add your problems and put another burden on theirs

July 12, 2020 at 1:55 am

I’ve read many short procrastination tip articles and always thought they were stupid or overlooking the actual problem. ‘do this and this’ or that and that, and I sit there thinking I CAN’T. This article had some nice original tips that I actually followed and really did make me feel a bit better. Cheers, diving into what will probably be a 3 hour case study.

August 22, 2020 at 10:14 pm

Nicely explain each tips and those are practical thanks for sharing. Dr.Achyut More

November 11, 2020 at 12:34 pm

Thanks a lot! It was very helpful!

November 15, 2020 at 9:11 am

I keep catching myself procrastinating today. I started reading this yesterday, but then I realized I was procrastinating, so I stopped to finish it today. Thank you for all the great tips.

November 30, 2020 at 5:15 pm

Woow this is so great. Thanks so much Daniel

December 3, 2020 at 3:13 am

These tips were very helpful!

December 18, 2020 at 11:54 am

Procrastination is a major problem of mine, and this, this is very helpful. It is very motivational, now I think I can complete my work.

December 28, 2020 at 2:44 pm

Daniel Wong: When you’re doing your homework, is your super-comfortable bed just two steps away? Me: Nope, my super-comfortable bed is one step away. (But I seriously can’t study anywhere else. If I go to the dining table, my mum would be right in front of me talking loudly on the phone with colleagues and other rooms is an absolute no. My mum doesn’t allow me to go outside. Please give me some suggestions. )

September 19, 2022 at 12:14 pm

I would try and find some noise cancelling headphones to play some classical music or get some earbuds to ignore you mum lol

March 1, 2021 at 5:46 pm

Thank you very much. I highly appreciate it.

May 12, 2023 at 3:38 am

This is great advice. My little niece is now six years old and I like to use those nice cheap child friendly workbooks with her. This is done in order to help her to learn things completely on her own. I however prefer to test her on her own knowledge however. After a rather quick demonstration in the lesson I then tend to give her two simple questions to start off with. And it works a treat. Seriously. I love it. She loves it. The exam questions are for her to answer on her own on a notepad. If she can, she will receive a gold medal and a box of sweets. If not she only gets a plastic toy. We do this all the time to help her understand. Once a week we spend up to thirty minutes in a math lesson on this technique for recalling the basic facts. I have had a lot of great success with this new age technique. So I’m going to carry on with it for now.

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How to find motivation to do homework

How to find motivation to do homework ? Struggling to motivate yourself to finish homework? You’re not alone! This article has strategies to help you stay motivated and reach goals. Create a positive atmosphere and set realistic expectations . Learn how to motivate yourself and find happiness in studying.

Why is Homework Motivation Important?

Strong Homework Motivation is key for academic success. Parents and teachers must foster the right mindset and goal-setting skills . Create a supportive environment at home and engage students in class through group work and quizzes.

Homework should be viewed as an opportunity , not an obstacle. Incorporate positive reinforcement such as regular study sessions and breaks in between. With work ethic and repetition, success will come with time! Plus, you’ll be able to brag to your parents and teachers.

The benefits of being motivated to do homework

Kicking off the article, motivating oneself for doing homework brings loads of advantages. Productivity increases, thus saving time and creating extra leisure. Plus, understanding becomes easier due to the release of positive hormones.

Apart from good grades, essential life skills are acquired such as setting goals and perseverance. Awards and incentives for excellent performance become attractive too, building character and preparing for future endeavors.

It’s key to have a positive outlook towards schoolwork, rather than seeing it as dull or a chore. This will help to pursue education, rather than just doing it out of obligation.

Evidence shows that completing homework has advantages apart from just following assignments. This could be getting accepted to a university or even a promotion. So, it’s vital to never ignore coursework and work on each learning opportunity.

Not doing your homework is like forgetting your parachute on a skydiving trip.

The consequences of not being motivated to do homework

Procrastination can result in unfortunate consequences for students. Poor grades, missed assignments, and deadline delays cause disappointment and anxiety, leading to a downward spiral of bad academic performance. Not being motivated to do homework can also lead to inconsistent learning outcomes and have a negative effect on career goals. To combat this, setting achievable goals and breaking tasks into smaller steps is essential.

