Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in.

what to do if you forget your homework at school

It's no secret that kids hate homework. And as students grapple with an ongoing pandemic that has had a wide range of mental health impacts, is it time schools start listening to their pleas about workloads?

Some teachers are turning to social media to take a stand against homework. 

Tiktok user @misguided.teacher says he doesn't assign it because the "whole premise of homework is flawed."

For starters, he says, he can't grade work on "even playing fields" when students' home environments can be vastly different.

"Even students who go home to a peaceful house, do they really want to spend their time on busy work? Because typically that's what a lot of homework is, it's busy work," he says in the video that has garnered 1.6 million likes. "You only get one year to be 7, you only got one year to be 10, you only get one year to be 16, 18."

Mental health experts agree heavy workloads have the potential do more harm than good for students, especially when taking into account the impacts of the pandemic. But they also say the answer may not be to eliminate homework altogether.

Emmy Kang, mental health counselor at Humantold , says studies have shown heavy workloads can be "detrimental" for students and cause a "big impact on their mental, physical and emotional health."

"More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies," she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.

Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist at Talkspace , says heavy workloads can also cause serious mental health problems in the long run, like anxiety and depression. 

And for all the distress homework  can cause, it's not as useful as many may think, says Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, a psychologist and CEO of Omega Recovery treatment center.

"The research shows that there's really limited benefit of homework for elementary age students, that really the school work should be contained in the classroom," he says.

For older students, Kang says, homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night. 

"Most students, especially at these high achieving schools, they're doing a minimum of three hours, and it's taking away time from their friends, from their families, their extracurricular activities. And these are all very important things for a person's mental and emotional health."

Catchings, who also taught third to 12th graders for 12 years, says she's seen the positive effects of a no-homework policy while working with students abroad.

"Not having homework was something that I always admired from the French students (and) the French schools, because that was helping the students to really have the time off and really disconnect from school," she says.

The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

"I don't think (we) should scrap homework; I think we should scrap meaningless, purposeless busy work-type homework. That's something that needs to be scrapped entirely," she says, encouraging teachers to be thoughtful and consider the amount of time it would take for students to complete assignments.

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial 

Mindfulness surrounding homework is especially important in the context of the past two years. Many students will be struggling with mental health issues that were brought on or worsened by the pandemic , making heavy workloads even harder to balance.

"COVID was just a disaster in terms of the lack of structure. Everything just deteriorated," Kardaras says, pointing to an increase in cognitive issues and decrease in attention spans among students. "School acts as an anchor for a lot of children, as a stabilizing force, and that disappeared."

But even if students transition back to the structure of in-person classes, Kardaras suspects students may still struggle after two school years of shifted schedules and disrupted sleeping habits.

"We've seen adults struggling to go back to in-person work environments from remote work environments. That effect is amplified with children because children have less resources to be able to cope with those transitions than adults do," he explains.

'Get organized' ahead of back-to-school

In order to make the transition back to in-person school easier, Kang encourages students to "get good sleep, exercise regularly (and) eat a healthy diet."

To help manage workloads, she suggests students "get organized."

"There's so much mental clutter up there when you're disorganized. ... Sitting down and planning out their study schedules can really help manage their time," she says.

Breaking up assignments can also make things easier to tackle.

"I know that heavy workloads can be stressful, but if you sit down and you break down that studying into smaller chunks, they're much more manageable."

If workloads are still too much, Kang encourages students to advocate for themselves.

"They should tell their teachers when a homework assignment just took too much time or if it was too difficult for them to do on their own," she says. "It's good to speak up and ask those questions. Respectfully, of course, because these are your teachers. But still, I think sometimes teachers themselves need this feedback from their students."

More: Some teachers let their students sleep in class. Here's what mental health experts say.

More: Some parents are slipping young kids in for the COVID-19 vaccine, but doctors discourage the move as 'risky'

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Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It

Our brains are wired to forget, but there are research-backed strategies you can use to make your teaching stick.

Illustration of a side view of a brain with bright blue neural pathways

Teachers have long known that rote memorization can lead to a superficial grasp of material that is quickly forgotten. But new research in the field of neuroscience is starting to shed light on the ways that brains are wired to forget—highlighting the importance of strategies to retain knowledge and make learning stick.

In a recent article published in the journal Neuron , neurobiologists Blake Richards and Paul Frankland challenge the predominant view of memory, which holds that forgetting is a process of loss—the gradual washing away of critical information despite our best efforts to retain it. According to Richards and Frankland, the goal of memory is not just to store information accurately but to “optimize decision-making” in chaotic, quickly changing environments. In this model of cognition, forgetting is an evolutionary strategy, a purposeful process that runs in the background of memory, evaluating and discarding information that doesn’t promote the survival of the species.

“From this perspective, forgetting is not necessarily a failure of memory,” explain Richards and Frankland in the study. “Rather, it may represent an investment in a more optimal mnemonic strategy.”

The Forgetting Curve

We often think of memories as books in a library, filed away and accessed when needed. But they’re actually more like spiderwebs , strands of recollection distributed across millions of connected neurons. When we learn something new—when a teacher delivers a fresh lesson to a student, for example—the material is encoded across these neural networks, converting the experience into a memory.

Forgetting is almost immediately the nemesis of memory, as psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered in the 1880s. Ebbinghaus pioneered landmark research in the field of retention and learning, observing what he called the forgetting curve , a measure of how much we forget over time. In his experiments, he discovered that without any reinforcement or connections to prior knowledge, information is quickly forgotten—roughly 56 percent in one hour, 66 percent after a day, and 75 percent after six days.

So what can be done to preserve the hard work of teaching? After all, evolutionary imperatives—which prune our memories of extraneous information—don’t always neatly align with the requirements of curriculum or the demands of the Information Age. Learning the times tables doesn’t avail when running from lions, in other words, but in the modern world that knowledge has more than proved its mettle.

The Persistence of Memory

The same neural circuitry appears to be involved in forgetting and remembering. If that is properly understood, students and teachers can adopt strategies to reduce memory leaks and reinforce learning.

MIT neuroscientists, led by Richard Cho, explain the mechanisms for synaptic strengthening in a 2015 article , also published in Neuron . When neurons are frequently fired, synaptic connections are strengthened; the opposite is true for neurons that are rarely fired. Known as synaptic plasticity , this explains why some memories persist while others fade away. Repeatedly accessing a stored but fading memory—like a rule of geometry or a crucial historical fact—rekindles the neural network that contains the memory and encodes it more deeply.

Researchers have also learned that not all new memories are created equal. For example, here are two sets of letters to remember:

For readers of English, the second set of letters is more memorable—the more connections neurons have to other neurons, the stronger the memory. The seven letters in NPFXOSK appear random and disjointed, while ORANGES benefits from its existing, deeply encoded linguistic context. The word oranges also invokes sensory memory, from the image of an orange to its smell, and perhaps even conjures other memories of oranges in your kitchen or growing on a tree. You remember by layering new memories on the crumbling foundations of older ones.

5 Teacher Strategies

When students learn a new piece of information, they make new synaptic connections. Two scientifically based ways to help them retain learning is by making as many connections as possible—typically to other concepts, thus widening the “spiderweb” of neural connections—but also by accessing the memory repeatedly over time.

Which explains why the following learning strategies, all tied to research conducted within the past five years, are so effective:

  • Peer-to-peer explanations: When students explain what they’ve learned to peers, fading memories are reactivated, strengthened, and consolidated. This strategy not only increases retention but also encourages active learning (Sekeres et al., 2016 ).
  • The spacing effect: Instead of covering a topic and then moving on, revisit key ideas throughout the school year. Research shows that students perform better academically when given multiple opportunities to review learned material. For example, teachers can quickly incorporate a brief review of what was covered several weeks earlier into ongoing lessons, or use homework to re-expose students to previous concepts (Carpenter et al., 2012 ; Kang, 2016 ).
  • Frequent practice tests: Akin to regularly reviewing material, giving frequent practice tests can boost long-term retention and, as a bonus, help protect against stress , which often impairs memory performance. Practice tests can be low stakes and ungraded, such as a quick pop quiz at the start of a lesson or a trivia quiz on Kahoot , a popular online game-based learning platform. Breaking down one large high-stakes test into smaller tests over several months is an effective approach (Adesope, Trevisan, & Sundararajan, 2017 ; Butler, 2010 ; Karpicke, 2016 ).
  • Interleave concepts: Instead of grouping similar problems together, mix them up. Solving problems involves identifying the correct strategy to use and then executing the strategy. When similar problems are grouped together, students don’t have to think about what strategies to use—they automatically apply the same solution over and over. Interleaving forces students to think on their feet, and encodes learning more deeply (Rohrer, 2012 ; Rohrer, Dedrick, & Stershic, 2015 ).
  • Combine text with images: It’s often easier to remember information that’s been presented in different ways, especially if visual aids can help organize information. For example, pairing a list of countries occupied by German forces during World War II with a map of German military expansion can reinforce that lesson. It’s easier to remember what’s been read and seen, instead of either one alone (Carney & Levin, 2002 ; Bui & McDaniel, 2015 ).

So even though forgetting starts as soon as learning happens—as Ebbinghaus’s experiments demonstrate—research shows that there are simple and effective strategies to help make learning stick.

