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How to Avoid Homework Stress

Last Updated: March 28, 2019 References

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 133,057 times.

Students of all kinds are often faced with what can seem like an overwhelming amount of homework. Although homework can be a source of stress, completing it can be a very rewarding and even relaxing experience if done in an organized and timely manner. Remember, homework is not intended as punishment, but is used to reinforce everything you’ve learned in class. Try to view it as a chance to sharpen your skills and understanding.

Managing Your Time

Step 1 Pick a time of day to do your homework.

  • Try to work earlier, rather than later, if possible. This way, you won’t be rushing to finish your work before bedtime.
  • Find a time of day during which you can concentrate well. Some people work best in the afternoon, while others can concentrate better on a full stomach after dinner.
  • Choose a time when you will have relatively few distractions. Mealtimes, times during which you have standing engagements, or periods usually used for socializing are not the best choices.
  • Allow enough time to complete your work. Making sure the total time you allow yourself for homework is sufficient for you to complete all your assignments is crucial. [1] X Research source [2] X Research source

Step 2 Start large projects as early as possible.

  • Save an appropriate amount of time for projects considering your normal homework load.
  • Estimate how much time you will need each day, week, and month depending on your usual workload. Allow yourself at least this much time in your schedule, and consider allotting a fair amount more to compensate for unexpected complications or additional assignments.
  • Reserve plenty of time for bigger projects, as they are more involved, and it is harder to estimate how much time you might need to complete them.

Step 3 Make yourself a homework schedule.

  • Get a day planner or a notebook to write down your homework assignments, and assign an estimated amount of time to each assignment. Make sure to always give yourself more time than you think you’ll need.
  • Plan to finish daily homework every day, then divide up weekly homework over the course of the entire week.
  • Rank assignments in due-date order. Begin on those assignments due first, and work your way though. Finishing assignments according to due-date will help you avoid having to hurry through homework the night before it must be handed in.
  • Allow more time for more difficult subjects and difficult assignments. Each individual person will have their strong subjects—and those that come a little harder. Make sure you take into account which subjects are harder for you, and allow more time for them during your scheduling.

Working Hard at School and in Class

Step 1 Ask questions.

  • If you’re too shy to ask questions, or don’t feel it’s appropriate to do so during class, write them down in your notebook and then ask the teacher or professor after class.
  • If you don't understand a concept, ask your teacher to explain it again, with specifics.
  • If you're having trouble with a math problem, ask the teacher to demonstrate it again using a different example.
  • Remember, when it comes to learning and education, there are no bad questions.

Step 2 Take good notes...

  • Pay attention to important terms and ideas. Make sure to note things your teacher stresses, key terms, and other important concepts.
  • Write clearly and legibly. If you can’t read your handwriting, it’ll take you longer to reference your notes at home.
  • Keep your notebook organized with dividers and labels. This way, you’ll be able to locate helpful information in a pinch and finish your homework quicker. [4] X Research source

Step 3 Record the class or lecture.

  • Get permission.
  • Sit up front and close to the instructor.
  • Make sure to label your recordings so you don't lose track of them.
  • Try to listen to them that same day while everything is fresh in your mind.

Step 4 Use any available time at school to begin your homework.

  • Work in class. If you finish a class assignment early, review your notes or start your homework.
  • Study at lunch. If you have time at lunch, consider working on homework. You can do this leisurely by just reviewing what you’ll need to do at home, or you can just jump right into your work.
  • Don't waste time. If you get to class early, use that time for homework. In addition, many schools let students go to the library during this unplanned time, and it's a great place to finish uncompleted assignments.

Doing Your Homework

Step 1 Sit down and do your homework.

  • Get some fresh air
  • Go for a short run
  • Do push-ups
  • Walk your dog
  • Listen to music
  • Have a snack

Step 5 Stay positive.

  • Study groups break up the monotony of daily homework and make for a less stressful experience than trying to cram on your own.
  • Note that each person should turn in individualized assignments rather than collaborating to find the answers.

Balancing Homework with Life

Step 1 Avoid over committing yourself.

  • AP or IB classes often have 2 or 3 times the amount of reading and homework as regular courses.
  • Honors classes may have up to double the amount of work required as regular courses.
  • College students need to consider whether they want to take the recommended course load (often 4 classes) or more. More classes might help you finish your degree sooner, but if you are juggling work and extracurricular activities, you might be overwhelmed. [8] X Research source [9] X Research source

Step 2 Decide your priorities.

  • Rank your classes and activities in order of importance.
  • Estimate (realistically) how long your academic and extracurricular activities will take.
  • Figure out how much time you have overall.
  • If you’ve over committed, you need to drop your lowest ranked class or activity.

Step 3 Reserve time for your family and friends.

  • Make sure to reserve mealtimes for family, rather than working.
  • Try to set aside the weekend for family, and work only if you need to catch up or get ahead.
  • Don’t plan on working on holidays, even if you try, your productivity likely won’t be high.

Step 4 Make sure you get enough rest.

  • Pick a reasonable hour to go to sleep every night.
  • Try to do your morning prep work like ironing clothes and making your lunch at night.
  • Take a nap after school or after classes if you need. You’ll probably be able to do better work in less time if you are rested. [10] X Research source [11] X Research source
  • If you’re in middle or high school, talk to your parents and your teachers about the issue and ask them to help you figure out a solution.
  • If you’re a college student, reach out to your professors and advisor for help.
  • If it takes you much longer to finish your homework than it takes other students, it may be due to a learning difference. Ask your parents to schedule a meeting with a learning specialist.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • Ask for help when you need it. This is the biggest thing you should do. Don't worry if people think you're dumb, because chances are, you're making a higher grade than them. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 4
  • Actually pay attention to the teacher and ask if you don't know how to do the work. The stress can go away if you know exactly what to do. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 2
  • Recognize that some teachers get mad if you do separate homework assignments for different classes, so learn to be discreet about it. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

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Become Taller Naturally

  • ↑ http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/coping-school-stress
  • ↑ http://www.kidzworld.com/article/24574-how-to-avoid-homework-stress
  • ↑ http://www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/success/notes.html
  • ↑ https://stressfreekids.com/10038/homework-stress
  • ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-jackson/5-ways-to-relieve-homework-stress-in-5-minutes_b_6572786.html
  • ↑ https://stressfreekids.com/11607/reduce-homework-stress
  • ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/how-students-can-survive-the-ap-course-workload/2012/03/01/gIQA8u28qR_story.html
  • ↑ http://www.usnews.com/education/high-schools/articles/2012/05/10/weigh-the-benefits-stress-of-ap-courses-for-your-student
  • ↑ http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/sleep-in-adolescents
  • ↑ https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+much+sleep+do+20+year+old+need

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

how to not do homework and get away with it

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'

Put a stop to deadline pressure, and have your homework done by an expert.

How To Get Out Of Doing Homework – Best Advice

How To Get Out Of Doing Homework

One of the most frequently searched questions by college and university students is ‘how to get away with not doing homework.’ Such assignments have been a great source of misery among most of these students. Some end up going for nights without sleep, while others abandon socialization to complete a homework assignment.

However, you can learn how to get out of homework and score top grades at the end of your semester. Keep reading.

How To Get Out Of Doing Homework: Is It Worth Knowing?

Homework refers to assignments that students do out of the classroom environment. Apart from the regular classroom tests, teachers give students tasks to test on several aspects. Some of these include if:

They understood the concepts learned in class They can apply the concepts They are responsible They have any weaknesses in what he/she taught during the day

As such, homework is an essential element of education. However, there are times when such an assignment becomes a burden. It is where you need to learn how not to do homework and still get away with it. There are various reasons why this is necessary for you:

  • A pile of assignments on your table
  • Lack of understanding
  • The external pressure to succeed from both sides
  • Fear of punishment for incomplete tasks

These and more reasons will compel you to know how to get away with not doing your homework. It’s not a matter of laziness or ignorance but trying to act smart. Who said education should drain all the little energy you’ve got left after a long day? On the contrary, homework should be a fun experience.

There are some tutors whose intention with such assignments is to make students feel incompetent. They will assign students tasks that are difficult to research and require them to consult many sources. Students will have no option but to look for how to avoid doing homework.

How To Get Away With Not Doing Homework

Some would say that students who want to know how to avoid homework are incompetent in their academics. However, that is not the case at all. Many positives come with such a mindset. Critical of them all is students wanting to save time and also have time for themselves. Being selfish once in a blue moon doesn’t bite.

If you want to acquit yourself of not doing homework, here are some practical steps:

Tell the teacher that you were sick: This is one of the most common ways of getting away with homework. Nobody plans to get sick and such, your teacher will understand. However, you might have to produce a medical report. Say that you were involved in community service: If you have an understanding teacher, you will escape with such an excuse. He might praise you for your service to society. Miss the school bus intentionally: As such, you will arrive late to school when others would have collected the assignments. Therefore, you might stand a chance of not doing your homework. Say that your computer crashed: Although this is a risky tip, you can try your luck with it. You can say that you had already done the work, but your machine broke down and lost all the completed assignments.

These, among many others, are some of the ways you can incorporate on how to skip homework. Remember that how you present any of these reasons to your teacher will matter. Everything, from the facial expression to the tone, will count a great deal.

