Managing your schoolwork

Everyone has a different approach to schoolwork and very few people are completely organised all the time. But you’ll make your life easier if you:

• Make the most of your time in class. You have to be there anyway; and the more work you do during school time, the less you’ll have to do in your own time.

• Make sure you know what homework you have to do and when you have to hand it in. Many schools have online homework systems which remind you, or you can set up your own system.

• Don’t let homework pile up. Ideally, do homework the day that it is set, so you don’t have a backlog. Backlogs can quickly become stressful.

• Don’t get into the habit of missing homework deadlines. This will soon make you feel out of control.

• Do your best, but don’t strive for the perfect essay or the perfect piece of art etc. There’s no such thing, and you’ll only put unnecessary pressure on yourself.

• Do the harder homework when you are feeling most alert. You can do easier things like copying or filing when you are more tired.

• For bigger pieces of homework, like essays or projects, which normally have longer deadlines, make your initial plan or notes as soon as you can; this helps to get your ideas started, and you may well find yourself thinking about it subconsciously when you are doing other things over the next few days.

• Use all the resources available at your school – computers, libraries, members of staff, homework clubs.

 

If you’re facing exams – especially big public exams like GCSEs, A-levels and highers – then you need to check out our revision page below; be organised, make sure you do what will help you most, and stay calm!

Have a look at these other agnes pages: