Perfectly Productive: taking timed tests more efficiently

Pranavi Poojeri, Guest Contributor

Finishing homework is long and rather lengthy, especially in high school. While focus and the right environment help speed up the process, it’s hard to stay away from distractions. To help you finish assignments faster, here are some useful tips: 

  1. Make a list

In high school, students often receive multiple homework assignments. It can be difficult to keep track of all these assignments and deadlines, so making a list can help students stay organized. In addition, making a list can help make sense of how much time it’ll take to complete all your assignments. 

  1. Remove distractions

It can be easy to get distracted while doing homework. What starts as a short break turns into an hour of scrolling on social media, and leaves no time to get work done. When doing assignments, make sure to put away distractions (like your phone) either in another room or in your bag. 

  1. Time yourself

In essence, timing yourself makes you work faster. According to recent studies, the brain tends to block out distractions when a deadline nears to avoid unpleasant consequences. Try working on your homework for 10 minutes, and then slowly increase the time as you go. 

  1. Reward yourself

Even if you’ve finished just one assignment, rewarding yourself is important. It gives you a sense of accomplishment, which motivates you to continue doing homework. If you’ve finished earlier than you thought, try taking a short break to let yourself relax. 

Even if it’s just a few pages, try your best to finish homework the day you’re assigned some. It will save time for hobbies and you’ll be able to relax more. Luckily, it’s almost the end of the school year- so let’s finish off strong.