How To Not Do Homework

Are you looking for how not to do your homework and continue with your classes? Our expert tutors have identified some of the best ways of accomplishing this task. Explore them for yourself in the lines that follow:

  • Hiring a professional writer: Many trusted homework help sites can complete your assignment at cheap rates. They also have more professional tips on how not to do homework and get away with it.
  • Copy from a friend: You can ask your classmate to lend you his/her work and copy the assignment from them. The only thing you need to do here is paraphrasing the answers to avoid getting caught.
  • Making excuses for your teacher: You can be creative and develop several reasons to convince your teacher. These reasons should be compelling enough to make your teacher believe you. Otherwise, you will be in for a rude shock!
  • Blame a family problem: You can make up a believable problem that arose in your family. Such can include not having power at home, taking care of your siblings, or attending to a sick parent.
  • Find all the answers online: Some questions are directly from the internet. You will only have to copy and paste the answers. It will be the same as you not doing your homework.

Do you still feel uncertain about how to get out of doing your homework? Below is a final bullet that you might consider using.

How To Avoid Doing Homework And Score Top-Notch Grades

The pride of every student is to score tip-top grades painstakingly. Did you know that you can have quality homework without necessarily doing it by yourself? Look at the tips and tricks highlighted below:

  • Say that your backpack got lost: You can say that you accidentally forgot the bag containing your assignment on the bus. There are times when some thugs may steal your bag on your way home.
  • You can blame Mother Nature: There are times when it rains heavily, and you cannot complete your homework.
  • Being honest with the teacher: Tell him/her the reasons why you may not be able to complete your assignment. There are those understanding teachers who will let you walk away, Scott-free!

You cannot complain that you don’t know how to escape doing homework now. Try out any of the tricks and take it easy.

Are you approaching the deadline, and you have not handed in your assignment yet? Let our expert homework help service be your haven. We offer the best services you can ever get online.

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August 16, 2021

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

by Sara M Moniuszko

homework

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 over 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 work loads 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 causes, 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 go home with, 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 last 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 assignments up 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."

©2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Student Opinion

Should We Get Rid of Homework?

Some educators are pushing to get rid of homework. Would that be a good thing?

how to not do homework and get away with it

By Jeremy Engle and Michael Gonchar

Do you like doing homework? Do you think it has benefited you educationally?

Has homework ever helped you practice a difficult skill — in math, for example — until you mastered it? Has it helped you learn new concepts in history or science? Has it helped to teach you life skills, such as independence and responsibility? Or, have you had a more negative experience with homework? Does it stress you out, numb your brain from busywork or actually make you fall behind in your classes?

Should we get rid of homework?

In “ The Movement to End Homework Is Wrong, ” published in July, the Times Opinion writer Jay Caspian Kang argues that homework may be imperfect, but it still serves an important purpose in school. The essay begins:

Do students really need to do their homework? As a parent and a former teacher, I have been pondering this question for quite a long time. The teacher side of me can acknowledge that there were assignments I gave out to my students that probably had little to no academic value. But I also imagine that some of my students never would have done their basic reading if they hadn’t been trained to complete expected assignments, which would have made the task of teaching an English class nearly impossible. As a parent, I would rather my daughter not get stuck doing the sort of pointless homework I would occasionally assign, but I also think there’s a lot of value in saying, “Hey, a lot of work you’re going to end up doing in your life is pointless, so why not just get used to it?” I certainly am not the only person wondering about the value of homework. Recently, the sociologist Jessica McCrory Calarco and the mathematics education scholars Ilana Horn and Grace Chen published a paper, “ You Need to Be More Responsible: The Myth of Meritocracy and Teachers’ Accounts of Homework Inequalities .” They argued that while there’s some evidence that homework might help students learn, it also exacerbates inequalities and reinforces what they call the “meritocratic” narrative that says kids who do well in school do so because of “individual competence, effort and responsibility.” The authors believe this meritocratic narrative is a myth and that homework — math homework in particular — further entrenches the myth in the minds of teachers and their students. Calarco, Horn and Chen write, “Research has highlighted inequalities in students’ homework production and linked those inequalities to differences in students’ home lives and in the support students’ families can provide.”

Mr. Kang argues:

But there’s a defense of homework that doesn’t really have much to do with class mobility, equality or any sense of reinforcing the notion of meritocracy. It’s one that became quite clear to me when I was a teacher: Kids need to learn how to practice things. Homework, in many cases, is the only ritualized thing they have to do every day. Even if we could perfectly equalize opportunity in school and empower all students not to be encumbered by the weight of their socioeconomic status or ethnicity, I’m not sure what good it would do if the kids didn’t know how to do something relentlessly, over and over again, until they perfected it. Most teachers know that type of progress is very difficult to achieve inside the classroom, regardless of a student’s background, which is why, I imagine, Calarco, Horn and Chen found that most teachers weren’t thinking in a structural inequalities frame. Holistic ideas of education, in which learning is emphasized and students can explore concepts and ideas, are largely for the types of kids who don’t need to worry about class mobility. A defense of rote practice through homework might seem revanchist at this moment, but if we truly believe that schools should teach children lessons that fall outside the meritocracy, I can’t think of one that matters more than the simple satisfaction of mastering something that you were once bad at. That takes homework and the acknowledgment that sometimes a student can get a question wrong and, with proper instruction, eventually get it right.

Students, read the entire article, then tell us:

Should we get rid of homework? Why, or why not?

Is homework an outdated, ineffective or counterproductive tool for learning? Do you agree with the authors of the paper that homework is harmful and worsens inequalities that exist between students’ home circumstances?

Or do you agree with Mr. Kang that homework still has real educational value?

When you get home after school, how much homework will you do? Do you think the amount is appropriate, too much or too little? Is homework, including the projects and writing assignments you do at home, an important part of your learning experience? Or, in your opinion, is it not a good use of time? Explain.

In these letters to the editor , one reader makes a distinction between elementary school and high school:

Homework’s value is unclear for younger students. But by high school and college, homework is absolutely essential for any student who wishes to excel. There simply isn’t time to digest Dostoyevsky if you only ever read him in class.

What do you think? How much does grade level matter when discussing the value of homework?

Is there a way to make homework more effective?

If you were a teacher, would you assign homework? What kind of assignments would you give and why?

Want more writing prompts? You can find all of our questions in our Student Opinion column . Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate them into your classroom.

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

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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!

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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. 

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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! 

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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. 

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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. 

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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!)

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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!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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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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7 Ways to Take the Hassle Out of Homework

Homework can feel like a huge drag. Here’s what you need to know about how to make homework less painful and more useful.

Here are our top seven:

Help them get organized..

Encourage students to track their homework tasks by using a paper or digital planner, and help them set up a system for storing what’s been completed and what still needs to be done.

Make it part of the routine.

Try to make homework happen at a consistent time each day , like during an after-school program, right after getting home, or immediately after dinner. Aim for a 30-60 minute block when they’ve had some time to relax but aren’t too tired. You may want to consider allowing older kids to decide for themselves when they want to do their homework—but be clear that it needs to be done by a certain time every day. Once the routine is set, try not to nag. Communicate that it’s their job to get their homework done.

Create a consistent homework space.

Ideally, this should be somewhere quiet and well-lit, where you can check in with your child easily. Try to minimize the need for students to have to get out of their chair. If you use your kitchen table, pick up an organizer caddy that can house homework supplies and be easily pulled out and stored away.

Reduce distractions.

Emphasize that homework time is a time for being quiet and focused. You can model good behavior by setting the expectation that loud music, TV, and video games are off limits for everyone (including yourself!) in the homework zone. If one child finishes before others, give them the option to read, draw or play quietly somewhere out of sight.

Be a coach, not a player.

Does a coach go onto the field and start scoring goals? Then why are you holding the pencil? Your role is to monitor and motivate, not do the work yourself. In fact, there’s some evidence that helping kids with their homework doesn’t actually do any good . When they get stuck, encourage them to think through ways of solving the problem on their own, for example by exploring online resources or writing down questions to ask their teacher. Avoid the urge to try to teach them yourself, especially if you’re not sure either. If it seems like they’re often confused or frustrated, it’s time for a talk with the teacher.

Build in breaks.

Keep an eye on how long it takes your child to complete their homework. The amount they should have depends on their age and grade level. For longer stretches, ensure students take brain breaks to get the blood flowing and increase alertness. For high school, every 30-45 minutes of studying should be followed by a 10-15-minute break. For elementary, every 15-30 minutes should be followed by a 5-10-minute break. Set a timer, if that helps them stay motivated.

Keep the high fives coming

Finally, remember that a little praise goes a long way. Give your kids regular props—and yes, maybe even the occasional reward —for hard work and making progress!

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Daniel Wong

11 Excuses for Not Doing Homework (And How to Stop Making Them)

July 5, 2022 By Daniel Wong 6 Comments

young man doing homework in his room

If you’re like many students, you’d rather take a nap, talk to your friends online, or play video games.

As you already know, finding reasons not to do your homework will prevent you from succeeding in school .

I’m sure you want to do well in school, and homework is definitely a part of that process.

In this article, I’ll go over 11 of the most common excuses for not doing homework and offer solutions to ensure that you stay engaged in school.