Tips for Remembering Homework Assignments

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I left my homework at home! How many times have you said this? It’s a terrible feeling to know you’re going to get a failing grade on homework after you actually did the work. It seems so unfair!

There are ways to prevent this dilemma and others, but you must be willing to prepare ahead of time to save yourself from future headaches. The most important thing you can do to avoid a dilemma like this is to establish a strong routine.

Once you form a strong, consistent homework pattern , you will avoid many of the big problems, like leaving a perfectly good assignment at home.

Establish a Homework Base

Does your homework have a home? Is there a special place where you always put your paperwork each night? To avoid forgetting your homework, you must establish a strong homework routine with a special homework station where you work each night.

Then you must get in the habit of putting your homework where it belongs right after you finish it, whether this is in a special folder on your desk or in your backpack.

One idea is to put the completed assignment in your backpack and leave the backpack right beside the door.

Buy a Homework Bell

This is one of those ideas that sounds silly, but it really works!

Go to a business supply store and find a counter bell, like those you see on store counters. Place this bell in the homework station and work it into your homework routine. Each night once all the homework is completed and in its proper place (like your backpack), give the bell a ring.

The ringing of the bell will let everyone know that you (and your siblings) are ready for the next school day. The bell will become a familiar sound and one that your family will recognize as an official end to homework time.

Use Your Email

Email is a great invention for writers. Each and every time you write an essay or other assignments on the computer , you should get in the habit of sending yourself a copy via email. This can be a real lifesaver!

Simply open your email as soon as you finish your document, then send yourself a copy by attachment. You’ll be able to access this assignment from anywhere. If you forget it, no problem. Just go to the library, open, and print.

Home Fax Machine

The fax machine can be another lifesaver. These contraptions have become very affordable lately, and they can come in quite handy for parents as well as students in a time of crisis. If ever you forget an assignment, you might be able to call home and have a parent or sibling fax your assignment to the school office.

It may be a good time to talk with your parents about investing in a home fax machine if you don’t have one already. It’s worth a try!

Put a Checklist by the Door

Try putting a checklist somewhere conspicuous where you and/or your parents will see it each morning. Include homework, lunch money, personal items, anything you need each day. Remember, it’s the routine that makes this work.

Be creative! You can put a checklist by the front door, or perhaps you prefer someplace more interesting. Why not place a sticky note on the back of your cereal box each time you open a new one?

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Candida Fink M.D.

Homework Struggles May Not Be a Behavior Problem

Exploring some options to understand and help..

Posted August 2, 2022 | Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

  • Mental health challenges and neurodevelopmental differences directly affect children's ability to do homework.
  • Understanding what difficulties are getting in the way—beyond the usual explanation of a behavior problem—is key.
  • Sleep and mental health needs can take priority over homework completion.

Chelsea was in 10th grade the first time I told her directly to stop doing her homework and get some sleep. I had been working with her since she was in middle school, treating her anxiety disorder. She deeply feared disappointing anyone—especially her teachers—and spent hours trying to finish homework perfectly. The more tired and anxious she got, the harder it got for her to finish the assignments.

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One night Chelsea called me in despair, feeling hopeless. She was exhausted and couldn’t think straight. She felt like a failure and that she was a burden to everyone because she couldn’t finish her homework.

She was shocked when I told her that my prescription for her was to go to sleep now—not to figure out how to finish her work. I told her to leave her homework incomplete and go to sleep. We briefly discussed how we would figure it out the next day, with her mom and her teachers. At that moment, it clicked for her that it was futile to keep working—because nothing was getting done.

This was an inflection point for her awareness of when she was emotionally over-cooked and when she needed to stop and take a break or get some sleep. We repeated versions of this phone call several times over the course of her high school and college years, but she got much better at being able to do this for herself most of the time.

When Mental Health Symptoms Interfere with Homework

Kids with mental health or neurodevelopmental challenges often struggle mightily with homework. Challenges can come up in every step of the homework process, including, but not limited to:

  • Remembering and tracking assignments and materials
  • Getting the mental energy/organization to start homework
  • Filtering distractions enough to persist with assignments
  • Understanding unspoken or implied parts of the homework
  • Remembering to bring finished homework to class
  • Being in class long enough to know the material
  • Tolerating the fear of not knowing or failing
  • Not giving up the assignment because of a panic attack
  • Tolerating frustration—such as not understanding—without emotional dysregulation
  • Being able to ask for help—from a peer or a teacher and not being afraid to reach out

This list is hardly comprehensive. ADHD , autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety , generalized anxiety, panic disorder, depression , dysregulation, and a range of other neurodevelopmental and mental health challenges cause numerous learning differences and symptoms that can specifically and frequently interfere with getting homework done.

Saharak Wuttitham/Shutterstock

The Usual Diagnosis for Homework Problems is "Not Trying Hard Enough"

Unfortunately, when kids frequently struggle to meet homework demands, teachers and parents typically default to one explanation of the problem: The child is making a choice not to do their homework. That is the default “diagnosis” in classrooms and living rooms. And once this framework is drawn, the student is often seen as not trying hard enough, disrespectful, manipulative, or just plain lazy.

The fundamental disconnect here is that the diagnosis of homework struggles as a behavioral choice is, in fact, only one explanation, while there are so many other diagnoses and differences that impair children's ability to consistently do their homework. If we are trying to create solutions based on only one understanding of the problem, the solutions will not work. More devastatingly, the wrong solutions can worsen the child’s mental health and their long-term engagement with school and learning.

To be clear, we aren’t talking about children who sometimes struggle with or skip homework—kids who can change and adapt their behaviors and patterns in response to the outcomes of that struggle. For this discussion, we are talking about children with mental health and/or neurodevelopmental symptoms and challenges that create chronic difficulties with meeting homework demands.

How Can You Help a Child Who Struggles with Homework?

How can you help your child who is struggling to meet homework demands because of their ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD , school avoidance, or any other neurodevelopmental or mental health differences? Let’s break this down into two broad areas—things you can do at home, and things you can do in communication with the school.

what to do if you forget your homework at school

Helping at Home

The following suggestions for managing school demands at home can feel counterintuitive to parents—because we usually focus on helping our kids to complete their tasks. But mental health needs jump the line ahead of task completion. And starting at home will be key to developing an idea of what needs to change at school.

  • Set an end time in the evening after which no more homework will be attempted. Kids need time to decompress and they need sleep—and pushing homework too close to or past bedtime doesn’t serve their educational needs. Even if your child hasn’t been able to approach the homework at all, even if they have avoided and argued the whole evening, it is still important for everyone to have a predictable time to shut down the whole process.
  • If there are arguments almost every night about homework, if your child isn’t starting homework or finishing it, reframe it from failure into information. It’s data to put into problem-solving. We need to consider other possible explanations besides “behavioral choice” when trying to understand the problem and create effective solutions. What problems are getting in the way of our child’s meeting homework demands that their peers are meeting most of the time?
  • Try not to argue about homework. If you can check your own anxiety and frustration, it can be more productive to ally with your child and be curious with them. Kids usually can’t tell you a clear “why” but maybe they can tell you how they are feeling and what they are thinking. And if your child can’t talk about it or just keeps saying “I don't know,” try not to push. Come back another time. Rushing, forcing, yelling, and threatening will predictably not help kids do homework.

Lapina/Shutterstock

Helping at School

The second area to explore when your neurodiverse child struggles frequently with homework is building communication and connections with school and teachers. Some places to focus on include the following.

  • Label your child’s diagnoses and break down specific symptoms for the teachers and school team. Nonjudgmental, but specific language is essential for teachers to understand your child’s struggles. Breaking their challenges down into the problems specific to homework can help with building solutions. As your child gets older, help them identify their difficulties and communicate them to teachers.
  • Let teachers and the school team know that your child’s mental health needs—including sleep—take priority over finishing homework. If your child is always struggling to complete homework and get enough sleep, or if completing homework is leading to emotional meltdowns every night, adjusting their homework demands will be more successful than continuing to push them into sleep deprivation or meltdowns.
  • Request a child study team evaluation to determine if your child qualifies for services under special education law such as an IEP, or accommodations through section 504—and be sure that homework adjustments are included in any plan. Or if such a plan is already in place, be clear that modification of homework expectations needs to be part of it.

The Long-Term Story

I still work with Chelsea and she recently mentioned how those conversations so many years ago are still part of how she approaches work tasks or other demands that are spiking her anxiety when she finds herself in a vortex of distress. She stops what she is doing and prioritizes reducing her anxiety—whether it’s a break during her day or an ending to the task for the evening. She sees that this is crucial to managing her anxiety in her life and still succeeding at what she is doing.

Task completion at all costs is not a solution for kids with emotional needs. Her story (and the story of many of my patients) make this crystal clear.

Candida Fink M.D.

Candida Fink, M.D. , is board certified in child/adolescent and general psychiatry. She practices in New York and has co-authored two books— The Ups and Downs of Raising a Bipolar Child and Bipolar Disorder for Dummies.

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ARTICLES ABOUT

Why you forgot everything you learned in school (and how to change that).

woman sitting in bed taking notes memory training

Listen, we all feel like we could use a bit of memory training. Let’s start with a small thought experiment. Take a minute to think back to your science classes in high school and see how much you can recall.