Seeking support, collaborating with peers, keeping a study journal, practicing time management skills, and creating an appropriate learning environment can help boost motivation. Studies have shown that poor academic performance is linked to increased stress levels, leading to anxiety and depression.

Educators should provide conducive learning environments, offer resources such as counseling services, and develop positive relationships with students. Promoting self-reflection and goal-setting activities during student-teacher interactions can effectively support students’ motivation to complete their homework tasks successfully.

Understanding the Challenges: Common Obstacles to Homework Motivation

Homework tasks can seem intimidating for students. Finding motivation is tough. Common roadblocks like distractions, disinterest, and low energy can make students unmotivated to finish their homework. This leads to procrastination, bad grades, and poor academic performance.

To keep motivated for homework, focus on time management, setting goals, and staying focused . Ban distractions for effective studying. Set specific goals for each task; this will help you stay motivated throughout the assignment. Ask teachers or peers for guidance if you struggle.

Emotional distress and cognitive constraints are other obstacles to motivation. Stressful life events can affect schoolwork. Counseling services can help ease the burden.

Pro Tip: Plan rewards after completing homework tasks. This creates a positive feedback loop for future assignments. Without goals, your motivation is lost.

Setting Clear Goals: The First Step to Finding Motivation

To boost motivation for homework, set SMART goals . These should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound . Write them down and keep track of progress. Acknowledge what it would feel like when completed and recognize the reasons behind doing the work.

Incentives are key to increasing overall motivation. Edward Deci and Richard Ryan of Rochester University found that extrinsic motivators such as praise don’t motivate intrinsically. So incentives are important for students to foster intrinsic motivation and achieve success.

Who needs a five-star hotel? Transform your study space into a motivational spa retreat!

Creating a Positive Study Environment: Enhancing Motivation through Space

To boost motivation in building a homework routine, create an ideal study space. It should be uplifting and inspiring. A good study area helps maintain focus, increase productivity, and reduce stress.

Motivational posters and fresh flowers make for an aesthetically pleasing space. Plus, a clean and organized workspace aids concentration and decreases distractions. Clutter causes uneasiness and hinders interest.

Personalize your workspace for comfortability and engagement. Dim lights or soft music can make studying easier.

Pro Tip: Add personal touches or rearrange furniture to shift from boring monotony to an encouraging atmosphere. Need some motivation? Look at your grades and let it spark your enthusiasm!

Finding Your Motivation Triggers: Discovering What Inspires You

Discovering what inspires you is essential to stay motivated and productive when doing homework. Unearth the factors inhibiting motivation. Find Your Inspiration Incentives: Uncover What Revs You Up!

Here are some tips to help you:

• Set clear objectives. Think about why a course was chosen, what interests or people drew attention? Create daily goal checklists for priority tasks.
• Identify intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. Understand learning style via self-assessment surveys. Tailor study approach, don’t use common methods subjectively chosen.
• A fellow student shared their experience of struggling with homework motivation. Various online strategies used without reflecting on suitability. Reflect on psychological needs, tailor rewarding activities. Going for runs to release endorphins, happier moods to work hard! Motivation for homework is like a unicorn, hard to find!

Tips for finding homework motivation

Struggling to find motivation for homework? Here are effective techniques:

• Create a routine . Set aside the same time each day and use it solely to focus on work.
• Break assignments into smaller tasks .
• Find an accountability partner . Share progress with someone who cares.
• Use positive reinforcement . Reward yourself after completing each task.
• Remind yourself of your goals and stay motivated .
• Parents, nagging won’t help . Promise ice cream after they finish!

The role of parents in homework motivation

Parents: to enhance your child’s enthusiasm for homework, motivate them! You have an influential role in boosting motivation. Encouragement, structure and interest in their academic progress can all help.

Set a routine for daily assignments and offer rewards or incentives when they finish on time or get good grades. Use positive reinforcement such as praise instead of criticism.

Each day, ask your child about schoolwork. This promotes diligence and shows education is important to the family.

Show them different ways homework is beneficial. Ask them to contribute ideas on topics they want to learn more about. Create a deeper passion for learning.