But first, make sure to download your free quick action guide…

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Excuse #1: You lack the required knowledge

Let your parents and teacher know if you’re taking a class and feel as if you lack the necessary skills or knowledge to complete the homework.

Ask your teacher for extra guidance so you don’t fall too far behind. See if your parents can find the time to help you, or you can look for a tutor.

Your teachers are there to help you develop the skills you need to do well in their classes.

You’re not alone in feeling that you lack the necessary skills, so don’t be too embarrassed to ask for assistance. You might even find some great study buddies who feel the same way.

Excuse #2: You lack confidence

Many students compare themselves to their peers, which can lead to a lack of confidence. When that happens, it’s easy to make excuses for not doing the homework.

But here’s what you need to know…

Everyone lacks confidence about something.

You might be good at math but need extra help with English. Perhaps you excel at geography but find biology confusing.

Give yourself a break.

If you lack confidence in your ability to learn a particular subject, get the support you need. Your teachers, parents, and even friends will help you out and give you a needed morale boost.

Excuse #3: Your home life is too hectic

The excuses for submitting assignments late are numerous, but one that I hear often is that it’s too busy or noisy at home to focus.

Finding a quiet space and using earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones can help reduce distractions. This will make it easier for you to finish your homework.

If that doesn’t work, try finding an alternative location to do your work, like the library or a friend’s house.

You can also talk to your parents about it. They might not even be aware of all the interruptions that are preventing you from completing your schoolwork.

Excuse #4: You don’t know where to start

Feeling anxious and overwhelmed are often the main reasons that cause students to not know where to start on their homework.

If you ever feel this way, here’s what I suggest you do:

  • Take a deep breath.
  • Create a space where you can get organised.
  • Make a list of all your assignments and deadlines.
  • Work on one assignment at a time.
  • Start with an easy assignment to get a quick win, or tackle the most challenging assignment to get it out of the way.

Excuse #5: You have poor study habits

Many students develop bad study habits over their years in school.

Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace. As such, every student will have different study habits. If what you’re doing isn’t working, try a different approach.

If you’re trying to do your homework as soon as you get home from school but can’t focus, try having a snack and taking a power nap before getting to work instead.

If you’re staying up too late studying, set a rule for yourself that you’ll start doing your homework within one hour of getting home.

Establish a routine where you do your work at roughly the same time each day. Developing routines like this will improve your study habits , which will make you a more effective student.

Excuse #6: School isn’t important to you

A common misconception is that school isn’t important, that what you learn won’t be relevant once you leave school.

This isn’t completely true.

Of course, the education system can be improved. But the knowledge you acquire in school will help you to understand and appreciate the world better.

And the process of becoming a more effective student will lead you to develop traits like self-discipline and responsibility. These are the types of traits you’ll need in order to find success at any stage of life!

Excuse #7: You’re overloaded with after-school activities

I know it can be tough to balance schoolwork and extracurricular activities.

Maybe you’re on a sports team or you spend several hours each week volunteering.

Finding the right balance to ensure you have enough time for homework can be challenging.

When too many afterschool activities get in the way of completing your assignments on time, it’s time to review your schedule. Decide how you can prioritise the activities that are the most important.

You may need to put some activities on hold until you’re consistently staying on top of your schoolwork.

Speak with your coach, teachers, or parents about the ideas they have to help you manage your schedule more effectively.

Excuse #8: Studying is boring for you

If you find that doing your homework is uninteresting, it may be time for you to change your point of view.

I always encourage students to cultivate a growth mindset . This is a mindset where you focus more on the learning process instead of on getting good grades.

Rather than seeing a particular subject as boring, develop a sense of wonder. Decide that you’re going to be intellectually curious, and you’ll discover that we live in a fascinating world.

And while you’re on that journey, remember that the students who succeed in school find ways to get the work done even when they find the subject boring.

For example, if you don’t like math, consider that it isn’t just about numbers – it’s a way of thinking.

Reframing how you think about a subject will enable you to see it as more interesting. In turn, you’ll become a better student over time.

Excuse #9: Your teachers assign too much homework

Sometimes, it may seem like your teachers assign more homework than you can keep up with. You might even believe that what you’re required to do is unreasonable.

If you find yourself in this situation, take a moment to think about everything else you’re doing.

Are you managing your time well?

Are you struggling with a particular class?

Do you use memory techniques to enable you to learn faster ?

Instead of allowing homework to overwhelm you, try talking to your teacher, tutor, or parents to figure out the best way forward for you.

Excuse #10: You already have so much overdue homework

Procrastinating on your homework can lead to a significant pile-up of assignments. This will affect your confidence in being able to complete them.

What’s more, once you get a set of new assignments, you probably won’t know how to do them because you didn’t do the previous assignments.

This creates a vicious cycle where you tell yourself that there’s no point in completing your newly assigned homework because you still have the old ones to do.

When this happens, the likelihood of completing any of the work decreases.

If you’re in this situation, set a reasonable goal of keeping up with all the newly assigned homework while completing, say, one overdue assignment a day, or one overdue assignment every two days.

Excuse #11: You don’t believe you can get good grades

If you hate school, there’s a chance that it’s because you feel the pressure to be a straight-A student .

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to be perfect. After all, there’s no such thing as a perfect student.

But you do have to put in the effort and get the work done. The rest will then fall into place.

If you’re doing your best, you’re doing great! Celebrate your progress and keep moving forward.

Take it one step at a time, and don’t worry too much about what grades you’re getting at the moment.

In closing…

There are many possible reasons for you not to finish your homework.

No matter what those reasons are, it’s important to know that the people around you want to help you succeed.

From teachers to parents to coaches, you have a support network to provide solutions to almost any obstacle you face.

Identify the excuses listed in this article that are relevant to your situation, and apply the suggested solutions.

If you do that, you’ll become a better and happier student who makes far fewer excuses related to homework!

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July 7, 2022 at 12:13 pm

Thank you so much for this article. These were the problems I was struggling with. Now that i know the solutions to it ,I’m sure I’ll do better than before.

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July 7, 2022 at 1:05 pm

You’re very welcome.

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July 7, 2022 at 6:20 pm

I pray that may Almighty God grant you long life, more knowledge, sound health, rest of mind, wealth and happiness, so that you can witness your good impact in this World 🌍. GOD has made you a useful tool for every students and parents that is actually seeking success.

July 7, 2022 at 7:42 pm

Thank you, God bless you too!

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July 27, 2022 at 9:29 pm

Thank you so much for this. I have found a couple of solutions for excuses I’ve made in the past. I needed this.

July 27, 2022 at 9:42 pm

You’re welcome.

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How to Get Out of Doing Homework?

How to Get Out of Doing Homework

Homework is never fun. Sometimes, it just gets too overwhelming given all the work that you already have with your college and school. At some point in his or her academic career, a student always wonders, how to get out of doing homework. If you are one of them, here are some tips on how to avoid homework without getting into trouble.

How to Get Out of Doing Homework By Hiring Professional

This is one of the best options available to students who are thinking about how to get away with not doing homework. There are several professional ghostwriters who can do your assignments for you at an affordable price.

All you have to do is hire an online homework assistance service. They have a team of writers who have expertise in various subjects based on your requirements. So instead of thinking of ways of how to get out of doing your homework get someone else to do it for you.

These professionals are known for the timely delivery of assignments. Even when the deadline for your homework is a few hours away, they can deliver high-quality papers. You can save time and work on other tasks that will help you with your academic career.

How to Get Away With Not Doing Homework With A Good Excuse

For most students, the answer to how to get out of homework lies in a good excuse. Of course, run-of-the-mill excuses like falling sick work most of the time. However, you need to think of the ones that are least likely to be called out by your teacher.

Instead, when you are thinking of how not to do your homework, use more believable and safe excuses as follows:

  • I need more time to understand the instructions that you had provided with the assignment. Could you help me clarify a few doubts?
  • I accidentally deleted the files that I had worked on. Is it possible for you to extend my deadline by a few days?
  • I have been unable to find material for some sections of the assignments. I need an extension on the deadline.
  • I had a confidential family matter to attend to and was unable to find the time to work on my assignment.
  • My parents and I had to visit a relative who fell severely ill out of the blue.

There are many such excuses that you can make when you are thinking of how to escape doing homework. However, with excuses, you need to remember that you will have to get to your assignment eventually. So, it might be a better idea to get your work done in time to avoid any chances of compromising on your grades.

How to Not Do Homework and Still Get a Good Score

There are many reasons why you are unable to do your homework. You may not have time to do your assignments because of travel plans that you had made earlier. There are also chances of a genuine issue like a health problem that did not allow you to concentrate on your work.

The best way to get an extension on the deadline is to come clean with your teacher. Be honest about prior commitments or any issue that you may have that could prevent you from doing your assignment.

Asking for a retake is very common among students, especially when you are in college. You may also be working while completing a course. In this case, a work commitment may interfere with your homework.

When you have a valid reason, your teacher will give you the opportunity for a retake. This is also why you need to come up with a believable excuse when you are planning on how to skip homework.

However, in the event that your teacher does give you a re-take, make sure you stick to the deadlines assigned to you. That way, you will also build trust between you and your teacher. This will also ensure that your grades are not severely affected.