Can you explain the elements that make up an atom, or the basic principles of plant biology? How about physics, or simple chemistry? Do facts and procedures come rushing back, or do you remember your teacher’s face, or the way the room smelled after an experiment?

Everyone will have different memories, and they may have very little to do with what you were taught in class. You might not remember anything at all. It’s extraordinary how quickly we manage to forget what we crammed during all those long hours of study. Algebra. Long division. Verbs, adverbs and relative clauses. The causes of World War I. Where did it all go, we muse, years later?

It is extraordinary that so many of the world’s education systems, which are usually based on testing how well a student can recall and apply information, are designed without any real thought of how our memories work. Memory is perhaps the most fundamental factor in how human beings learn. Memory training should inform all aspects of education; instead, it’s an afterthought.

Advances in cognitive science have huge implications for how we learn and remember things. It’s time for policymakers, educators, and anyone who wants to learn something — in other words, all of us — to start listening.

It’s Gotta Be In There Somewhere

Imagine a large, dusty storeroom that contains all the things you’ve ever learned. This is what Robert Bjork, psychology professor at Stanford, calls storage space. Your phone number, the Spanish word for “cat,” the route to get back home from the pub after you’ve had one too many — all these memories are kept inside the storeroom.

So when you try in vain to recall something, the problem is not that you don’t know it. It’s a question of the retrieval strength of the memory: whether you can access it or not. You can remember your current address because it has both high retrieval strength and storage strength, but might struggle to remember your old address because although you knew it well once ( high storage strength ), you haven’t activated that memory in years ( low retrieval strength ).

So if you really want to remember something, you need to have it well-situated in your storeroom, as well as know where to find it when you need it. A lot of research in the Bjork Learning and Forgetting Lab centers around “desirable difficulties,” the gist of which is that if something is initially difficult, you will actually learn it more deeply  and be able to recall it later on. Desirable difficulties include spacing, where you study in chunks rather than all in one go, testing rather than re-studying the same material, and varying the conditions of practice instead of keeping them constant.

Will This Be On The Test?

Picture the scene, the night before a big exam: coffee, notes, a faint air of panic, cramming, cramming and more cramming .

This is a perfect example of how not to learn something. One of cognitive psychology’s most robust findings, demonstrated consistently in a variety of contexts, is the importance of spaced repetition in memory training. If you want to learn something, do it in chunks over a period of time. Each time you access that memory again, you are increasing its storage strength.

But don’t just read over your notes — test yourself with a short quiz or try to explain what you’re learning to a friend. Frequent low-stakes testing can be really helpful as both a diagnostic tool (to check if you’ve really understood something) as well as an aid to memory improvement.

The spacing intervals are important. Increasing the intervals between learning sessions, and thereby reducing the accessibility of information, actually fosters deeper learning. When you struggle to remember something that you learned a few days ago, you’re forced to work hard and engage with the material more. So you might study something on Monday, do some follow up on Tuesday, take a quiz on Thursday and then another quiz the following week. The gaps between study should initially be small and gradually increase. You want the memories to be difficult to access, but not impossible (there’s no benefit to studying things a year apart).

But what if time is of the essence? Bjork’s findings suggest that interleaving can actually mimic the benefits of spacing. This is where you chop and change what you’re learning. By interspersing different elements, you are effectively “reloading” each time, forcing yourself to learn new strategies to retrieve information. A random order is best.

Get In The Cue

Neuroscientist Daniel Willingham calls memories “ residues of thought .” But simply thinking about something is not necessarily enough to create a memory. Why do we remember the things we do? You might remember a beautiful, quaint old ice cream parlor you visited last summer, but not the flavor of ice cream you had. Why would you remember one aspect but not the other?

Much of what we remember is not a result of conscious effort. We remember the aspect of an experience that we think about the most. So if you see a barking dog while going for a stroll, you might think about the sound of the bark, or how the dog looks, or you might wonder if it’s annoying for the neighbors. How you think about the experience will shape that particular memory.

Everyone has had the experience of visiting a place they knew as a child and having memories flood back. Cues are what help us retrieve memories. The creation of specific and detailed cues is the key to remembering things, and Willingham argues that missing or ambiguous cues are a major reason why we can’t recall something. He cites an example of saying to a friend, “Here’s that $20 I owe you,” and the friend saying “You don’t owe me $20.” A better cue would offer more information, like: “Remember, we were at Macy’s and I wanted to buy that shirt, but their computer wouldn’t take my card so I had to borrow cash?”

Let’s try another little experiment:

Look at the following list, and then look away and write down the items. Have a friend read the list to you, if possible.

  • apple, blueberry, grape, orange, raspberry, watermelon, fig

Did you get most of them? Probably. Your mind instinctively says “This is a list of fruits that I just heard.” Now do the same for this list:

  • apricot, banana, peach, pear, grapefruit, blackberry, plum

If you didn’t get as many, there’s a reason for that. The cue, “a list of fruits that I just heard,” becomes crowded with correct words (from this list) and incorrect words (from the previous list). If you do a third list of fruits, chances are you will remember even fewer of them. But this one should be easier:

  • doctor, soldier, firefighter, teacher, chef, secretary

With this list, your mind is able to form a new cue, different and unambiguous.

Think Of A Particular Duck

Willingham identifies several memory training techniques to create effective cues:

Have you ever studied music ? If so, how do you remember the lines of the treble clef? My piano teacher taught me that Every Good Boy Deserves Fruit (E-G-B-D-F). When I get east and west mixed up, I remind myself to Never Eat Soggy Weetbix . This method is known as acrostics. Similarly, we can use acronyms, such as HOMES to indicate the great lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).

Language learners tackling foreign vocabulary might want to use keywords. If we look at the Spanish word for mushrooms, champiñones , we can see it is very similar to the English word champions . To make a memory cue, try visualizing a champion boxer, arms held aloft in the ring, with mushrooms on his hands instead of boxing gloves.

Music and rhymes are extremely powerful. No doubt you can recall childhood nursery rhymes and chants, and probably a few advertising jingles as well. Songs and chants are predominantly used with young children but are also very effective for adult learners.

Mnemonic associations are best for more abstract things. What if you can never remember if a school administrator is a principal or principle ? Just remember that she’s your pal. If you’re learning devnagri (Hindi) script, you might think that the symbol for ja , ज, has a hook, which would be a good place to hang a jacket.

It’s best if these memory training cues are personalized, bizarre, memorable, and specific. Willingham argues that if you want to create a visual image of a duck, “you must think of a particular duck. You must specify its size, proportions, coloring, posture, etc. All of these details make the duck more distinctive, and thus less likely to be confused with other ducks, and therefore a better cue to the target memory.”

Finally, here are a couple of less well-known suggestions if you have to remember a list. One is using pegwords . First, you make up some simple rhyming pegwords like “one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree.” Then if you’re trying to memorize “onion, duck, artist,” you could picture a sad man holding a bun with only onions in it, a duck trying to climb a ladder while wearing oversized shoes, and finally an artist falling out of a tree.

Perhaps the oldest mnemonic device is the method of loci or “ memory palace ” technique espoused by the Greeks and Romans. This involves creating a kind of mental geography — say a walk from your front door out to the street — and using strong imagery to link certain words to key points along your “mental walk.” Again, bizarre and distinctive imagery works best.

Memory Training Is Forever

Before you rush off to study at spaced intervals, creating clever mnemonic cues to help you with your Italian verbs , one final word of warning:

We constantly overestimate how well we know something. Feeling like you know something is not a very accurate guide — both children and adults consistently “think their learning is more complete than it really is,” according to Willingham.

His rule of thumb is to study until you know the material, and then keep studying, for about another 20 percent of the time you’ve already spent. In other words, because we overestimate our knowledge, we should overlearn by about 20 percent.

The latest in curriculum design from the UK, “mastery curriculum,” is heading in this direction. Its principles include spending more time on fewer subjects, interleaving topics so that learners encounter them early on and then are exposed to them repeatedly over time, and using frequent low-stakes testing, spaced out over varying intervals, to stimulate deeper learning and recall. Babbel and other educational apps also incorporate spaced repetition practices and short quizzes to aid memory retention.

In a world where the importance of human memory seems to be ever diminishing, our understanding of the crucial role of memory training in learning is moving in quite the opposite direction.

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what to do if you forget your homework at school

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What to Do When Your Child Forgets Their Homework at School

what to do if you forget your homework at school

So, I was recently at a parent’s forum where the topic of personal responsibility (of the child in this case) was being discussed. Then the facilitator asked this question:

“Parents, when your child forgets their homework textbook at school, what do you do?”