Establish healthy routines. Demonstrate enthusiasm for academic mastery, not strictness and punishment. Improve the chances of preventing missing out on future opportunities that higher education offers.

A Call-to-action technique like “fear of being left behind” demands immediate attention from parents to incentivize kids passionately towards successful completion of homework tasks. Teachers can’t always motivate us, but at least they can provide plenty of material for procrastination.

The role of teachers in homework motivation

Teachers have a big part to play in motivating students to do their homework. By offering clear explanations, feedback and a positive classroom environment, they can inspire kids to tackle their assignments with excitement.

Personal help like one-on-one consultations or mentorship can help those who are having trouble, building their confidence and making them view schoolwork more positively.

To make sure learning sticks and to avoid frustration, teachers should use different strategies that suit individual students. For instance, interactive methods such as group conversations or project-based tasks create interesting learning experiences which help with homework beyond just memorizing.

Frequent communication between teachers and parents is also key in holding people accountable and getting parents involved in inspiring their children.

It’s important to take into account that each student is different, and this means adjusting the curriculum to fit varying abilities, as well as social and emotional factors like mental health or external pressures.

Research has shown that parent support is a must for successful student achievements. The National Education Association (NEA) reported that when parents get involved, it can bring many advantages, from an improved school climate and attendance to a higher motivation towards homework.

The role of peers in homework motivation

Peer influence is hugely important for homework motivation. It changes students’ values, attitudes, and behaviors towards their work. Peers can be role models or distractions, depending on the impact.

By watching their friends’ study habits, involvement, and grades, students can become motivated to copy or even exceed these standards. Working together helps share knowledge and get feedback. So, both teachers and peers need to create an environment that encourages learning.

Peer pressure can be a blessing or a curse. Research shows it can cause anxiety and bad performance, if it is negative.

A great example of peer influence in action is high school football players. Poor performers were paired with successful ones. This led to improved grades, thanks to the model behavior and social support from their high-achieving peers.

Managing Distractions: Techniques for Staying Focused on Homework

Maintaining Concentance: Strategies to Keep Your Focus on Coursework.

Stay productive and successful in completing homework by managing distractions. Here are five tactics to help you stay on track:

• Make a work area without interruptions.
• Organize your study materials before starting.
• Set reasonable goals and take breaks when needed.
• Stay away from tech distractions like social media notifications.
• Do the hard stuff first when your mind is sharp.

Good habits and limiting disruptions boost motivation and reduce procrastination. Listen to instrumental music or white noise to stay focused. Self-care is important for concentration.

My friend had ADHD in high school. Medication and other treatments didn’t help. So she got an academic coach. The coach gave her techniques like mindfulness, accountability with peers, and time management. That helped her coursework.

Take a break sometimes. Have ice cream and Netflix. Reset!

Dealing with Homework Burnout: Strategies for Recharging Your Motivation

Feeling burnt out or unmotivated with homework? Combat this! Strategies can help recharge your inspiration. Implement a study schedule that suits your goals, and rest . Break down tough assignments into smaller tasks. This will build momentum and confidence. Incorporate positive affirmations & rewards systems . Utilize these strategies to stay motivated and successful in academics. Recharge your motivation – it’s possible!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is it important to find motivation to do homework?

A: Homework is a crucial part of the learning process as it helps reinforce the lessons taught in class and prepare students for exams.

Q: How can I motivate myself to do homework?

A: Setting goals, breaking tasks into smaller chunks, creating a schedule, and using positive self-talk are effective ways to motivate yourself to do homework.

Q: What if I still can’t find motivation to do homework?

A: Sometimes, it can be difficult to find motivation to do homework. In such cases, talking to a teacher, tutor, or counselor can help identify underlying issues and find solutions that work for you.

Q: How can I make homework more enjoyable?

A: Trying different study techniques, incorporating rewards, and studying with friends or classmates can make homework more enjoyable.

Q: What should I do if I am constantly distracted while doing homework?

A: It’s important to identify distractions and remove them as much as possible. This can include turning off electronic devices, finding a quiet study space, and taking periodic breaks.

Q: How can I avoid procrastinating when it comes to homework?

A: Procrastination can be avoided by setting deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller portions, avoiding multitasking, and prioritizing your work.