Ways How to Not Do Homework

Now that you’re aware of the fact that you don’t have to finish your homework, you might not even do it at all. After all, you have your reasons for not doing it. You should also know that there are tactics to follow, so you don’t totally look like a lazy student.

You can’t go to your teacher to give lazy excuses like “our dog ate my book”. Below are ways to follow to avoid doing your homework assignments.

  • Study your teacher: As we have different students, so we have different teachers. You need to know your teacher pretty well. You should know his/her tolerance level. You should also know how forgiving your teacher is. In case you’ve got a tough teacher, just ensure you are in their good books before they ask for the assignment.

Participate in the class discussions. Even when you don’t know what to say, ask questions. It will give your teacher the impression that you’re a serious student. So when you eventually mention that you didn’t do the homework assignment, you will most likely be pardoned.

Another thing to know about your teacher is their passion. What are the things he loves? For example, if you’ve noticed he is a lover of dogs, you can mention that your dog died and you were so sad that you could not continue with your assignments. That might even bring you closer to your teacher if you’re lucky.

  • Put the blame on family issues: Before you do so, you must also be sure your teacher is the kind that values family. You can say something emotional like, “your parents got into a fight and you couldn’t do the homework at home”.

You can also involve distant relatives by saying a close uncle died. Ensure your teacher won’t verify your story. Otherwise, they will never believe you again.

If you have the gift of crying at will, you can make use of your gift here. Get teary as you tell the lies. Don’t make the mistake of mentioning your grandparents because when they eventually die, your lie will be exposed.

  • Put the blame on your device or technology: You have to be as remorseful as possible when you use this tactic. Let your teacher know you’re not happy with what happened. You can say the network was fluctuating and you couldn’t do much homework.

In a situation where you have to forward your assignment to your teacher’s mail, you can ask them if they received your mail and act confused when they say no. You must be really good at acting to pull this trick though.

  • Act sick: Here is another trick for the good actor or actress. Pretend to be sick and your teacher will not bother you about the assignment. You might even be asked to go home to rest. This excuse will also be more acceptable if you are not the type that falls sick frequently.
  • Take all the blame: Instead of giving excuses, you can also accept the fact that as much as you tried, you couldn’t understand the assignment. You must be really sorry and remorseful when you give this excuse.

Tell your teacher you wish you could have a better explanation of the homework assignment and submit it at a later date. Depending on your teacher, you might not get away with this excuse though.

Another way to use this tactic is to talk to your teacher as soon as you get to school before your classmates start getting to class. Discuss your inability to concentrate on schoolwork with them, and act like you don’t know what’s wrong with your brain.

Bring up your assignment as an example and say you couldn’t focus on it. You can cry if necessary. It will probably get you the sympathy of your teacher. They may also give you tips on how to do your homework at home with full concentration. However, you must ensure you make use of your teacher’s tips and do better next time you’re given an assignment.

  • Copy and paste: This trick is the easiest way to not do your homework and not get caught. Seek help from your serious friends, copy their answers and paste them into your book. You can even get help from more than one person. This way, you don’t totally look like a copycat. At the same time, your teacher will see you as a brilliant student since you would have collated different answers.
  • Steal the answer from the textbook: This method is only useful if your teacher is not the type to check workings. Most textbooks especially Mathematics have answers written at the back. You could smartly check the answers before your teacher gets to you. When asked, say your answer with confidence, and your teacher would believe you know what you’re doing.
  • Ensure your parents are on your side: In some cases, your parents might expose your lies to your teacher. When you make your parents believe you have religiously been doing your homework, then you will be good to go.

There are several ways to get your parents on your side. Make your parents believe you came home late because you were doing your homework in school. Carry your bag, and tell them you’re going to a friend’s house to get more clarification on the given assignment. Make sure your parents know this friend of yours is a serious student.

Act like you’re seriously busy in your room doing your assignment when they check up on you. Open up your book in front of you, and pretend to be working on the homework.

  • Pretend to forget your assignment at home: When it’s time to submit your assignment, begin to search your bag with passion. Ask your friends if they saw your assignment notebook or wherever you did it. Report your missing note to your teacher as well. That way, your teacher will believe you actually did your assignment but misplaced it.
  • Come out clean: Confess unto your teacher without mincing words. Your teacher won’t kill you after all. You might even gain their trust and appear to them as an honest student who will tell the truth no matter the situation.

How to Avoid Doing Homework With a Short Deadline?

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When you hire us to do your assignment, you have the advantage of:

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  • Complete confidentiality to ensure that you do not get into trouble for outsourcing your homework.
  • Plagiarism-free content that helps you beat Turnitin tests easily.
  • High-quality, well-researched content that allows you to get better grades.
  • 24/7 customer service to make sure that your requests for assignments are attended to on time.
  • Timely submissions so that you never miss a deadline.
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So the next time you find yourself wondering, how to get out of doing homework, get it done from the experts at the most affordable costs.

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Tamar Chansky Ph.D.

Procrastination

How to prevent homework procrastination, getting kids hooked on finishing their homework by jumping in to the middle.

Posted October 7, 2014

how to not do homework and get away with it

Just mention the word homework to any child and watch the drama unfold: the eye-rolling, the huffing and puffing of do I have to?!, the melt down on the floor, the bargaining for “just 10 more minutes” of play time, at times even the flat out denial and creative distortion of reality: “Actually, um, I just remembered, um, our teacher said we didn’t have to do the homework today—it’s, er, optional ” (this from a 7 year old who shouldn’t even know that word) You get through the battle today only to face the same struggle again tomorrow; does it have to be this way?

Kids will try anything to not start homework. And who can blame them? Starting is hard. In fact, it’s the hardest part. The brain has a hard time transitioning, starting things that don’t have immediate gratification waiting. Like creating something from scratch, it feels daunting (read: impossible) to do all the parts—gather the materials, sit down (for goodness sake!), open your book, and actually start attending to what is on the page. But, the brain does like finishing things. It loves, loves, loves it! And so do we. Neural satisfaction circuits light up like a Christmas tree—flashing and making merriment— when we finish things. So a parent’s job is to help kids develop a routine to quickly jumpstart their work, get a hook into those books, so that their wired-in desire to finish things will reel them in and help them get the work done--the sparkly lights lit, and your sanity intact.

Here are lots of ideas to get started on getting finished, constructively.

Set Up the Launch Pad and Walk Away What’s the number one stumbling block to starting homework? Getting the papers out of the backpack. Or the backpack out of the car. An unopened backpack two feet away can feel like the mission to the moon and be a reason to delay for hours— we just can’t m-o-v-e . Crossing the room, unzipping the backpack, finding the books, the instructions, are you kidding me? There are no limits to how each one of those microsteps can become the sinkholes into which our children’s motivation falls.

As a pre-emptive strike to procrastination , have your child set up their work station, unzip the backpack, open up their books, engage just enough to decide (and take a quick peek at) what task they’re going to tackle first, and then… walk away. Yes. Walk away. Go get a snack, do something fun for 15-20 minutes, and meanwhile their mind will be secretly thinking about returning to that work because in one sneaky move you’ve turned homework from something to start into something to finish. When they return to their books they will do so with the transition already underway.

Think Menu, Food Menu That Is: Have your child start with an “appetizer,” an assignment that’s not too hard and that they’re not dreading, once they’ve warmed up their brain with that assignment, they can move into the “main dish”—the assignment that requires the most time and effort. Then, because your child’s going to be tired, finish off with “dessert”— an assignment that’s relatively easier or something that’s difficult but that your child wants to do.

Planned Breaks Rather Than Stolen Ones: Yes, it’s great to follow that strong current of inertia to a video game, the tv, or facebook , but when does the break begin? When does it end? Is it really called a break if you’re getting nothing done? Have your child sit down and plan to take a break after 45 minutes or an hour of work. Make the break short and sweet 5-10 minutes tops is best; move around, and before your child heads out on that break, have him take a look at what he’s going to do next. Your child should always leave a “path of crumbs” back to what he’s going to do next to prevent him from having to do a transition all over again.

Stop 7/8ths of the Way Done : Remember, we lose time with start up—procrastinating the beginnings—if we stop our work when we’ve finished one task, we’ll have to face the mountain of starting from scratch again to begin the next one. While it might sound counterintuitive, encourage your child to stop (for a break, or, in the case of long-term assignments—for the night) just short of completing an assignment. This way, knowing exactly where your child is going to pick up will encourage that “finishing behavior” and they can jump right back in, finish, and then move on to the next task all warmed up and ready.

Create Time Estimates for Assignments: Dread impairs our ability to estimate time accurately. When we don’t estimate time well our dread increases. It’s a vicious cycle. So, when your child sits down to do work ask—how many minutes/hours do you think this will take? First answer will likely be something like: “forever,” and you can respond—“right, that’s how it feels, but if you had to make a bet, what do you think?” Putting a time limit on it (even if it’s just an estimate) will help your child spring free from that existential sense of interminability that even the youngest students seem uncannily able to experience, and see—this is doable.

Chunk It! Like adults, children dread being trapped in something unpleasant. Instead, break an assignment down into discreet tasks, jobs or sections so that your child builds up momentum along the way by completing small goals faster as she works toward the bigger goals.

