How can I focus to do my homework?

[Dee]

*** The Value of Establishing a Routine

“By far the most common difficulty in study,” writes Harry Maddox in his book How to Study, “is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated work.” What about you? Do you put off doing your homework until you are in the mood—or when it seems more convenient? Warns Ecclesiastes 11:4: “He that is watching the wind will not sow seed; and he that is looking at the clouds will not reap.”

Harry Maddox further observes: “It is fatally easy to dribble time away. If you do not impose set hours on yourself you are more than likely to spend the time when you should be studying in watching T.V., reading a magazine, . . . or in doing any of those hundred and one things which weak students are ready to do rather than get down to work. If you have a schedule and mean to stick to it, it has all the force of a law which must not be disobeyed, and in time adherence to it becomes effortless, and you begin to regard it as a natural part of your life.”

If you handle your schoolwork in a well-organized and disciplined manner, you will likely have more time on your hands. Good planning on your part can also help you prevent conflicts between completing your school assignments.
Organize Your Time!

What about the other things you want and need to get accomplished, such as household chores? Here too, getting organized is the key. Try applying the following suggestions:

Keep a list of things to do. Time-management consultant carrying a pocket-size notebook with you at all times. Use it to record “every idea, assignment, call, project, task, or errand—large or small, minor or important—as it arises.” At first glance, your list may seem overwhelming, but using the following suggestions, you can whittle it down to a more manageable size.

Put things in priority order. This can help you focus on the things that really need to be done. At the same time, you can eliminate the things that can wait or that you simply do not have time to do.
Prepare a schedule. Yes, transform your list into a plan of action—a written schedule. A small pocket calendar, or diary, may serve you well in this regard. Far from restricting your freedom, a well-balanced schedule will enable you to have better control of your time.

Be realistic. Through trial and error, work out when it is best to do certain things. You may find it advantageous, for example, to schedule your homework sessions as early as possible in the day, when you are still alert mentally.

Realize, though, that you don’t have to plan every moment of your life. Keep your schedule flexible, leaving room for the unexpected and the spontaneous. Make adjustments as needed, but stick to your schedule as much as possible. Note: It is usually best to overestimate the amount of time you will need to accomplish a particular task. You can always adjust if you finish early.

Set your own deadlines. This helps you avoid the tendency to wait until the last minute to get something done. If you have a school project, try to set a completion date that is well in advance of the date it is due to be turned in.

Discipline yourself to stick to your schedule. It can be tempting to go over to a friend’s house when you need to stay home to study for final exams. But sow sparingly when it comes to your studies, and you may reap poor grades later on. (Compare 2 Corinthians 9:6.) Besides, you will usually enjoy your free time more if you have got your work out of the way. A helpful principle is, Important things first, fun things later.

Scheduling and organizing yourself will take time, patience, and considerable self-discipline, but Christians are told to exercise self-control in all things. (1 Corinthians 9:25) Learning to stick to a schedule is good practice in applying this principle. The results may be the satisfaction of accomplishment, more control over your life, and more time to do the things you want and need to do.