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14 fascinating teacher interview questions for principals, tips for success if you have a master’s degree and can’t find a job, 14 ways young teachers can get that professional look, which teacher supplies are worth the splurge, 8 business books every teacher should read, conditional admission: everything you need to know, college majors: everything you need to know, 7 things principals can do to make a teacher observation valuable, 3 easy teacher outfits to tackle parent-teacher conferences, 16 ways to motivate students to finish their homework.

Are you looking for ways to motivate students to finish their homework? If so, keep reading.

1. Establish a homework system for the learner (e.g., 2 days a week, work with drill flash cards; 3 days a week, work on bookwork sent home, etc.). This will add some assortment to the learner’s homework.

2. Make sure that the learner knows the relationship between unacceptable behavior and the consequences that follow (e.g., forgetting to finish homework will result in a low grade).

3. Repeat instructions to increase the learner’s likelihood of comprehension.

4. Make sure the learner has learned the ideas presented at school. Homework should be a form of practice for what has been learned at school.

5. Get the learner to create a specific time each evening to work on homework tasks .

6. Assess the degree of task difficulty to ascertain whether the learner will require additional information, time, assistance, etc., to finish a task at home.

7. Get the learner to ask a friend to call them at night or in the morning to remind them to bring tasks to school.

8. Provide instructions in an assortment of ways to enable the learner’s comprehension (e.g., if the learner fails to understand oral instructions , present them in written form).

9. Teach the learner time-management skills. Get the learner to make a daily plan and follow it. Urge the learner to avoid becoming distracted by activities, impulses, and moods.

10. Let the learner have additional time to turn in homework tasks .

11. Create a learning center at school where professional educators are available to help with homework tasks before school begins, the last hour of each school day, etc.

12. Get the learner and a peer who has the same task to do their homework together (e.g., right after school at one home or the other, during study hall, etc.).

13. Praise those students in the classroom who finish their homework tasks and return them to school.

14. Send homework tasks and learning materials home with someone other than the learner (e.g., brother, sister, neighbor, etc.).

15. Give the learner a selection of tasks , requiring them to select a minimum number from the total (e.g., present the learner with 10 academic tasks from which they must finish 6 that day).

16. Consider using an education app to help the student sharpen their organizational skills. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend .

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Ten Homework Motivation Strategies for Children and Teens

Use these 10 strategies to end the homework wars..

Posted September 6, 2015 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

When it comes to homework, parents get burnt out hearing these hollow and suspicious words: "I did it at school," "They didn't give homework today," "It hardly counts for my grade," "My teacher never looks at my homework anyway," "That assignment was optional." As parents, hearing these words is enough to drive you crazy.

As I write in my book, 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child , parents must not let their emotions get the best of them when their kids are not getting homework done. The strategies below are for helping your child or teen get unstuck:

• Nix the nagging! Pestering creates an adversarial, shaming dynamic that backfires. Instead, try my Calm, Firm, and Non-Controlling approach. Gently empower your child or teen by supportively saying, "I see that you are frustrated. Let's think of ways to help you get back on track with your homework/schoolwork."
• Encourage effort over perfection. Be mindful that kids tend to get intimidated when they have a hard time understanding material. They may get into negative self-talk like, "I can't do this." Even if they're truly thinking this way, parents may instead hear comments like, "I hate this." or "This is stupid." Remind your child or teen that doing his best effort is better than not doing it at all.
• Prioritize. Coach and encourage that the order that homework is done based on urgency, complexity, and workload. At the same time, realize that some students do better by starting with easier tasks and that this can help spark them to tackle more demanding assignments.
• Break it down. Reinforce breaking up homework time into manageable chunks and encourage taking regular breaks. Encourage moving around and walking away for a bit. Remind that an apple really does provide the same effect, and is healthier than an energy drink.
• Think "15 minutes of pain." Have the student set a timer for only 15 minutes. Keep it lighthearted and explain that even if it "hurts" doing the work, she can stop after 15 minutes. Like most things in life, once we push ourselves and get going, it's not so bad.
• Don't be consequence ravenous. Imposing consequences for homework not being done can backfire with defiant behavior. If you use consequences, don't present them with yelling. Keep them reasonable and ask the student to help you be able to move towards rewards (don't go overboard) and minimize consequences. Remember that real, natural consequences are the best motivators.
• Encourage connection. Encourage the student to make or re-establish a connection with his teacher. I have seen hundreds of kids "shoot themselves in the foot" with incomplete homework if they don't have a decent relationship with their teacher.
• Change up the homework/study surroundings. Try putting an inspirational poster by the desk, moving to a different room, or silencing the cell phone. New changes can create more changes.
• Use those study halls. Encourage the use of them as much as possible. Some kids lose sight of that more done at school, means less to do at home.
• Allow for some fun. Notice if your student is racing through the homework just to have fun. Fun time like, TV, phone time, or surfing the web, is welcome, but make sure you put limits on it.