Separate Your Emotions From the Task : Does the work take a long time or is it the emotional reactions that are so time consuming? Help your child not confuse working with complaining or “freaking out” about work. If your child is worrying about the million things he has to do, this very much slows down the completion of the one task that is in front of him. Instead, have your child schedule a 2 minute “freak out” or worry time, where your child is naming all the things he has to do and how it feels impossible, then, with that done, sit down and start chipping away at the first task.

how to not do homework and get away with it

Time the Process: Children hate homework, but adding an hour of resistance to the 15 minutes it often takes to complete the work is just extending the misery. Challenge your child to see how quickly they can get their work done when there’s minimal grumbling. The result will sell itself. (Don’t ruin the project by saying things like—see, I told you it would be faster if you didn’t complain. Best if your child discovers that for himself). Alternatively, have your child set a specific allotment of “grumble time” so that their inner pessimist can speak but won’t derail them when their inner achiever has other plans.

Put Down the Ducky : Remember Ernie wanting to play the saxophone on Sesame Street? He had to put down his beloved rubber ducky first. Translated to your kitchen table—if your child really wants to get homework done, and out of the way, she’s got to put the phones out of reach, turn off the internet on the computer, make technology a reward at the end of the process, not a distractor along the way. No it’s not fool-proof, your teen can always sneak, or turn the internet back on, but challenge her to see how much more she can get done when the technology is out of the way for a bit.

Writing An Essay? Give One Minute On the Clock for Brainstorming: A blank page, a new assignment is always daunting. Sneak past the beginning by jumping in the middle. If your child is writing an essay or even a term paper, have her give herself one minute on the clock and write down all the ideas she has that she wants to say. No proper grammar or full sentences, just phrases. After a minute she can look at her list, circle the ideas she likes, then number them in the order that makes sense for now. Suddenly your child will have the beginnings of an outline. She can then begin developing those points and she’s on her way. She shouldn't worry about introductions and conclusions, she should just start in the middle and the rest will follow.

Fire the Critic! Often kids procrastinate because they are thinking about what grade they’re going to get, worrying about what the teacher will think, how this will impact their GPA, and before they know it, they’re not working on their paper, their in total paralysis about their future. Help your child see that the best way to succeed in the future is staying in the present: putting all of their focus on the work now. Make the grade watcher and perfectionist critic sit in another room until they’re done.

Many a parent has told me that these strategies work for them too. Check out my article about overcoming procrastination for adults —hey, why not now?

And, if you’d like to learn more about how to teach your child to take charge and free themselves from anxiety , check out my new book: Freeing Your Child from Anxiety: The Revised and Updated Version : Practical Strategies to Overcome Fears, Worries and Phobias and Be Prepared for Life, From Toddlers to Teens!

©Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., 2014 No portion of this work may be reproduced without permission of the author.

Tamar Chansky Ph.D.

Tamar Chansky, Ph.D., is a psychologist dedicated to helping children, teens, and adults overcome anxiety.

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How to Excuse Yourself from Unfinished Homework

Last Updated: December 13, 2023

This article was co-authored by Alicia Oglesby . Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. This article has been viewed 889,871 times.

Ideally, you will always be ready for class and have your homework completed. Sometimes, however, life gets in the way and you aren’t prepared. There are several methods for developing an excuse to give your teacher for why you don’t have your homework ready, ranging from honest to deceptive.

Inventing an Elaborate Excuse

Step 1 Make invented excuses sound as plausible as possible.

  • Crumple and tear a paper assignment. Then you can tell the teacher that it flew out the window and got run over or trampled on.
  • Smear dirt and water on your assignment and claim it fell in a puddle. Make sure to write a few words (bonus points if it relates to the homework assignment) so that it looks believable.
  • Spill something dark (like juice or ink) on the assignment so that it is illegible.

Step 3 Make an excuse based on technological malfunctions.

  • For instance, if you have to save work to a USB drive, you can claim to have a problem with the file.
  • If you are asked to email or otherwise electronically send a homework file, you can “accidentally” send a different assignment, or the “wrong” draft (which could have just your name and the first part of the assignment, for instance). You might even be able to purchase corrupted files.
  • Be aware that your teachers can be tech-savvy and know all of these tricks, so you might have to get creative. [2] X Research source

Step 4 Try a less inventive excuses that might still work, like:

Buying Time and Stretching the Truth

Step 1 Make it seem like you did the work on time, even if you didn't.

  • If the missed homework is for a class late in the day, you might be able to do the work before school, during another class, or during lunch or a break.
  • You can hand in the wrong assignment—such as one from another class—or an old one from the same class. By the time your teacher notices the mistake, you will be able to complete the real homework, or just turn it in the next day and say you are sorry about the mix-up.
  • Copy answers from a friend so you have something to turn in. Make sure your friend is ok with helping. This also only works for assignments where it is expected that students will have the same or similar answers. In some schools, even copying something like homework can merit a suspension. Remember to evaluate the situation and make a good decision as to whether or not you will copy homework off of a peer.

Step 2 Claim to be sick.

  • 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.

Telling the Truth

Step 1 Try being honest.

  • You might say something like "I am really sorry, but I got behind on things and wasn't able to finish my homework. Could I be excused just this once? I'll turn it in tomorrow and I won't be late again."
  • Keep things simple and direct, rather than annoying your teacher with long, rambling excuses.

Step 2 Take responsibility for your lack of preparation.

  • This means saying something like: "I know there's no excuse, and I accept full responsibility. I should have done my work. I'm sorry that I'm not prepared, and it won't happen again."
  • Doing so will display maturity and your teacher might respect your honesty.

Step 3 Think of legitimate reasons why you could not do the work.

  • Perhaps you are overworked and stressed (this is especially persuasive at exam time).
  • If circumstances beyond your control, like an illness or death in the family, have prevented you from doing your work, say so.
  • You can also explain that you didn’t understand the assignment, or struggled with it, or felt rushed, and needed to give it more time.

Step 4 Remember that your teacher is busy, too.

  • Your teacher is more likely to accept the excuse if you don’t spring it on him or her at the last minute.
  • You might also be able to ask for an extension so that you can turn the homework in later.
  • Know your teacher’s personality, and how flexible and forgiving he or she is. When you talk to your teacher, look sad, serious, agitated, etc. depending on your excuse.

Community Q&A

Community Answer

  • The best approach is to try to do your work on time rather than be tempted by an excuse. Don’t attempt to make excuses too often. This way, when you actually need to use one, your teacher is more likely to accept it. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
  • Turn in your work, even if you have to make an excuse and submit it late. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1
  • If you are able to do any of your homework, even a small amount or poor quality work, consider turning it in anyway. Having something prepared can be better than having nothing, and sometimes teachers will give you partial credit for partial work. You can also explain to your teacher that you would like to do a better job and turn it in later, if you want. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

how to not do homework and get away with it

  • Be prepared to face the consequences if you get caught for using a deceptive excuse. Talk to your teacher in a mature way, explaining that you have a problem with procrastination, or feel overworked, or struggled with the assignment, etc. Thanks Helpful 50 Not Helpful 7
  • Try not to lie, a bad conscious can easily come from repetitive lying. Thanks Helpful 40 Not Helpful 10
  • If you get caught lying, it may lead to severe consequences with your teacher and parent/guardian. Thanks Helpful 21 Not Helpful 7

You Might Also Like

Cheat on Homework

  • ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/30/british-lecturer-compiles-best-student-excuses
  • ↑ https://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/the-computer-ate-my-homework-how-to-detect-fake-techno-excuses-2/7207

About This Article

Alicia Oglesby

To excuse yourself from unfinished homework, try to make your excuse as believable as possible, like saying you were sick last night. If your homework was on a computer, claim your laptop crashed or your files were corrupted. Another thing you can try is handing in an old assignment. Then, do your actual homework before your teacher realizes. When they ask you about it, say that you accidentally handed in the wrong homework, and then give them the homework that was actually due. Even if you think you have a good excuse, your teacher’s probably heard it a dozen times before, so consider being honest with them and apologizing for falling behind. For example, say, “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t able to finish my homework this week. I had a lot of things to deal with. Is it okay if I turn it in tomorrow?” If you decide to be honest, try to tell your teacher at the beginning of class or even earlier in the day, which will make your excuse more realistic. For more tips, including how to pretend you lost your homework, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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HBR IdeaCast podcast series

Feeling Unmotivated? Here’s How to Get Out of the Rut

A conversation Harvard Business School’s Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams on shifting your mindset and energy at work.

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Worker disengagement is on the rise around the world. Even those of us who generally like our jobs sometimes find it hard to muster energy and focus. So what’s the key to regaining motivation? Harvard Business School professor Boris Groysberg and research associate Robin Abrahams share a four part process to help you get your groove back: detachment, empathy, action and reframing. They offer simple tips like thinking in the third person, helping others, and gamification to help get back on track. Groysberg and Abrahams are the authors of the HBR article  “Advice for the Unmotivated.”

ALISON BEARD: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Alison Beard.