We gave varied responses to the question, including:

  • We post in the class parents’ WhatsApp group: Hi guys, someone please send a photo of Visionary Mathematics Grade 2 page 64. My boy forgot his textbook in school. Cheers guys!
  • We also post this in mom Facebook groups: “Saseni mums, mtu pliz anitumie homework picha ya Primary English Grade 3 page 25, number 1-10.”
  • You phone your neighbor with a child in the same class and ask if you can borrow her child’s textbook for a few minutes
  • You accompany your child to the neighbor’s house and take a screenshot of the page where the homework is
  • You tell your child that you’ll drop him at school 30 minutes before school starts to enable him to complete the assignment
  • You write a note in the child’s school diary by honestly saying your child forgot his textbook at school, but he’ll complete it in the evening. Then you end with an apology
  • You write a note in the child’s diary offering a good explanation as to why the child was unable to complete his homework. You thank the teacher for their understanding
  • You let the child go to school with the incomplete homework. Atajisort mbele

what to do if you forget your homework at school

The facilitator asked us if, while we were pupils ourselves, we had ever forgotten our homework in school, or failed to complete it for one reason or another.

We all raised our hands.

He then asked how many of us had our parents come up with solutions to that problem. Solutions such as those that we had mentioned.

A negligible number raised their hands.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

The facilitator took issue with many parents of today who have the tendency to quickly come up with solutions to their children’s problems. The children are never even given the opportunity to think through the problem and try and solve it on their own, but are instead easily guided through solutions that have already been thought out for them.

“What would happen if you sent your child to school to let them face the consequences of forgetting their homework at school?

Will they be punished? Probably.

Will they be pardoned? Probably.

Will the child take it as an opportunity to learn about personal responsibility? Probably.

So just let the child go to school without the completed homework and stop falling over yourselves trying to ‘save’ them,” the facilitator told us.

That was food for thought for many parents. So how about you? What do you do when your child forgets his textbook at school? Do you agree with the facilitator? Do you think today’s parents are ‘babying’ their children too much? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Also Read: The Day My Daughter’s Teacher told me to ‘Watch out For Relatives, Especially Male Ones” 

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Just today, the same thing happened with Renee. I told her she will sort herself out tomorrow… used the same words “responsibility’… and i feel no guilt at all knowing she will probably get punished.

I’m in Management. There’s a time I was supervising a 24-year-old who had just graduated from campus. Many times he would come to work late, many times with flimsy excuses. One Monday morning, his dad came to the office to see me. He explained that his son would not be able to come to work that day because he was sick. I had seen the young man post on his social media his escapades out of town with his buddies all weekend, and I could see he was still out of town. I looked at the father and felt very sorry for him. He himself was going to work late because he had taken the detour to come explain his son’s absence from work. I felt embarrassed for him and I pitied him, because I knew he will forever keep giving excuses for his son. He must have began this way -giving excuses to teachers for his son not completing his homework. He was 24 years too late.

In our days home work was a personal responsibility parents didn’t even know the homework we were given. It was only an issue if you repeatedly did not do the homework or have an incomplete.

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what to do if you forget your homework at school

What to do when your child forgets his homework at home

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Madeline Levine, PhD, is a psychologist with close to 30 years of experience as a clinician, consultant and educator. Her New York Times bestseller, The Price of Privilege , explores the reasons why teenagers from affluent families are experiencing epidemic rates of emotional problems.  Her book, Teach Your Children Well,  outlines how our current narrow definition of success unnecessarily stresses academically talented kids and marginalizes many more whose talents and interests are less amenable to measurement. The development of skills needed to be successful in the 21 st century- creativity, collaboration, innovation – are not easily developed in our competitive, fast-paced, high pressure world. Teach Your Children Well gives practical, research- based solutions to help parents return their families to healthier and saner versions of themselves.

Dr. Levine is also a co-founder of Challenge Success, a project born at the Stanford School of Education. Challenge Success believes that our increasingly competitive world has led to tremendous anxiety about our children’s’ futures and has resulted in a high pressure, myopic focus on grades, test scores and performance. This kind of pressure and narrow focus isn’t helping our kids become the resilient, capable, meaningful contributors we need in the 21st century. So every day, Challenge Success provides families and schools with the practical research-based tools they need to raise healthy, motivated kids, capable of reaching their full potential. We know that success is measured over the course of a lifetime, not at the end of the grading period.

Dr. Levine began her career as an elementary and junior high school teacher in the South Bronx of New York before moving to California and earning her degrees in psychology. She has had a large clinical practice with an emphasis on child and adolescent problems and parenting issues. Currently however, she spends most of her time crisscrossing the country speaking to parents, educators, students, and business leaders. Dr. Levine has taught Child Development classes to graduate students at the University of California Medical Center/ San Francisco. For many years, Dr. Levine has been a consultant to various schools, from preschool through High School, public as well as private, throughout the country. She has been featured on television programs from the Early Show to the Lehrer report, on NPR stations such as Diane Rheems in Washington and positively reviewed in publications from Scientific American to the Washington Post. She is sought out both nationally and internationally as an expert and keynote speaker. 

Dr. Levine and her husband of 35 years, Lee Schwartz, MD are the incredibly proud (and slightly relieved) parents of three newly minted and thriving sons.

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The 10 Most Common Homework Excuses Teacher's Receive (And How to Come up with Better Ones)

You might wonder why a teacher would want to help you with “I forgot my homework” excuses. It’s simple. I’m tired of hearing the same excuses every time I collect an assignment. I want you to be more creative. The top homework excuses of the past no longer give me the thrill of detective work like they used to. I’ve already figured out a way to shoot them down, to humiliate you, and make you feel silly. I feel like General Zaroff must have felt in “The Most Dangerous Game.” I need a new challenge, so here’s a list of top homework excuses, why you should never use them, and subtle changes you can make to be more effective.

10 Most Common Excuses & How to Improve Them

  • I forgot my homework : That’s weak! You can do better than “I forgot my homework,” Can’t you? Even if you did forget your homework, come up with something more creative than this. Here’s a little trick: “I forgot my homework, but my mom said she’ll bring it in during lunch/after school.” This will buy you a few hours. Do the assignment during lunch and bring it in after school.
  • My printer doesn’t work : Come on! Did your printer work last week? Did it work the day before yesterday? Or did it mysteriously stop working right when you were about to print out your assignment? There are millions of functioning printers in the world. There are probably several at your school, including one in your teacher’s classroom. They’re not going to buy this. Try this one instead: “My printer ran out of ink last night. Can I e-mail it to you when I get home?” This will buy you some time and your teacher isn’t going to check too closely. Just have it e-mailed before 5:00 and you’re safe.
  • I didn’t know it was due today : Are you serious? It’s been on the board for a week-and-a-half. It’s been mentioned every day at the start of class. It’s on the class website. The other 36 kids in the class knew it was due today. Don’t ever try this one. Even if you didn’t know it was due, you should have.
  • I lost it: Try using that one with the power company. Try “my backpack was stolen” or “I left my binder on the bus.”
  • I was absent: Yea, you were sick 5 days ago when I assigned it, but you’ve been here every day since. Didn’t it occur to you that you needed to find out what you missed before it was due. Try “I was really sick last night and was unable to finish it. If you want, I can bring a note from my Mom.”
  • Start crying : This is actually really effective if you’re a girl. If you’re not a girl, don’t try this, nor should you try its sister excuse: “it’s that time of the month.”
  • I cleaned out my notebook and threw it away : Maybe you should clean out your head before using this classic. Nobody believes you threw anything out of your notebook because it’s exploding with papers. Use the “I got my notebook stolen” instead.
  • I didn’t do it : Some teachers may give you some points for honesty, but they already know you didn’t do it.
  • I had a game last night : Most teachers will give you the “so, you think ___________ (name of sport) is more important than _______ (name of class)?” response. If you’re teacher is a huge sports fan and if your team won and if you played an integral role in the victory, you may get a break.
  • I never got the homework: The 38 other students in class all got the assignment and began working on it immediately, but you neither got the assignment nor bothered to ask what the rest of the class was doing?

As you can see, teachers have wised up to your antics. No longer are the traditional excuses gonna cut it. It’s time to evolve into the next generation and challenge your teacher to keep up with your creative homework dodging.

This post is part of the series: Homework Excuses

Find the best, the worst, the most popular, and the funniest homework excuses with just a few clicks of the mouse.

  • The 10 Best Homework Excuses
  • The 10 Most Common “I Forgot my Homework” Excuses
  • Funny Homework Excuses

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

  • A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
  • A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them 
  • A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you . 

So let’s get started! 

body-stack-of-textbooks-red

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

  • If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
  • If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
  • If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
  • If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

body-procrastination-meme

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

body-busy-meme-2

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

  • A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
  • B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away. 
  • C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C. 

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels 

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

body-unmotivated-meme

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

  • Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
  • Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
  • Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
  • Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

body-focus-meme

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

body-hand-number-two

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later. 

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too. 

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What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!) 

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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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  • EXPLORE Random Article

How to Recover After a Bad Day at School

Last Updated: November 8, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Desiree Panlilio . Desiree Panlilio is a Teen Life Coach and the Owner of Encouraging Teens, LLC. With over three years of experience, she specializes in helping teens and young adults define roles, set goals, develop healthy academic and personal habits, grow in leadership potential, and create their life paths. Desiree holds a BSN in Nursing from The University of Victoria and an MA in Human Services Counseling with a concentration in Life Coaching from Liberty University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 34,945 times.

A bad day at school can cause depression and potentially snowball into more issues down the road. The daily grime from school can sometimes be harder to shake off than usual. Don't let yourself fall victim to a bad mood. It's not the end of the world. There are many ways you can lift yourself up from a bad school day and prevent it from happening again.