Jeffrey Bernstein, Ph.D. , is a psychologist and the author of seven books, including 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best homework help websites (free and paid).

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

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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GRACIOUS QUOTES

61 inspiring & funny homework quotes (assignment), top 25 most famous quotes about homework (best).

“Education is a cause very close to me. What matters is encouraging my fans to focus on their education, because only an educated generation can ensure a better future. Even when I was on tour, I did my homework and studied.” Martin Garrix

“No kid should be getting three or four hours of homework a night. There’s no breathing time, there’s no family time, there are just extracurriculars and homework and then go to bed.” Ross W. Greene

“I feel sorry for kids these days. They get so much homework. Remember the days when we put a belt around our two books and carried them home? Now they’re dragging a suitcase. They have school all day, then homework from six until eleven. There’s no time left to be creative .” Tom Petty

“I’ve always been surrounded by many great people and professors, but my family , especially my mom who was a teacher, was the person who encouraged me to study and pushed me to continue. When we’re young, we don’t understand why our parents bug us so much with school and doing homework, but it’s a blessing to have that support at home.” Bad Bunny

“After your first job, is anyone asking you what your GPA was? No, they don’t care. They ask you: Are you a good leader? Do people follow you? Do you have integrity ? Are you innovative ? Do you solve problems? Somebody’s got to do that homework and redesign the educational system so that it can actually train people to be successful in life.” Neil deGrasse Tyson

“You have got to pay attention, you have got to study and you have to do your homework. You have to score higher than everybody else. Otherwise, there is always somebody there waiting to take your place.” Daisy Fuentes

“Growing up, I ate, slept and breathed hockey. I got home from school, I shot pucks, played outdoor hockey, road hockey, go home for dinner… Remember this is pre-Internet, barely any video games, I had a Commodore Vic-20. If you weren’t doing your homework, you were outside playing hockey, most likely.” Chris Pronger

10 Funny, Yet Inspiring, Quotes About Homework (ASSIGNMENT)

26 Wise Quotes About Homework that Will Make You Think (WISDOM)

“When I was growing up, my parents told me, ‘Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.’ I tell my daughters, ‘Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.'” Thomas Friedman

“Homework should be a swear word. Every time teachers say it, they should have to put money in a jar and then, when there’s enough, they need to buy all the kids ice cream.” Rachel Inbar

“When my son Nandan was in middle school, I had a fun way of doing his math homework. I bought another set of mathematics books and both of us would sit side by side and start solving problems.” Suhasini Maniratnam

“You guys got big uglies, fuumm-bull, and ‘Whoa, Nellie.’ What I got was, ‘Lindsey, why are the trash cans still out front?’ ‘This homework needs more work,’ and the inevitable was, ‘How fast were you really going?'” Keith Jackson

“By providing every student with a quality education , and the materials they need for class and to do their homework, we can help students from all backgrounds learn and thrive.” London Breed

(MUST READ) Homework for Grown-ups: Everything You Learnt at School… and Promptly Forgot

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62 Inspirational Quotes on Independence (FREEDOM)

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How To Keep Your Child Motivated When Studying: 11 Tips For Parents

As children get older, more responsibility is placed on them to doing their homework and stay on top of their assignments. While some students have the motivation to complete their homework on time, other students struggle to get started and need help with homework.

Although it’s important for parents to take an active role in ensuring their child completes homework, it’s also important to not force your child to do it—there’s a big difference between forcing and motivating.