Okay, let’s all be honest with each other for a minute. Yes, if you’re listening to this podcast, you’re probably someone who cares a lot about your work and career. I hope you can tell that I care a lot about mine too. But there will come days, maybe even months or years when we just aren’t feeling it. We’ve lost motivation, we’re burnt out, we’re just bored. We’re going through the motions of our jobs, but not enjoying them or excelling in the ways that we could be. This happens from the front lines to the C-suite.

Most of the advice about how to address the problem is directed at managers and organizations: how they can get us more engaged. But is it possible for us to snap ourselves out of these ruts?

Our guests today say it is, and they’ve developed a four-step process for doing so. They’re here to walk us through it. Robin Abrahams is a Research Associate Harvard Business School and Boris Groysberg is a Professor at HBS. Together, they wrote the HBR article, Advice for the Unmotivated. Robin, Boris, welcome.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Thank you. It’s good to be here.

BORIS GROYSBERG: Thank you for having us, Alison.

ALISON BEARD: Let’s start with the problem, which I think that you initially called “The Working Dead” when we were working on the article together. How do you know when you slipped into this kind of disengagement? How do you measure it or quantify it?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: You can’t really quantify it because you know it when you’re there. In the words of William Kahn, who was the person who wrote the first article about disengagement, it’s a withdrawal of the self. You’re just not yourself at work. That’s why we called it The Working Dead, because you do feel like a zombie. You’re not putting forth physical, emotional, cognitive energy. You’re kind of going through the motions. You’re operating on your limbic system a lot of the time.

BORIS GROYSBERG: One executive described it, “I was giving work my time, but I did not give it my heart.” The second one was, “I was feeling empty and frustrated like I was running in a race without a finish line.”

ALISON BEARD: In terms of the responses that you got from reaching out to HBR readers and executive education participants, do you see this happening at every level of the organization?

BORIS GROYSBERG: I guess most interesting things in our research, that we can clearly see this happening at a frontline level of organization. A number of people have told us, “Look, the higher up you are, the less you should feel disengaged.” We have so far had conversations with about 20 plus CEOs. I mean, people who are actually running their own businesses. Disengagement reaches out as high as that group of people as well. So it feels to us it’s present at every level. It plays out in a different way, but it’s certainly present in every level.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: The reason that people get disengaged from their work is because the demands of the job, be it emotional, physical, cognitive, time, logistics, overwhelm their personal resources, the support they’re getting, the amount of time they have, the knowledge they have, et cetera. That can happen at any level of the workplace. Also over the past three years, I would say demands have increased in almost every area of life. Resources are generally not keeping up for a lot of people.

ALISON BEARD: Yeah, I think we’re all keenly aware of that. What about the problem of not necessarily burnout, but boredom, particularly mid-career when you’ve been doing the same job for a long time and can go through the emotions and still be competent?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: If it’s feeling like a problem, then it is a problem. To some extent, this is very much, are you subjectively experiencing this as, “Oh, I have to go into the office again.” Or is it more like, “I’ve got this part of my life handled.” If you’re feeling it as a problem, then I would think it’s, especially these kinds of cases of just boredom, I kind of like the job, but I’m not entirely sure all of that, that our article is really especially well suited to address.

BORIS GROYSBERG: A few years ago, we did a piece on boredom. Some of the dynamics are actually somewhat different. The challenge with disengagement is that many people who are actually disengaged act on that disengagement. Disengagement is kind of costing the person who is disengaged as well as the organization that is employing that person. If you look at this, and I think you mentioned this in introduction, most of the advice and the research has been done like: How can we make Google a better place to work? How can we make John Smith or Jan Smith a better manager?

When we talk about engagement or disengagement, the focus has always been on organization and a manager. Can we make an organization? What are the practices that organization should employ and what can managers do? What Robin and I have experienced over the last few years as doing this project is imagine you are working for an organization that is not doing it, or for a manager that should not be managing. A lot of time we basically say, “Well, you should just leave and get another job.” Many people cannot leave, and so is there anything that you can do to any situation that engagement is not that prevalent to keep yourself more engaged or to keep yourself less disengaged?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: But it really is, I think you hit it, a lot of our advice is very much geared around don’t make your situation worse. Because when people kind of hit an exhausted state, when they hit burnout, they will frequently act out. They’ll pull themselves back even further. They dig themselves into a little doom spiral of learned helplessness, and we’re wanting to arrest that cycle for folks.

ALISON BEARD: Yeah, absolutely. Because you drift into an area where the disengagement isn’t just a bad feeling you have personally, but something that is destroying team culture, that’s diminishing your performance, that eventually might hurt your career.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: That’s diminishing your ability to make wise decisions about what to do with your situation.

ALISON BEARD: Let’s dig into the process. Why don’t you first give us a quick overview of the four steps?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: We call it the DEAR Method for Detachment, Empathy, Action, and Reframing. We did not just put them in that order to make the cool little acronym. It actually sort of works sequentially that people first need to detach from their emotional reactions and give themselves a little bit of distance to develop empathy, kindness for oneself and others that can then lead to appropriate actions to reassert your sense of agency that you can do something in the world, to reframing thinking logically about what is my situation? Is it the job? Is it me? Can I conceive of things in a different way?

ALISON BEARD: Do you see this as sort of a short-term immediate intervention every time you feel yourself disengaging? Or is it more about changing your mindset and behavior for the long-term so that you’re less likely to fall into that state?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: I think both. A number of the things that we’ve advised, if I’m just having a particularly bad day at a job where I’m not… I mean, you don’t go in feeling “Yay, go team,” 100% every single day. Nobody’s like that. Even in a minor slump, I mean, one thing I tend to like to do is if I just feel like I’m not getting anywhere on my work, clean out the office refrigerator because everybody loves it. It puts everyone else slightly in your debt, and you can see the results of what you’ve done. A lot of times just that, having a genuine human connection with a colleague or customer, can be enough to get you over a puddle, but these processes can also be used to help you get across a river.

BORIS GROYSBERG: Also, some of the practices that we describe are just good practices for a long-term career.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: True.

BORIS GROYSBERG: We talk about exercising and self-care. I think there’s a short-term impact of those practices. You mentioned that when you were reading, you were connecting to the ideas of the people. There are days when you just feel you are disengaged. Whatever that is, even though you might enjoy what you do and so on. I think there’s a short-term impact of those strategies, and I think some of them, if you practice them, would help you to build a sustainable long-term career as well.

ALISON BEARD: Detachment is the first step, but it seems like an odd one for people who are already feeling detached. What exactly do you mean and why is it helpful?

BORIS GROYSBERG: It is probably when people ask us, it’s I think out of the four, we keep getting this, “Wow, this is really counterintuitive.” But if you think about why you need this detachment, if you want to disengage a motivated state, having some distance and having some perspective, might be really, really uncomfortable, but long-term can provide you with some ideas or some strategies of how to get re-engaged again.

I mean, we heard stories from people enrolling to take some classes in a different city, taking time off to immerse themselves in something new, to get energized. I still remember a quote from somebody who goes, “The course gave me a lot of new ideas. I found myself feeling eager to start implementing them.” Learning something new can motivate you and get you re-excited about your work.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: But the detachment isn’t just about detaching and finding things outside the work. It’s really about getting a little bit of distance, not from the work per se, but from your own emotions. So things like meditation, exercise, just getting out of doors, feeling your body can help you calm down, get in touch with your feelings a little bit, and get that distance that you need to make the right choices and not be stuck in a kind of flight or fight mode, or “I can’t do anything. Everything’s just terrible.” It will be forever to get yourself out of that emotional reactive pattern. If you weren’t in an emotionally reactive pattern, you wouldn’t have gotten disengaged and burnt out to begin with.

ALISON BEARD: One of the interesting tips was to try to talk to yourself in the third person. Give me an example of how I might get myself motivated to edit a 6,000 word article when I’m just not feeling it by talking to myself in the third person.

BORIS GROYSBERG: Robin and I practice this from time to time.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: I’m not sure that it would motivate you for that. It’s more a question of if you’re trying to decide, oh gosh, do I even want to be in a job where I have to edit 6,000 word articles? Think about it as if it were honestly an HBS business case. Alison Beard woke up that spring morning wondering if she wanted to be here. You think through and you just sort of put yourself as a little protagonist because come on, it is always easier to solve other people’s problems than your own, right? So you think about yourself in the third person, and believe it or not, it will sort of trick your brain into thinking of it as someone else’s problems.

ALISON BEARD: Right. Yeah, what would I tell my best friend to do in this situation?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Exactly. Exactly.

ALISON BEARD: Okay, so the second step is empathy. What’s the advice on this front?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Empathy is very much a sort of two pronged thing. People often first think of it in terms of kindness, sympathy, I feel your pain. But there’s also the cognitive aspect of it, just like I feel your pain. Why did that happen to you? Let’s analyze this. Let’s try to think through other people’s points of view. Both of those are important to sort of re-energizing yourself. It’s also important to have empathy for yourself, have a degree of kindness towards yourself.

One thing that is very characteristic of people who are disengaged or burnt out is that they tend to act like automatons and treat other people in a dehumanizing manner as well. They don’t see the humanity. And to break out of that, to try to make those human connections, honestly fake it until you make it. But having emotional connections with people at work, it can be very crucial.