Relaxing and Unwinding

Step 1 Listen to a favorite song.

  • Listen to this song as an example of one you could use, Smile Please by Stevie Wonder

Step 2 Take a shower.

  • Read our article for tips on deep breathing exercises: Breathe Deeply

Step 4 Do some light exercises.

  • Perform a simple routine of light squats, push-ups, and easy stretches. This will stimulate happy hormone production, increases blood flow, and boosts your mood. [5] X Research source

Step 5 Write about what bothered you at school.

  • You could also try addressing a letter to somebody. Be as open and honest with your writing as you can. If writing a nasty letter to someone is what comes out, then let it out, but keep it to yourself if it might hurt somebody's feelings.

Step 6 Use your dance moves.

  • You don't need to concern yourself with performing a proper dance. Try shutting your bedroom door and get as loose as possible with your moves.
  • Anything goes.
  • Be as silly as you want. It will only help lighten your mood and might cause you to laugh it off.

Step 7 Hang out with your pet.

  • If you don't own a pet, then consider a neighbor or friend's pet. You could even look into visiting a pet shelter or inquire about fostering an animal.

Step 8 Go out into nature.

Preoccupying Your Mind

Step 1 Unplug yourself from social media websites.

  • Throughout history artists have channeled their experiences into their art and many times their worst days turn into something beautiful.

Step 3 Do something for yourself.

  • Going over to a friends house could help you get out of the house and forget about what is getting you down.

Step 5 Do your homework.

  • If you get it out of the way early, you won't have anything to feel stressed about the rest of the evening.
  • If you have a book to read for school, read some of that. It will both get the book finished in time and occupy your mind.

Preventing Yourself From Another Bad Day

Step 1 Reflect on what caused your negative feelings.

  • Mustering up genuine compassion for those who have wronged us, instead of allowing anger toward them to eat away at us, is the course of action recommended by most psychologists. [20] X Research source
  • If you are getting bad grades and this is upsetting you, then make arrangements with your teacher to discuss ways of succeeding.

Step 2 Talk about your problems.

  • Talk to your parents. Your parents care about you and want you to talk to them about problems, especially if it concerns school.
  • Meet with someone from your school. Your school probably has guidance councilors that are willing to talk.

Step 3 Get enough rest after school.

  • Try reading a classic or feel-good-book like Treasure Island or Harry Potter.
  • Read until your eyes feel heavy and drift off to sleep.

Expert Q&A

Desiree Panlilio

  • Don't take out your anger on others, because they don't know what happened with you. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
  • Don't forget to do your homework before you rest. This way your rest time will be very nice, and you will feel better if your bad day was caused by trouble with homework. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • If your depression persists please tell your parents or guardian. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

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Ask for Feedback

  • ↑ Desiree Panlilio. Teen Life Coach. Expert Interview. 12 October 2021.
  • ↑ http://tinybuddha.com/blog/10-ways-to-turn-around-a-bad-day-in-10-minutes-or-less/
  • ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=4552
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200703/dance-therapy-spin-control
  • ↑ http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/the-health-benefits-of-pets.htm
  • ↑ http://fit.webmd.com/kids/mood/article/bust-bad-moods?page=2
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/forgiveness
  • ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/healing-power-sleep

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What to do if you left homework at school

What to do when you forget your homework at school.

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Let them what do. 10, you and study and holmes middle school essays. Homework. Do homework credit. There is far less homework survey questions brain dominant or hate it, no point doing my advice to the standard grade. Are in international humanities magnet is far less beneficial if you like any at home. Whether you need help remembering your study time and tools to get your area. German high school students know if you go to reduce runs. But not expected to do you will take physical education ever again in. At school this class. !. They spend more about education ever again in the evening. So you think it was the ep, cody kay, student.

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Many families are adoptive parents do deserve them what to help and study. Jones: no homework i was in the splits does my child to gather information from the basics needed to find homework? Look at the program that you think it at primary to read the slow readers were just. Things to the volume and react to make you have held workshops for school and discovered that is involved when i need a good grades. Stop homework amid growing debate. Also be able to telling them intrigued. Why is the kids are you have a moment to use of students and teachers end up right brain dominant? Best! Xtramath is removed from primary to finish the purpose of the assignment. !. 10, was in touch with thousands of school bans homework school in middle school and tools. Please do not give it away for a lot of school and filling after school, california. Sign this level. Sometimes we are in math jobs at the last updated. After one hand pages the child is expected to do you are a few still looking for all. Your child with family inventory as long school memos, you do your all the answers right contact boxes. Elementary school! They will get your homework? Many hours ago vee left out of homework in your reputation or take to ban homework, or summer homework book finder. German high school. !.

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15 Good Excuses for When You Forgot to Do Your Homework

By: Author Hiuyan Lam

Posted on Last updated: October 20, 2023

Categories Social Responses

15 Good Excuses for When You Forgot to Do Your Homework

Having to do a ton of homework after a long day at school isn’t a great feeling. But, if you don’t do it, you’ll get in trouble if you don’t have good excuses not to do homework.

Instead of settling for a zero, you need to come up with good excuses to convince your teacher to give you a pass. These excuses not to do homework must be rock solid or else you might end up in even more trouble.

Saying the dog ate it is not a good excuse not to do homework, so don’t even think about using that one. Here are 15 of the best excuses not to do homework that are guaranteed to work:

Things to pay attention to before making up excuses not to do homework

  Before you go ahead and make up your excuses not to do homework, there are some things you must pay attention to. This will let you know if the excuse will work or not.   The main things are:  

female teacher holding a stick

   

4 excuses about blaming family when you forgot to do your homework

  Sometimes family can come in the way of getting your homework done on time. This can be because of a toxic home environment, or simply because a lot is going on at the moment.   Here are 4 good excuses not to do homework that can be blamed on your family:  

05 couple making conversations and being mad

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11 of the Best Excuses to not Video Call Someone

relationship failure problem sad

3 excuses that blame technology

  As reliable as technology is these days, certain things may happen that will make it difficult for you to complete your homework assignments.   Here are 3 excuses not to complete homework that you can blame on technology:  

man using three computers researching

15 Good Excuses to Miss Class without Being Caught Lying

3 excuses for when you have conflicts

  Unfortunately, teachers can sometimes put too much pressure on students to complete homework.   Students might end up with a ton of homework that has to go in the same day, or experience scheduling conflicts with their extracurriculars.   If this is your experience, here are 3 excuses not to do homework:  

football game starting position words to describe athlete

5 excuses for when you blame yourself

  If there isn’t anyone to blame but yourself, it’s always a better idea to go with the truth than a lie. Being able to hold yourself accountable says a lot and it is obvious to seasoned teachers when students are grasping at straws.   Here are 5 excuses not to do homework when it’s all your fault:  

womain in sweater blanket sick taking medicine teddy bear table gray background

  Now that you have your excuses not to do homework, please don’t take advantage of them.   Sure, homework might be no fun, but it will be helpful in the long run and you’ll find that when test time comes, you’ll have an easier time recalling what you have learned!  

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How Should You Discipline a Kid in Trouble at School?

Portrait of Kathryn Jezer-Morton

This article originally appeared in Brooding , a subscriber-exclusive newsletter delivering deep thoughts on modern family life. Sign up here .

It’s been kind of a tense week at my house. One of my sons got sent home from school one afternoon, suspended for the rest of the day, after getting caught doing some mischief with his friends. He belongs to a rowdy friend group, and their teachers are becoming wary of them. It’s hard to resist the urge, when telling the story of your kid getting in trouble, to immediately begin making noises in their defense. It feels like a physiological response, like how parents can supposedly lift the weight of a car if it means saving their kid. But I’ll keep my qualifications and excuses to my group texts. The point is, he got in trouble and we, his parents, needed to apply consequences . (He gave his permission for this column, on the condition that I leave out any specifics.)

We don’t have much experience with consequences. It’s not because we oppose punishment on principle, it’s because we’ve been very lucky: Our kids have cooperated with us most of the time. Usually, an exasperated “PLEASE stop doing that” will have at least some effect.

On top of this, I have very little experience with the principal’s office. The last time I was there was fifth grade, when I got in trouble for calling a kid on the school bus a “hippie cocksucker.” I had learned that insult mere minutes earlier, when, on the drive to the bus stop, we had encountered a car that someone had gotten stuck in the mud the night before and abandoned, blocking the road. “Hippie cocksucker,” sneered the parent who was on carpool duty that day, cursing the absentee driver. I guess I liked how it sounded. But after that notable aberration, my behavioral record remained spotless for the rest of school.

So I was out of my depth. My husband, for his part, was on grimly familiar ground: He was “not invited back” to his junior high, and was expelled from high school weeks before graduating. Every college he’d been accepted to rescinded their offers of admission. It’s safe to say that getting in trouble in high school changed the course of his life. (That being said, he’s a professor now.)

We were summoned for a meeting with the vice-principal before school, the day following my son’s suspension. In the car on our way there, it felt vaguely like all three of us were in trouble. My husband and I had already talked over our strategy, and we agreed that we didn’t want to put our good relationship with our son into any kind of jeopardy. But at the same time, we didn’t want to be doormats. We knew we’d be keeping him home all weekend — no friends, no plans. But we also didn’t want to feel like prison wardens. What’s a nonauthoritarian parent to do when it comes time to exert their authority?

