Let me start with a simple saying everyone is familiar with, ‘never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow as well’. Now, when you have already managed to ignore the powerful words for several days, you cannot avoid them on the last night before submitting your assignment. You end up obediently repeating the phrase in your mind and chugging coffee from your tortured mug.
It is easy to be a night owl when you need to surf the internet aimlessly, need to finish a game level or chat with friends. But all of a sudden, when you have to complete your homework, your bed and pillow seem to be a dangerous trap laid ahead. You cannot look away from the most comfortable bed, and you curl up with your pillow, resulting in a grade ‘F’.
Few students claim that they work best under pressure. So, the intentionally leave the assignment to be completed on the last night. But most students are too busy even to recall they were assigned with a task. When they get reminded, they start looking for ways to copy rather than trying themselves. But night owls are different. They try to complete it by themselves even if they have to stay all night awake. But there are some processes you can follow to complete your assignment.
Planning:
It is the most important step. Without proper planning, you will not be able to reach half way of your assignment.
Organise your homework list
If you have more than one task to complete, make a list of the subjects. I can advise you to start with the most hated or hard subject. In the beginning, you have unspoilt energy and a sound working mind. It helps you to deal with the tricky concepts of the subjects. With time you start getting tired and bored. Listing easy subjects, at last, does not require much effort you cannot afford. So organising your subjects is a hard task depending on:
- Regular revisions of the subject.
- Regular attendance to the respective class.
- Detailed class notes of the subject.
Time Management
Along with the listing the subjects, you should allot the time you are going to devote to the subjects. Try to stick to the time and try to complete it ahead of the time. If you save some time with each subject, the more minutes you get to shut your eyes before submitting the assignments.
When to start
It is better if you start early. Our brain works in a very complicated way. With passing day it loses its absorbing power and sharpness due to secretion of certain hormones. So rather than delaying the start, you should start before dinner or during the evening. Your brain may trick you and restrain you from initiating by confirming you the time calculations and how talented you are. But believe me, those are the traps you should avoid. You are not so smart or talented otherwise; you should have completed it when you had time.
Preparing
The next step is to prepare yourself, both your body and mind. It is going to be tremendously tiring, but it is also crucial. How to prepare yourself?
Choice of place
Bed, is the worst place to start thinking about. You should be upright and in a sitting position. A good surrounding or environment helps you to stay active for hours. Library, Study room, aloof coffee shops are the best choices. You have to find a place where you can concentrate easily and be far away from your loving pillow. For instance, I work better when I shut in my room and choose the floor as my platform.
No distractions
Televisions, mobiles, laptops, computers are your best friend. But they are good for nothing when it comes to your study unless you have proper utilisation for them. If you need the help of internet to explore, then you have to maintain a strong self-control not to browse off the topic.
Gather the supplies
Change into comfortable clothes. If you stay relaxed, your body and mind will be free from hurrying the process. The more try to hurry; you mess up more. I like to munch when I work. So I keep some foods around me, in your case it may be coffee.
Studying
This step starts when you have actually started with your assignment. It is easy to get frustrated with the homework if you do not understand what you are doing. So try to understand and study while you are answering the problems. This will help you complete your task faster and easily.
Class notes- Go through the class notes. They are an efficient source of the answer.
Books- Keep the books you need to refer near you.
Focus- You may find yourself distracted easily which is usual being under pressure. But rather than getting annoyed try to re-focus. Slowly you will be able to devote full concentration.
Try to keep yourself motivated throughout the time you work. Award yourself after completing the task and keep reminding your lazy brain about the free time you are going to enjoy after completing it. You will feel like you are invincible after completing your work. But next time does not postpone your tasks for the last day. Remember how you feel to cry your eyes out before starting with your homework!
To make it easier you may go through set distraction at bay with these methods when doing homework so that you can concentrate better on your assignments.