BORIS GROYSBERG: That’s why if you think about some of the kind of advice that we gave is, I mean, looking for friends and helping others. There’s two executives, their perspective really stand out in my mind. One, she talked about asking questions, looking for one-on-one conversations with employees at time of low motivation. Her quote was, “When I speak with my team, it makes me challenge. I have at hand feel less daunting. The mountain to climb is still there, but the conversation make me feel less alone in climbing.”

People look for those relations. Interesting enough, people reach out to their former mentors and coaches, and maybe if there’s one piece, and it’s kind of indirectly in that bucket, but if I have to add maybe one piece to it that we kind of missed, and I should give credit to a colleague Gamze Yucalglu is kind of practicing gratitude.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Yes, that’s a good one.

BORIS GROYSBERG: It was mentioned a few times. One of the executives said, “I remind myself of things I’m grateful about. This instantly changes my perspective.” That’s kind of like the gratitude practice. If I had to add one more, that’s the one that we probably need.

ALISON BEARD: I think the self-compassion piece is really important too, because I know I find myself when I’m not feeling motivated, getting mad at myself or feeling guilty for not being motivated.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: This is another way that the thinking of yourself in the third person can help, because you wouldn’t be like that lazy, terrible Alison did this and that. You’d be more neutral about it. You take away that voice in your own head.

One of the really fun findings that I discovered when I was looking at the psychological research on all of this is that people who are suffering burnout at work feel better when they help others than when they themselves receive help. If you can do something for another person, you feel powerful, you feel good, you feel like you have a reason to be in this world.

ALISON BEARD: That totally resonates with me. I find that sort of what I do when I’m feeling unmotivated and then also guilty about feeling unmotivated, I will reach out to one of my best work friends, and we might commiserate a little bit, but then I find myself that I’m helping with his problems and he’s talking to me about not feeling bad about my problem. So sort of it’s that empathetic, virtuous circle happening.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS:

Exactly. And even in far worse situations than any workplace really, like POW camps and natural disasters. Boris and I studied a bit about survival psychology during the pandemic, and this is what has enabled people who go through horrific experiences like that without psychological damage, do it because they have connections with other people. You can get through almost anything if you can connect to the people that you’re going through it with.

ALISON BEARD: Okay. So the next step is action, which that actually seems the hardest because the whole point is that we don’t feel that we have the energy or motivation to do anything. You mentioned earlier cleaning out the office refrigerator. What other kind of actions might help?

BORIS GROYSBERG: It’s actually one of the hardest things when you are disengaged, is to take action. Maybe somewhere along the way we provide advice to people, say, look at small things first, tackle the little stuff, the one that you can concentrate on and get things done. Invest in outside activities. A number of people that we interviewed talked about just even simply doing daily to-do lists for both for business and the personal stuff, and setting up specific goals in the morning and then the exercise of crossing things off. Then one person said crossing things off felt like real progress.

Once you do it, you also have to celebrate those small accomplishments and it allows you to be at least feel a little bit more motivating.

ALISON BEARD: I make little boxes that I can do check marks in because that actually feels like happier than crossing things out.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: I mean, we’ve all done the thing where you do the thing and then you write it down on your to-do list, so we can check it off. That’s not just me, right?

ALISON BEARD: 100% I do that.

BORIS GROYSBERG: That would be the three of us. Yeah.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Well, I’m going to take a slightly different tack on this, which is disengaged employees, by and large already are taking action. They’re just frequently taking unhelpful action. They are more likely to drink, use drugs, sleep, watch television, passive internet use on the job, playing pranks on coworkers. These are all dangers of disengagement. The reason – I told you this thing was sequential – the reason that we put emotional detachment, and then empathy first is to kind of get your head in the right space so that the action you take is the appropriate action, because people who are disengaged are often taking inappropriate actions that are just going to make their situation worse.

ALISON BEARD: Yeah. So apart from tackling little tasks, are there any other types of actions you recommend?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: One of the best, and surprisingly, is to invest yourself in something that is not your job, to develop a hobby, some kind of outside activity. There’s been some recent articles published that were really interesting where the assumption going in was that, oh, if somebody has a side hustle or a volunteer commitment, then they’re going to be less engaged at their job. And in fact, it was not the case at all. That sense of agency, empowerment, connection that you get from those other things transfer into the workplace and can make even a job that’s not particularly meaningful, feel meaningful and fulfilling.

BORIS GROYSBERG: If you do the D and the E, the first two steps, it might open up your eyes to see there are some pieces, parts of your jobs or maybe kind of something that – other jobs that exist in organization that you can do that really relates to your strength and can reenergize you as well. So looking for those. I’m talking about special projects, but not the special projects that nobody cares about, but the real special projects that almost enrich your job. We heard it from a number of people when they did the D and the E, it allowed them to see some things in an organization and pick some things that were slightly outside of their work incorporated into their jobs, and that was kind of enough to get them reengaged back at work.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: The curiosity part of the empathy as you’re connecting with people, you’re talking to them about what are their experiences, what’s their area of expertise, will frequently give you some kind of path to moving forward. But if you go into these situations without some emotional detachment and some empathy, you’re just going to be flailing around.

ALISON BEARD: Okay, so finally the last step, reframing. Why is that helpful and how can people practically do it?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Reframing is once you’ve sort of reestablished, as it were, your humanity through empathy, through getting some distance on your own emotions, through taking some action and feeling like you can take meaningful action, reframing is kind of the one where you ask yourself, “Okay, what about the situation though? Is there a different way I can think of my job that will make it more fulfilling? Can I restructure it in some way?” Maybe the answer is yes, and you’ll have a better vision of how to do that. Maybe the answer is no, and then you do need to be moving on, but you’ll have a sense of what you want to be moving on to.

BORIS GROYSBERG: We provide three strategies for people. Examine your work identity, consider how other benefit from your work. But the one that I always… This speaks to me because I think about it a lot in my own work and in my own job is looking at the big picture. There are a number of different ways to get to that. We have an example of somebody who in the energy business. That person joined the leadership program when one of the exercises were to define his core values. Then what he did is got in the habit of asking himself daily what he’s doing today towards those type of core values and prioritize a lot of daily tasks around that.

He claimed that this has been tremendously helpful. So examining your values, why you do this for. And so that would be one. Another person talked about going to dinner with his sister, make him realize what’s in life, health, family, and that he was depleting a lot of his energy on short-term problems that really didn’t matter. This kind of looking at the big picture and also trying to understand what really matters to you is kind really important part of-

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: I feel a kind of idea floating around that people should always find their jobs intrinsically meaningful. Not everybody does. Not everybody gets jobs that are engaging. How do those people get through it? And the main way they do is by thinking about, this is what the job is providing to me. I’m providing for my family, I’m saving for my education, I’m doing this. It enables me to live in this community and do these things. It’s really okay if the job is kind of a means to an end.

ALISON BEARD: Yeah, I think that makes sense.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: There’s been a lot of research on the extent to which when people are doing unpleasant, boring tasks, repetitive physical labor or repetitive clerical labor, or studying long boring things, thinking about what they’re doing it for, what life outcomes they’re doing it for, really does help them get through it.

ALISON BEARD: What happens if you try all of these strategies and you still feel unmotivated? Is it a sign that you need to talk to your manager, that you do need to leave your job?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: It might be a sign that you need to talk to your doctor. I’m not being sarcastic. I mean, there’s a lot of reasons that a person might really feel unable to pull themselves out of it. But yeah, there may be a point at which you do all of these things and then you look around and you’re like, oh, the problem is the situation.

BORIS GROYSBERG: I think if you think about engagement and you think about what’s controllable versus not, you look at research on engagement. There are differences by countries. There are differences by industries. There are even some differences between functions.

Those are things that are not really controllable. If you take a step back and say, “What is controllable?” The controllable thing is the organization you work for, hopefully over a period of time.

The controllable thing that the manager you work for. I always say, if you work for a bad company and you work for a bad manager, you are in hell. If you work for a great company and you work for a great manager, you are in heaven. But many of us are working for a great company and a bad manager or a great manager in a bad company. In those cases, if it’s a company’s great, bad managers, think about job rotations. Even if you’re going to take a lateral assignment, you will feel better. If your manager is the one who creating disengagement, moving to another manager would help you.

If it’s an organization, then not everybody has a chance to move. But you should seriously consider if you should switch organizations. By the way, a lot of people do for a lower compensation. Because what you have is if you can’t change the organization, if you cannot change the manager and you cannot change yourself, those are the three levers that’s available to you.

If you are unable to create engagement energy in yourself, you got to look at other things that you can control. Those are the three yourself, the person that you work for, and maybe the company that you work as well. We don’t advocate for turnover, but there comes the time that says I should be doing something else for somebody else.

ALISON BEARD: Yeah. I’m going to shout-out two players on the Boston Celtics who just took less lucrative contracts to continue to play for the Celtics because they obviously felt they had a good coach at a good organization, which makes me as a fan very happy.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: That’s a perfect example, yeah. And people will make a better choice if they’ve gone through these steps. They won’t run from, instead of to, they won’t resign in a harmful way that blows up their career and possibly who knows what else. They will make better choices if they’ve gone through all four of the steps first.