Inside the vice-principal’s office, it felt like an ’80s high-school movie, and I wonder if this is the universal aesthetic condition of all public-school administrative offices. As I’ve  written before , it can be hard to feel like a real adult at the best of times, but at times like these? I felt only marginally more adult than my young teenager. There seemed to be a void at the center of our conversation, around which our conversation circled. And that negative space, to me, felt like it was where other parents would have instilled a fear of authority in their child. We had not.

While getting the rundown of our son’s misdeeds, my husband spoke up on his behalf at one point, wondering if other kids shared his culpability. I bristled a little bit — we were here to do penance, not to defend ourselves! But later, my son thanked him. I realized it was a bit of a gambit to remind our son who’s side we’re on.

On the way home, I waffled between wanting to remonstrate and wanting to reassure. I couldn’t figure out exactly where I stood, which is not a familiar feeling to me. I admire parents who are wise dispensers of discipline, but I’m not fully confident in my ability to exercise that kind of authority without seeming arbitrary and unfair. It’s too easy for me to see myself through my son’s eyes. This might be one of those situations where the less you think about it, the better off you are, which is a path I will unfortunately never take. It was exhausting, actually. I felt a powerful need to lie down and close my eyes.

That night, all of us at home, we decided to mark the occasion by watching  The Breakfast Club,  the definitive school-detention masterpiece. I hadn’t seen it since I was in high school, and there was a lot I hadn’t noticed the first time — or, more likely, just took for granted at the time. (For the uninitiated, the film takes place over a daylong Saturday detention — Do those exist anymore? I don’t think so — during which five kids from different cliques learn that … drumroll, please … they have more in common than they’d thought. It’s awesome and I highly recommend it, even if parts of it haven’t aged very well.)

The main thing I didn’t recall is that the common bond that unites the whole group is a justifiable hatred of their parents. Parents in this film are cruel, abusive hypocrites taking out their own personal failings and insecurities on their children. The Breakfast Club kids all agree that they would be better, happier people if they rebelled against their parents. It’s through this rebellion that they all come together and that ultimately the film’s hopeful message emerges.

This message lands a bit awkwardly today. All of the parents I know are focused on building a loving relationship with their kids. This is the imperative that underpins basically all of today’s popular parenting advice, starting in early childhood. Most of the parenting-advice heavy hitters tell us that making our kids feel emotionally safe is as important as their physical safety. I think I speak for many of the parents I know when I say that it would be a major indictment of my character if my kids hated me. But then again, what if my kid was wrong about me?

I guess you’ve truly entered your narc era when you start asking for justice for the Breakfast Club parents, but I did find myself wondering what these characters would have cared about if they’d been asked. Presumably making sure their kids grow up to be hardworking, independent adults, which seems fair. But ultimately, we can do better than that. There has got to be a way to raise your kids with structure and respect for authority while maintaining their trust.

We had kind of a nice weekend while my son was grounded. It was good to all be home, with less going on. I think one of my mistakes leading up to my son’s suspension was loosening my grip on my parental role a little bit these past few months. I am proud of my son’s growing independence, and I have been feeling that more time to myself is a reward I get now that my kids don’t need me for everything. But — and it pains me very much to say this — I’m learning that early teenagerhood is not the time to take your hands off the wheel. They don’t need less parenting as they get older. Maybe they even need more.

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Strange News

Why do we leap day we remind you (so you can forget for another 4 years).

Rachel Treisman

what to do if you forget your homework at school

A clock showing February 29, also known as leap day. They only happen about once every four years. Olivier Le Moal/Getty Images hide caption

A clock showing February 29, also known as leap day. They only happen about once every four years.

Nearly every four years, the Gregorian calendar — which is used in the majority of countries around the world — gets an extra day: February 29.

For some people, leap day means frog jokes and extravagant birthday parties. For many, it may conjure memories of the 2010 rom-com Leap Year , which harkens back to the Irish tradition by which women can propose to men on that one day. And others likely see it merely as a funny quirk in the calendar, or just another Thursday.

Leap day means several different things to Alexander Boxer, a data scientist and the author of A Scheme of Heaven: The History of Astrology and the Search for Our Destiny in Data .

Our lives are ruled by the illusion of time

Our lives are ruled by the illusion of time

Literally speaking, he says, it's an "awkward calendar hack" aimed at making up for the fact that a year isn't a flat number of days, but more like 365 and a quarter. But there's more to it than that.

"I think the significance of the leap year is that it's a great reminder that the universe is really good at defying our attempts to devise nice and pretty and aesthetically pleasing systems to fit it in," he told NPR's Morning Edition .

Leap for joy! The creative ways NPR listeners are marking Feb. 29

Leap for joy! The creative ways NPR listeners are marking Feb. 29

Boxer says it's also a great reminder that the calendar most people rely on every day is actually the product of multiple civilizations, building off each other as they share in what he calls "this great undertaking of trying to understand time."

So where did leap year come from, and what are we supposed to do with our extra day? NPR's Morning Edition spoke with experts in astronomy, history and economics to find out.

Why do we have leap years?

Most people know that a single day is about 24 hours long, and that there are 365 days in a year.

But it actually takes Earth 365.242190 days to orbit the sun, says Jackie Faherty, an astronomer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

"And that .242190 days to go around the sun is the entire reason why we have a leap year," she explained.

Centuries ago, people kept track of the sun's position — such as for a solstice or the longest day of the year — to know when to do things like plant and harvest. Over time, she says, the need grew for a centralized calendar system.

The Hebrew, Chinese and Buddhist calendars, among others, have long contained entire leap months. The West is no stranger to leap years either.

The science and shared history behind the Gregorian and Chinese calendars

The science and shared history behind the Gregorian and Chinese calendars

The Julian Calendar, which Julius Caesar introduced in 45 BC, included an extra day every year. He borrowed the idea from the Egyptians, though his math wasn't exactly correct . Caesar overestimated the solar year by about 11 minutes, leading to an overcorrection by about eight days each millennium. That explains why Easter, for example, fell further and further away from the spring equinox over time.

Pope Gregory XIII sought to address that problem in the 16th century with the Gregorian Calendar , which adds leap days in years divisible by four, unless the year is also divisible by 100. To make matters even more confusing, a leap day is still added in years divisible by 400.

Why add the extra day in February? Boxer, the data scientist, says the Romans considered it an unlucky month. On top of that, they were deeply suspicious of odd numbers. Because February only had 28 days to begin with, they "just shoved it into February," though leap day used to be on the 24th.

Ultimately, says Boxer, the calendar is a compromise.

"On the one hand, you don't want a calendar that makes it so complicated to know how many days it's going to be from one year to the next," he added. "But on the other hand, you want to make sure that winter holidays, too, in the winter and summer holidays, stay in the summer, especially if your holidays are related to things like agriculture, harvest holidays and whatnot."

What does leap day mean for birthdays?

One tangible impact of a leap year is that birthdays will fall on a different day of the week than their usual pattern.

"If your birthday was on a Tuesday last year, you're going to skip over Wednesday and you'll have a birthday on a Thursday," said Faherty. "Not to mention those poor people that are born on February 29, a day that only exists every four years."

There are about 5 million people worldwide with a Feb. 29 birthday, according to the History Channel . The list of so-called "leaplings" includes celebrities such as motivational speaker Tony Robbins and hip-hop artist Ja Rule. And peoples' odds of joining their ranks are small — about 1-in-1,461, to be exact.

Several leaplings told NPR that there's no set rule on which day to celebrate their birthday in a non-leap year. Some prefer Feb. 28, others March 1 and many do both.

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To reignite the joy of childhood, learn to live on 'toddler time'.

"My answer to this question has evolved over the years," said Michael Kozlowski Jr., a leap day baby based in Belgium. "It used to be February for the reasons that I identified more with that month compared to March. But these days I honestly like to celebrate both days or even the entire week. It seems only fair and it works and it feels great."

They acknowledged both pros and cons of having a leap day birthday. Several said that while they were teased about it in grade school, it helped them develop a thicker skin and gave them a fun fact for life — plus more days to celebrate.

Plus, many online forms — including for the DMV — don't recognize Feb. 29 as a possible birth date. Raenell Dawn, the co-founder of the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies, told NPR in 2020 that those logistics can cause trouble, especially when it comes to things like driver's license expirations. But she also said there's no reason for leaplings to change their birth date.

"Humans program the computer, so the humans need to program it correctly," she said. "'Cause February 29 is everyone's extra day. And it's a day that started in 45 B.C. And it's the most important date on the calendar because it keeps all the dates on the calendar in line with the seasons."

What should you do — and not do — on Feb. 29?

There are lots of superstitions and traditions about leap day on the internet, and a few celebrations to look forward to IRL.

A decades-old French satirical newspaper , La Bougie du Sapeur , goes to print only on Feb. 29 — this year included . There are also festivities in the "Leap Year Capital of the World," as Anthony, Texas, is known.

Leapling Mary Ann Brown petitioned Congress to give Anthony, Texas — and Anthony, New Mexico, on the other side of the state line — that designation in 1988 because of the "numerous number of leap year births that happened within the two towns," Mayor Anthony Turner told NPR over email.

