Effective Learning Strategy - No More Falling Behind on Homework

Regardless of where you are studying, be it high school, college, or university, you are probably familiar with the feeling of devastation when there are just too many assignments requiring your immediate attention. Besides, apart from schoolwork, a lot of students have a lot of extracurricular activities to participate in, which makes the timeframe dedicated to studying even smaller.

Fortunately, even a large college workload can be managed if you pick the right approach! Studybay is a professional homework help service, so we know everything about time management and efficient academic work. Especially for you, we have collected the most effective methods that are guaranteed to bring your studies to a higher level.

Why Do You Crash Deadlines?

Understanding the root of the problem is already a significant step towards its solution. Therefore, before checking out the strategies for productivity, it is crucial to tackle the possible reasons why you are failing to meet the deadlines.

The reasons behind these factors can be rather easy to fix on your own or hiding on a deeper level. For instance, some learning disabilities and mental health issues, such as ADHD, can have a significant contribution to the matter. Therefore, it is vital to regularly check up on your mental state and be in contact with health professionals if any symptoms are suspected.

However, the strategies you are about to get acquainted with contain valuable advice that will be of use to every student. All you have to do is pick the ones that will form the best solution to the particular issues you are experiencing. So, without further ado, take a look at our selection of the most effective strategies to cope with deadlines.

Efficient Planning

Planning is an extra-useful study skill that many students disregard. There is a variety of planner tools available nowadays, including:

If you don't feel like installing any additional software for planning, you can use the notes section in your smartphone or even a regular planner notebook - find what feels right for you!

A structured plan is a giant leap towards achieving the academic goals you've set for yourself. It's best to prepare a to-do list in the evening, so you know where to start the next day. Nothing prevents you from updating it during the day, for example, by adding new assignments or rearranging them by priority level. Do not forget to cross out completed tasks - it will give you a sense of accomplishment and raise your enthusiasm.

Breaking Down Big Tasks Into Smaller Ones

Essentially, it is highly advisable to implement this technique to make your planning process, described in the previous section, even more efficient.

Suppose you have a term paper due in two weeks. If you write down "term paper" on the submission date in your planner, you are likely to remember about it when checking your notes the night before the deadline. And that's exactly what we want to avoid!

The trick is to break down assignments that are voluminous into smaller milestones. For instance, your term paper task divided into mini-deadlines would look like this:

• Conducting research
• Selecting a topic
• Briefing the structure
• Writing the main body
• Creating a conclusion
• Adding an introduction and summary
• Inserting the table of contents
• Proofreading the text and making edits

With such tasks, it is a lot easier to calculate the amount of time needed to finalize the task and submit it before the due date.

Prioritization

All students have heard about time management and probably thought that it is easier said than done. However, knowing how to prioritize tasks will make it a piece of cake.

There is a law of forced efficiency described by Brian Tracy: there is never enough time for everything, but there is always enough time for the most important things. Therefore, it is critical to always assign a level of importance to every task. Here is a way to do it:

Important + Urgent

Imagine the worst can happen if you don't do something on time. For example, if today you don't get to revise several chapters of your history textbook for tomorrow's test, then the next day, you will have to go through them in a hassle, which will result in a poor grade. Such tasks receive the status of important and urgent and should be at the top of your to-do list.

Important + Non-Urgent

Next are the important but non-urgent matters, like a deadline coming up in a couple of days. If you don't work on them, they will eventually move into the category of urgent and may become difficult to manage. To prevent this from happening, don't leave such tasks for the last minute.

Non-Important + Urgent

These tasks usually take a long time - that's where procrastination comes in. Filling up a learning diary that is due this evening and may affect your grade slightly may seem completely pointless. What if the teacher decides not to check it? Or, perhaps, you have to get a couple of new pens that you will need the next day. If you find yourself too busy to take care of such minor tasks, try to simplify them or even delegate them to someone else, if possible. For example, you can ask your family member to drop by the store and get the stationery you need.

Non-Important + Non-Urgent

Obviously, this category of tasks is the one that can be placed at the end of the list. If you are extremely busy, it is worth setting these activities aside and coming back to them some other day. For example, watching TV shows or browsing through social media, although interesting, is not mandatory. Postpone these activities until the weekend. However, remember that rest is an integral part of productivity, and don't let yourself burn out!

Regaining Motivation

The school year 2020 went under the flag of the pandemic. At that time, a lot of students felt a lack of motivation to study. No wonder, as for the majority, it was the first experience of online learning and spending time behind closed doors for months.

However, even without the pandemic situation, it is common among high school, university, and college students to lack study motivation every now and then. Luckily, there are ways to cope with this state and bring the joy of learning back. Here are some useful tips:

• Find a quiet place to study. Noises and other distractions often lead to the inability to concentrate on the assignment, resulting in devastation.
• Organize your study place. Having a mess on your desk or being unable to find the textbook you need can be a disaster, making you waste time and panic about deadlines.
• Set clear goals. Even if you are not sure about your career choice yet, there has to be a reason why you want to study. Take some time to brainstorm and find what you're aiming for.
• Reach out for support. Perhaps, you are experiencing a challenging period in life. There is no need to blame everything on your study skills and struggle alone. Reach out to friends, family, homework help services, such as Studybay, study advisors, or healthcare professionals.
• Praise yourself even for small achievements. Baby steps take you a long way. Completed a milestone on time? Well done! Read a chapter without procrastinating? Great job! Small wins will be the ones that build up your new study habits, so don't underestimate them.

Find What Works Best for You!

There is no one-fits-all solution because we are all different. Therefore, it is crucial to be open to new ideas and try different approaches. If one method didn't serve you well, don't despair and go ahead try another one.

The process of learning not to fall behind on schoolwork takes time and determination, but you are surely going to succeed! Besides, you don't have to panic since you have Studybay as your reliable backup. Our experts have years of experience and are ready to take on any writing assignment you seem to have not enough time for - do not hesitate to reach out!