Encouraging your child to find motivation in a positive way is important for building habits that last. Forcing your child to do work can make them resent homework time, making self-motivation much more difficult to achieve.

So what can you do when your child has no motivation to study? Check out these tips to help your child find the drive to get homework done.

How To Stay Motivated For Homework

1. find out what’s stopping your child from doing their homework.

Your child may be unmotivated to study for a number of reasons. Finding the root of the problem will help with homework and help you and your child develop a plan to overcome the barriers that are preventing him or her from doing their homework.

Some reasons for lack of motivation may be:

• Poor understanding of the material
• Work that isn’t challenging enough
• Work that isn’t suited to his or her learning style
• Anxiety about school
• Low self-confidence

2. Make Homework Time Easier

Make study time as easy as possible for your child by providing him or her with everything needed to get work done:

• Quiet space: Find a quiet, distraction-free space for your child to study.
• Food and drink: If your child is hungry, it can be hard to focus on work. Give your child a light snack before a study session and plenty of water to ensure he or she can remain focused.
• The right tools: Make sure pencils, an eraser, a calculator, and other important tools are easily accessible so time isn’t wasted trying to find them.

Making sure your child has everything he or she needs means less resistance and fewer excuses.

3. Create A Homework Help Plan Together

Children do well with structure—having a solid study plan in place will help keep your child on track. Sit down with your child and create a plan for doing their homework each night. Including your child in the process will help keep him or her engaged (and more willing to adhere to the plan!)

Your plan should include:

• When homework is to be done each day
• How much time should be spent on doing their homework
• How often to take breaks and for how long
• What tasks should be prioritized (i.e. assignments that are due the soonest)

4. Create A Reward System

Build a reward system with your child so he or she has something to look forward to once study time is complete—the key to staying motivated when studying. The rewards can be as simple as watching TV once homework is done or collecting ‘points’ after each study session to use for something special.

5. Limiting Stress Will Help with Homework

If your child is stressed, he or she might find it difficult to study, or even find the motivation to get started in the first place. Help your child relieve stress by spending time with him or her and encouraging conversations about thoughts and feelings.

Make sure your child has enough time each evening to de-stress. Discuss activities to do during study breaks or after doing their homework is complete that can help lower stress, such as:

• Going for a walk
• Listening to music

6. Focus On Learning Instead Of Performance

Instead of focusing primarily on grades, celebrate milestones related to learning—both big and small.

This might be when your child successfully solves a tricky math problem, or when he or she finishes writing the first draft of an essay. When switching the focus to learning, your child can find more enjoyment in accomplishing work, helping boost motivation.

7. Encourage Your Child To Set Small Goals

Encourage your child to set small, achievable study goals based on what needs to be accomplished. Setting goals gives your child clear directions for what needs to be done, and boosts confidence when he or she accomplishes these goals.

Some examples of studying goals include:

• Read one chapter of the assigned reading
• Review notes for twenty minutes
• Complete 5 practice questions from the textbook

8. Try Different Techniques

There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution for studying—every student has a slightly different way of learning. If your child is studying with a method that doesn’t match his or her learning style, he or she might get frustrated because grasping the material becomes much more difficult. Try different studying techniques to see what works best for your child.

9. Take Proper Study Breaks

Although it can be tempting to try to get your child to doing their homework done in one go, the brain can lose focus without breaks (especially for younger students). Dividing study time into manageable chunks is important for keeping your child’s mind fresh and engaged. Encourage your child to take proper study breaks during a study session. Keep these tips in mind for a productive study break:

• Use a timer to remind your child when it’s time to take a break
• Take breaks after about 30 minutes of work
• Keep breaks between 5-10 minutes long

10. Encourage Exercise

Pent-up energy leads to frustration and makes studying even more difficult. Regular exercise improves overall well-being and reduces stress, making it’s easier for doing their homework.

Make sure your child is getting plenty of physical activity each day before studying. Even a quick walk around the block during a study break is a great way to allow your child to get blood flowing to the brain and helps avoid frustration and burnout.