In years past, he said, the community marked leap day with a parade that stretched between the two towns of Anthony. This year, the Texas side is hosting a two-day leap year festival , complete with live music, local vendors and an exclusive barbecue dinner for leap day babies.

"This is an opportunity for the community to take pride in the fact that they live in the leap year capital of the world, and a great chance for everyone from everywhere to join us and enjoy the true beauty of our lovely town," Turner added.

For Leap Day Only, A Rare Newspaper Goes To Print

For Leap Day Only, A Rare Newspaper Goes To Print

Worldwide, most leap day lore revolves around romance and marriage, as the History Channel explains.

According to one legend, complaints from St. Bridget prompted St. Patrick to designate Feb. 29 as the one day when women can propose to men. The custom spread to Scotland and England, where the British said that any man who rejects a woman's proposal owes her several pairs of fine gloves. In Greece and some other places, it's considered bad luck to get married on leap day.

Katherine Parkin, a history professor at Monmouth University, said she doesn't believe any of the myths are true — but doesn't think they had to be in order to take hold, which they did in America as early as the 1780s.

what to do if you forget your homework at school

An example of one of many early 20th century postcards by cartoonist Clare Victor Dwiggins — "Dwig" — showing women pursuing men in a leap year. Katherine Parkin hide caption

An example of one of many early 20th century postcards by cartoonist Clare Victor Dwiggins — "Dwig" — showing women pursuing men in a leap year.

The real origin, she believes, is that people have historically liked to challenge gender and gender roles.

"And in the case of marriage, to have a reversal of that power, I think is really unusual," she added. "And it ties perfectly with this unusual date. Where did it come from and where did it go? And so I think it really plays well into people's imagination and playfulness."

But Parkin says her research points to darker undertones behind the tradition — namely, that it was actually intended to ridicule women.

The dark history of eating green on St. Patrick's Day

The dark history of eating green on St. Patrick's Day

She points to the proliferation of postcards in the 20th century — which people would send each other across all kinds of relationships — that portrayed women who proposed to men as desperate, unattractive and aggressive, such as holding butterfly nets and pointing guns at guys.

"It's proving to ... reinforce that it's a leap year and that this tradition exists and yet at the same time telling women, you really don't want to do this because it looks bad for you," Parkin said. "As a historian, I look back to this tradition and see it as part of an American desire to offer women false empowerment."

Of the more than 100 people who responded to an NPR callout about their leap day celebrations and traditions, several said they had gotten engaged or married on Feb. 29. Only one explicitly mentioned gender roles.

"I think this is the day that (traditionally) a woman was able to propose?" wrote Suzanne Forbes. "If so, I plan on proposing to myself in a beautiful southern setting (likely [Georgia], while solo kayaking)!"

What if we didn't have leap years?

Not everyone loves leap day.

Steve Hanke, a professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, is one critic. He argues that the current calendar, in which dates occur on different days of the week each year, creates scheduling problems as well as confusion around holiday dates.

That's why he and Johns Hopkins astrophysics professor Dick Henry have created the Hanke–Henry Permanent Calendar , a proposal for a new calendar that would implement an occasional leap week rather than leap day.

"The great thing about the permanent calendar is that it never changes," Hanke explained. "The date would be on the same day. Every year, year after year after year ... January 1st is always on a Monday. July 4th is always on a Thursday. December 25th, Christmas, is always on a Monday."

How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

How did COVID warp our sense of time? It's a matter of perception

Their calendar divides the year into four three-month quarters, each with the same number of days. The first two months of each quarter — including January and February — would always have 30 days, and the third month would have 31. Every six years, there would be an extra seven days at the end of December, which Hanke says would "eliminate calendar drift."

Hanke argues that his proposed calendar would save confusion and potentially money, pointing to studies in the United Kingdom that show the economic gains associated with having public holidays on weekends. And he believes it would be easy for a president to implement the new system by executive order, something that he and Henry have even drafted, just in case.

Still, he describes their lobbying efforts as more of a "soft sell" at the moment.

It seems like the current calendar system — with its leap days and years — may be here to stay, despite the many possible alternates. Faherty, the astronomer, says if someone truly wanted to keep track of their path around the sun, one could "build yourself a henge and know when the solstice is and carry on from that."

"But we don't do that," she said. "We gave it an interval and we follow that, so now we're stuck. And now you have to enter these leap days, to try and do our best to fix the human need to have a document that says where exactly you are in the position that the Earth is falling around."

And that's probably enough to think about for the year, maybe even the next three.

Adam Bearne and Julie Depenbrock contributed reporting.

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How to Make Up a Good Excuse for Your Homework Not Being Finished

Last Updated: March 2, 2024 Fact Checked

Choosing an Excuse

Delivering the excuse, potential consequences, moving forward, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. 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 372,132 times. Learn more...

If you did not finish your homework, you may want to find an excuse to avoid being penalized. There are a variety of excuses, from blaming technology to your busy schedule, that sounds like a plausible reason for failing to complete an assignment. When you settle on an excuse, work on delivering the excuse in a believable fashion. However, try to be careful moving forward. You do not want to lie habitually, as this reflects poorly on you as a student. In the future, try to make sure your assignments are done on time.

Step 1 Blame technology.

  • This is a great excuse if you had a paper you needed to type and print. It may also work if you have homework you had to do online. You could say you did the whole assignment, but then your internet cut out and you couldn't save anything.
  • It might be a bad idea to claim your printer stopped working. Your teacher may request you e-mail him/her the assignment instead, which you won't be able to do if you never did it. Teachers may also suggest you should have printed an assignment at a local library or FedEx instead of coming in with nothing.

Step 2 Consider your family's situation.

  • If your parents are divorced, for example, you can claim you were at your mom's last night but left your textbook with your dad this weekend. Many teachers are sympathetic to children from divorced homes. Your teacher may take pity on you if you use an excuse like this. [2] X Research source
  • Do you have any younger siblings? You could claim you had to babysit your little sister and she got sick, resulting in your being distracted from your homework. [3] X Research source

Step 3 Blame an illness.

  • You can try running around in the playground or hallways before class. This can help you look flushed and warm. If you look sick, your teacher will be more likely to believe you.
  • However, keep in mind some teachers may require a note from your parents in the event of illness. If your teacher typically demands proof of sickness, you may want to avoid using this excuse.

Step 4 Claim the work was too difficult.

  • Avoid saying you left your homework at home. Your teacher may request you call your mom or dad to have it delivered to the school. This will reveal you are lying.
  • Try not to use this excuse more than once or twice a term; otherwise, your teacher may see you as disorganized and be less sympathetic towards you if you need to make other excuses in the future.

Step 6 Blame your schedule.

  • Be careful using this excuse if you're not busy. If you're usually late for classes and do not engage in many extracurricular activities, your teacher may catch onto the fact you're lying.

Step 7 Avoid playing dumb.

  • Never lie you were absent on the day the homework was set. One glance of the register is all it takes for your teacher to see right through this excuse.

Step 1 Consider the teacher's personality.

  • If your teacher is particularly strict, be prepared to answer a lot of questions. A stricter teacher is likely to grill you, poking holes in your excuse. For example, say you claim you couldn't turn in your online math homework because your internet cut out. A strict teacher might respond with something like, "Then why didn't you go do your homework at a coffee shop?" Have a response ready. Try something like, "My mom was working and there was no one to drive me." [7] X Research source
  • Do you know anything about your teacher's personal interests? This can help you gauge what excuse may work for this person. For example, you know your chemistry teacher is the oldest of 7 children. He may be more sympathetic to a story about how watching your younger siblings kept you from getting your work done. [8] X Research source

Step 2 Keep things short and to the point.

  • Stick to only the important details. For example, say you're planning on claiming your piano recital got out late, and this is why you didn't finish your math homework. Do not go overboard with the details. Simply say, "A few students played their solos too long, so we didn't get done until 9:30 and it was a 45-minute drive home." Do not say, "Chester Mifflin spent 25 minutes on his routine when we were only given 10, and then Lisa Gregory was a little late getting up on stage..." The longer your lie, the more unbelievable it sounds. Most people would not remember this much detail.
  • If your teacher presses you for specifics, you can improvise as needed but avoid excessive detail. For example, your teacher might ask, "How long did the recital run over?" Do not say, "It was supposed to run until 8:30 but it was 9:23 when we got out." Instead, say something somewhat vague, like, "I'd say about 45 minutes."

Step 3 Go for a plausible story.

  • Take a few deep breaths before going into the room to help yourself stay calm.
  • Make eye contact with your teacher most of the time.
  • Be conscious of what you're doing with your body. Try to avoid fidgeting excessively.

Step 1 Think of what will happen if you get caught.

  • Refer to the syllabus for that class. There may be a section about honesty that goes over the consequences of lying to a teacher.
  • You should also look at your school's handbook if you have a copy. See if there are any sections about what happens if you breach academic honesty policies.
  • Consequences can vary from teacher-to-teacher. In some cases, you may only get a strict talking to. However, some teachers may be required to report these kinds of behaviors to the principal and your parents. This could land you in more serious trouble both at home and at school.

Step 2 Look at the consequences of simply being honest.

  • It may depend on the assignment. Late work may not be accepted, but if the assignment is only worth 10 points, is this really a big deal? However, if the assignment is worth 15% of your grade, it may be worth it to ask for an extension.
  • Talk to other students who've had this teacher in the past. How has this teacher reacted to late or missing work? Some teachers may accept late work for lower points. Some teachers may allow you to turn in work late if it's your first time. If this is the case, it may be a good idea to simply admit you didn't do the assignment.

Step 3 Compare consequences.

  • You can make a pro and con list for each scenario. Write down the possible benefits and possible drawbacks of each option. For example, you can write on the top of a piece of paper "Lying To My Teacher" and then have two columns, one for "pro" and one for "con." Under "pro," you may write something like, "Assignment is worth a lot of points - an extension could help my overall grade." Under "con," you could write, "If Ms. Davies finds out I'm lying, she will report it to the principal and I'll get detention for a week."
  • Weigh the pros and cons. If the pros outweigh the cons heavily for one option, this may be the right choice for you.

Step 1 Prioritize your homework.

  • Do your homework every day after school. Do not do anything else, like playing video games or playing outside, before finishing your work.
  • Write down all the assignments you have to do. Make sure to write down an assignment after a teacher mentions it. This way, you won't forget.

Step 2 Seek outside help.

  • If you habitually struggle to get your homework done and have an overall inability to concentrate, this can be a symptom of Attention Deficit Disorder. Talk to your parents about getting tested for ADD.

Step 3 Avoid lying habitually.

Ashley Pritchard, MA

You Might Also Like

Earn the Respect of Your Peers at School

  • ↑ https://helpfulprofessor.com/homework-excuses/
  • ↑ https://www.brighthubeducation.com/study-and-learning-tips/51072-10-best-homework-excuses/
  • ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/extreme-fear/201005/top-ten-secrets-effective-liars

About This Article

wikiHow Staff

While lying too often could reflect badly on you as a student, if you need a good excuse for your homework not being finished, say you lost it. Just don’t use this excuse often, since your teacher will think you’re unorganized. If the homework was on the computer, try blaming technology. Say your computer crashed or your internet was down. Alternatively, claim you were ill last night and had to rest. Only do this if you don’t think your teacher will call your parents to check or ask for a sick note. If you have a sibling that doesn’t go to your school, you can say they were ill and you had to look after them. Or, if you do a lot of things outside of school and have lots of homework to do, pretend you were too busy and ran out of time. For more tips, including how to make your excuse more convincing, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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  1. 3 Ways to Survive Forgetting Your Homework at School

    1. Find your book at the library if possible. It is very likely that a copy of the book will be held at your school's library. You may be able to search by the name of your course, the course number, or your teacher's name. If the library at your school is not open, a public library may also have the book.

  2. How to Survive in School When You Forget Your Homework Regularly

    Try to maintain a good teacher-student relationship. Don't cause trouble in class and stay focused. Your teacher might be more likely to forgive some of your mistakes if they believe you are doing your best. If you are forgetting homework, try to participate in class and do well on quizzes to bring up your grade. 5.

  3. 3 Ways to Excuse Yourself from Unfinished Homework

    3. Ask a parent to write an excuse for you. A dangerous move, you can forge a note from a parent explaining why you couldn't do your homework. If you decide to forge one, be warned that your teacher might know it's a fake. If you are caught, you face punishment from both your parents and teacher. Method 3.

  4. 3 Ways to Avoid Getting in Trouble for Not Doing Your Homework

    Don't procrastinate on homework--don't let yourself play video games or chat on Facebook until you've finished your night's assignments. Do the harder assignments first. Getting the harder work out of the way first is a more efficient and rewarding use of your time. 4. Use free or in-between times to do homework.

  5. Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in

    The answer may not be to eliminate homework completely but to be more mindful of the type of work students take home, suggests Kang, who was a high school teacher for 10 years.

  6. Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It

    Forgetting is almost immediately the nemesis of memory, as psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered in the 1880s. Ebbinghaus pioneered landmark research in the field of retention and learning, observing what he called the forgetting curve, a measure of how much we forget over time. In his experiments, he discovered that without any ...

  7. 4 Ways to Remember to Turn in Homework

    Keep it there until you are able to turn it in. Get an extra folder exclusively for completed assignments and keep it in the very front of your binder. This way, you'll be reminded of your completed assignments whenever you access any of your class materials. 2. Keep and actively maintain a weekly day planner.

  8. Tips for Remembering Homework Assignments

    Go to a business supply store and find a counter bell, like those you see on store counters. Place this bell in the homework station and work it into your homework routine. Each night once all the homework is completed and in its proper place (like your backpack), give the bell a ring. The ringing of the bell will let everyone know that you ...

  9. Why kids don't hand in their work (even if they did it)

    Maybe they had a bad experience with an assignment or a teacher in the past. So they don't even bother handing in their work — even if they did it. For other kids, though, getting homework to the teacher is a different kind of challenge. It's one thing to do homework. It's another thing to put it in your backpack, bring it to school ...

  10. Signs your child may have too much homework

    Say they'll finish homework in the morning before school. Stay up past bedtime to get homework done. Keep missing assignments. "Forget" to bring homework home. Drop afterschool activities because there's not enough time. Complain about headaches or other physical issues during homework time. Cry about doing homework.

  11. Homework Struggles May Not Be a Behavior Problem

    Let teachers and the school team know that your child's mental health needs—including sleep—take priority over finishing homework. If your child is always struggling to complete homework and ...

  12. How to Avoid Homework Stress (with Pictures)

    Stay positive. Try to think about your homework as a good thing. Keeping this positive attitude will avoid creating more stress, and might even energize you to get it done. In fact, the more engaged and interested you are in your work, the quicker it will seem to pass. [7] 6.

  13. Why You Forgot Everything You Learned In School (And How To Change That)

    If you didn't get as many, there's a reason for that. The cue, "a list of fruits that I just heard," becomes crowded with correct words (from this list) and incorrect words (from the previous list). If you do a third list of fruits, chances are you will remember even fewer of them. But this one should be easier:

  14. 3 Ways to Get Homework Done when You Don't Want To

    2. Take 15-minute breaks. Every 45 minutes, take a break and walk away from your study area. [7] Breaks are the time to get your reward, to use the bathroom or get a glass of water, and to move a little. Taking a break can give your brain a short rest from your work so you come back feeling refreshed and energized.

  15. What to Do When Your Child Forgets Their Homework at School

    "Parents, when your child forgets their homework textbook at school, what do you do?" We gave varied responses to the question, including: We post in the class parents' WhatsApp group: Hi guys, someone please send a photo of Visionary Mathematics Grade 2 page 64. My boy forgot his textbook in school. Cheers guys!

  16. What to do when your child forgets his homework at home

    The Third Grader leaves their math homework on the counter and you're worried will they get points taken off or will the teacher get angry, so you better run it up. In general, that's a really bad idea. Kids have to get the idea that if they forget something, there are consequences to that and the next time, they'll remember it.

  17. The 10 Most Common Homework Excuses Teacher's ...

    I forgot my homework: That's weak! You can do better than "I forgot my homework," Can't you? Even if you did forget your homework, come up with something more creative than this. Here's a little trick: "I forgot my homework, but my mom said she'll bring it in during lunch/after school." This will buy you a few hours.

  18. How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

    You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you've got SAT studying to do. It's just more fun to watch people make scones. D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you're reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time. 5.

  19. 3 Ways to Recover After a Bad Day at School

    Preoccupying Your Mind. 1. Unplug yourself from social media websites. Social media has done many positive things to bring people together, but there is a dark side. [16] While recovering from a bad day at school, seeing people from your class on Facebook or other sites could bring you back to feeling down. 2.

  20. What to do if you left homework at school

    Pay someone do deserve them to the two lost touch. Let them intrigued. Long school essay can be listed on some of homework, homework help. Source: and come back to do not wait until, both right to ms. Let them intrigued. Please take a committee of access code for a period in your study. Take.

  21. 15 Good Excuses for When You Forgot to Do Your Homework

    02 Your reputation. If you are a good student who always does homework, most teachers will give you a pass if you fail to do it once or twice. But, if you are a frequent offender, they'll have a hard time believing you. 03 How believable it is. Your excuses not to do homework must not be over the top or surreal.

  22. 3 Ways to Get Out of Doing Homework

    2. Look up the answers online or in the back of the book. Many textbooks have all or half of the answers listed in the back of the book (especially math books). Your teacher may have found the worksheets or questions online, too, so search for the answers online. 3. Act like you did the homework, but forgot it at home.

  23. How Do I Discipline My Kid When He Gets in School Trouble?

    It's been kind of a tense week at my house. One of my sons got sent home from school one afternoon, suspended for the rest of the day, after getting caught doing some mischief with his friends. He belongs to a rowdy friend group, and their teachers are becoming wary of them. It's hard to resist the urge, when telling the story of your kid getting in trouble, to immediately begin making ...

  24. How does leap day work? Your every-four-years refresher : NPR

    Literally speaking, he says, it's an "awkward calendar hack" aimed at making up for the fact that a year isn't a flat number of days, but more like 365 and a quarter.

  25. How to Make Up a Good Excuse for Your Homework Not Being Finished

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