11. Provide Help With Homework For Your Child

Keep open communication with your child, and offer support when needed. This might include making arrangements to talk with your child’s teacher, getting your child some extra help , or just lending an ear when your child is feeling overwhelmed. Knowing that support is available will help your child develop the confidence to tackle any problems that might arise.

See how you can motivate your child to do their homework.

Help Your Child Get Help With Homework

Avoid the dreaded homework battle and use the tips above to help your child develop good study habits. While as a parent it’s important to make sure your child’s doing their homework, it’s important to not force your child to do it. Instead, focus on making study time a positive experience so your child can build self-motivation to get it completed on time.

If your child is struggling in a certain area or getting stuck on a certain subject, Oxford Learning is here to help! Contact us today to find out how we can help your child achieve success in school and beyond.

For more help with motivation and focus, check out these other resources: How To Study At Home (Without Getting Distracted) 5 Factors That Impact Your Child’s Focus (& How To Recognize Them)

How To Be A More Productive Student: 8 Tips & Things To Avoid

11 tips for helping your child manage a lot of homework, related homework resources.

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Unwrapping the 12 Days of Holiday Skills

Canadian Attitudes Toward Homework

Homework Help: Everything You Need to Know

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A Tarot Reading For Your Love Life During The Week Of April 8

One card might inspire a feral night out.

The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, there’s a solar eclipse happening — and yet all you can think about is your love life. If you’re feeling stressed or puzzled, then let tarot be your guide .

To find out what’s in store for the week ahead, Letao Wang , an astrologist and spiritual counselor, pulled three tarot cards to help you navigate a few romance-related questions.

Card 1: What do I need to know about dating or my relationship this week?

In tarot, the suit of pentacles — or coins — represents the earth element and your connection to the material world. When you see the 10 of Pentacles, the abundance of coins means you’re truly winning when it comes to fulfillment and stability.

“In the context of love, it suggests a phase of comfort and security in your relationship ,” says Wang. “If you’re in a committed partnership, this card indicates a deepening of bonds and shared joy in domestic life.” If you and your SO have been extra busy lately, this could be your week to settle in and enjoy what you’ve built together — literally and figuratively.

“As this card carries a strong home energy, there could also be projects, renovations, or family matters needing your attention, too,” says Wang. Has it been a minute since you FaceTimed your in-laws? Then this is a reminder to set aside time to call and say hi.

Meanwhile, if you’re single, “the 10 of Pentacles may hint at the arrival of a love that has the potential to last,” says Wang. If you know someone who wants all the same things in life , go ahead and give them a chance. It might be the real deal.

Cards 2: How can I attract more love this week?

If you’re single and looking for an excuse to have a feral spring , this might be it. “The Knight of Wands brings a message of boldness and adventure,” says Wang. “This card urges you to infuse your love life with excitement and spontaneity.”

With the fearless Knight of Wands on the table, the best thing you can do is get dressed up and go out ASAP. Text your friends, call everyone to your apartment, and get yourselves pumped up for a fun evening. Nothing’s more attractive than people who are having a genuinely good time, so feel free to dance, belt a karaoke tune, or strike up a spontaneous conversation.

“This card also has a strong theme of travel, so you are encouraged to make a trip [and meet new people that way],” says Wang. “This is a week to reignite the spark of passion and pursue your desires with determination and flair. Don’t be shy!”

Card 3: How does my date or significant other feel about me this week?

If it seems like your latest Hinge match has been stringing you along , there’s relief in sight. “The Six of Swords signifies a period of transition and moving towards a calmer state,” says Wang.

It’s a classic ghosting move when someone claims that they’ve been “too busy” to text, but it really might be true this time. “It is very possible that [your date has] been experiencing turbulence or uncertainty or some difficult situation in life,” says Wang.

If the relationship is meant to be, you’ll notice a complete change in their communication style in the days ahead, and it could lead to a meet-up. “They are finally moving towards a more peaceful and stable mindset, either with their own challenges or regarding your connection,” says Wang. “They may be contemplating the future and considering how to navigate towards smoother waters.”

The Six of Swords also signifies smooth sailing for those in a relationship. This week will be restful and quiet in the best way, so enjoy some much-needed R&R with your love.

Letao Wang , astrologist, tarot reader, spiritual counselor

Viola V. Madsen

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