ALISON BEARD: Do either of you have a specific story about struggling with motivation and how you use this framework or a piece of the framework to get out of that rut?

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: I would say for me, one thing that has always protected me for years now against that kind of loss of motivation is I do invest myself in a lot of activities outside of work. I do theater. I wrote a play that’s going to be produced next year. I’m involved to some extent in my husband’s business. All of those things, it’s like if I’m having a bad day in one area, I can maybe make it up in another. Even if that’s not, I’m learning perspectives in one world that I can put into another, like, oh, this is really interesting. This also applies to this problem that I’m having over here. And so it kind of keeps everything fresh as well as keeping my network of weak ties and people that I don’t know that well active so that I can learn more things, discover new opportunities. Those things can really help inoculate you against that loss of motivation.

ALISON BEARD: Robin, Boris, it was really a pleasure working on this piece with you. I know that it helped me regain my motivation, which I really appreciated, and I hope it’s going to help others. Thanks for talking to me today.

ROBIN ABRAHAMS: Thank you so much.

BORIS GROYSBERG: Thank you very much, Alison.

ALISON BEARD: That’s Research Associate Robin Abrahams and Professor Boris Groysberg, both of Harvard Business School. Together, they wrote the HBR article, Advice for the Unmotivated.

We have more episodes and more podcasts to help you manage your team, your organization, and your career. Find them at HBR.org/podcasts or search HBR in Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Thanks to our team, senior producer Mary Dooe, associate producer Hannah Bates, audio product manager Ian Fox, and senior production specialist, Rob Eckhardt. And thanks to you for listening to the HBR IdeaCast . We’ll be back with a new episode on Tuesday. I’m Alison Beard.

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How to Get Away with Not Doing your Homework: And Score an A

Get Away Not Doing your Homework

Get Away Not Doing your Homework

For many students, writing assignments is something that is hated and avoided if possible. Well, if you are one of them, this post explores ways you can get away with not doing your homework and still scoring a passing grade.

We will explain the excuses for lateness and give tips on how to hire someone to do it for you.

When instructors give homework, they expect students to work hard on it and deliver as per the requirements and within the due date.

how to not do homework and get away with it

However, you can get out of this trouble by hiring our college homework writing service to deliver your grades anytime.

For students, doing homework is daunting, especially when they do not have the time and willingness to complete it. Because of this, some students may decide not to do their assignments.

Need Help with your Homework or Essays?

Ways to get away with not doing your homework.

To get away with not doing any homework and still have a chance to score an A, hire a professional ghostwriter, give excuses to ask for a re-take of the missed assignment, submit a late paper or defer the class altogether.

grade A

However, the most consistent way to escape doing your assignments is by hiring a writer who will deliver the grades and leave you with time to do your other chores.

If you are one of those students who do not like doing their homework, here are some ways to avoid not writing your essay or research paper.

1. Hire a Professional Ghostwriter

Hiring a professional writer is the best method of getting away with not doing your homework.

This is the best way that still guarantees you a score of A if your writer perfects the work. Many professional writers out there will be willing to do your assignment at an affordable price.

The papers delivered by professional ghostwriters are high quality, well-formatted, free from grammatical, spelling, and other errors, and custom-writing. Custom-written papers follow the exact instructions given by your instructor.

You may be wondering where to get professional writers to hire. Well, there are several sites and platforms offering writing services 24/7.

Avoid Homework Get A

Through those sites, you can find a good professional writer to complete the homework on your behalf.

Even when your homework is due within a few hours, professional writers can deliver quality papers before the due date.

However, when hiring a professional writer, ensure that you look for the most trusted sites or platforms.

However, it is worth cautioning you that not all platforms offer quality writing services.

The best strategy to use when determining the credibility and reliability of a site or platform is through their ratings, the number of years they have worked within the writing profession, and the number of satisfied clients or positive reviews.

Once you have identified a good professional writer and site, stick with them so your custom-written homework can be consistent.

2. Request for a Re-take

This is one of the major ways to get away with not doing your homework. Let’s take this scenario. Imagine it’s on a Friday afternoon, and your history instructor tells the class they must write a 4-page essay on some historical subject.

The instructor adds that she will expect the completed essays the following Monday during her next class.

You and your friends had planned a road trip during the weekend and you do not wish to miss out on all the fun. In such a case, you can decide not to do the homework and request a retake.

This is how it works. Since you will have no time to work on the paper during the weekend, prepare yourself with a believable excuse come Monday.

You should have a believable excuse because your instructor will not give you a retake if you do not offer a “valid” reason. They will not entertain the idea of giving you a retake if they sense that you deliberately refused to do the homework.

When the instructor agrees to give you a retake, take that as an opportunity to understand and complete the assignment within the stipulated deadline.

The fact that the instructor has agreed to give you a retake should prompt you to do as required. Such opportunities are rare.

After all, you have enjoyed your weekend instead of doing the homework and have gotten away with it.

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3. Give Excuses for not Doing your Homework

You can also give excuses to get away with not doing your assignment. You can give your instructor several excuses.

Some may work, while others will not. The trick here is to give believable excuses. For example, you cannot give an excuse stating that your family dog ate your homework.

reasons not doing your assignments

This is a stupid excuse. You also cannot give an excuse stating that one of your parents was sick and you were with them in the hospital when your instructor is your parents’ friend.

The point here is that you should avoid giving lame excuses when trying to get away with not doing your homework.

If this is so, what is a valid excuse? This is an excuse that should completely fool your instructor.

Such an excuse is delivered using strategy and strong emotion to evoke empathy from your instructor.

You can say that you could not do the homework because you had to visit your sick grandma in her nursing home or there was an important family gathering for a crucial purpose.

Think outside the box and avoid giving lame excuses when trying to get away with not doing your homework.

4. Submit a Late Paper

Though you will have completed the assignment, in the long run, submitting a late paper can help you get away with not doing your homework.

This especially applies to students with other commitments who cannot deliver the assignment within the due date. Here, you will not submit your paper by the deadline.

You will assume you haven’t noticed the deadline and submit your homework late. If your instructor inquires why you submitted your homework late, state that you were unaware of the deadline. Stick to that and you will get away with it.

5. Drop the Class

Dropping the class as a method of getting away with not doing your homework should be the last resort. This is because dropping an important class will negatively impact your studies and damage your reputation as a student.

However, if you feel that the class is not important to your overall academic pursuits and will not affect your reputation and graduation, you can drop it.

Ideally, there is no need to struggle with an assignment that will not benefit you or that you do not like. But instead of dropping it, you better try to copy your homework or find other ways.

6. Defer or Postpone the Class

You can also postpone the class if you want to get away with not doing your homework. If it is allowed by the institution or the instructor, you can postpone the class and do it in the future.

Postponing will allow you to do other things instead of doing the homework. When you resume the class, it is best to do the assignment because postponing it again can damage your academic reputation.

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Excuses for not Doing your Homework

As aforementioned, good or believable excuses given to your teacher or instructor can help you get away with not doing your assignment. Some of the homework excuses include the following:

  • I did not fully understand the instructions and I wanted you (the instructor or teacher) to clarify some of them before I begin. I did not want to mess up my grade in this class.
  • You can say that you got caught up in a confidential family emergency that took the time I was supposed to complete my homework.
  • I needed more time to understand the instructions. Please help me out.
  • My parents and I visited my sick grandmother at the nursing home during the weekend. Therefore, I could not complete my homework. Could you please allow me to retake it?

There are several possibilities of excuses that can be given to get away with not doing your homework. It is up to you to come up with a believable excuse.

Why we are the Best to Write your Assignments

We offer our writing services 24/7. This means you can place an order any time during the day or night, and our professional writers will deliver quality work within the deadline.

If you have too many assignments, we are here to help you. You only need to place the homework order and provide the relevant instructions. Once done, relax and wait for your quality homework.

ghostwriter for your Homework

We ensure that your homework is unique, with no plagiarized material. Our experienced professional writers use advanced plagiarism-checking tools to detect any matching material.

The editors at Grade Bees work tirelessly to ensure that your homework is error-free and the instructions are followed completely. Our writing services are 100% legal with strict adherence to confidentiality.

Therefore, if you want to get away with not doing your homework, the best method is to hire a professional writer. We offer the best writing services at affordable rates.  

Get that A on your next essay assignment without the hassles. Any topic or subject. 100% Plagiarism-Free Essays.

How to Get out of Doing your Assignments

As we have noted, the best method to use when you wish to avoid not doing your homework is to hire a professional writer from trusted sites or platforms.

By hiring a professional writer, you will submit a quality paper that will get one of the best grades in class. If you hate the writing process , then hiring an expert is the best idea.

Just imagine sitting back and relaxing while a professional writer completes your homework. Just imagine attending a party during the weekend while knowing that a professional writer is doing the assignment on your behalf.

Hiring a professional writer will allow you to do other things without academic consequences. It is very affordable for students.

Jessica Kasen

Jessica Kasen is experienced in academic writing and academic assistance. She is well versed in academia and has a master’s degree in education. Kasen consults with us in helping students improve their grades. She also oversights the quality of work done by our writers.

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COMMENTS

  1. 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.

  2. 3 Ways to Avoid Getting in Trouble for Not Doing Your Homework

    3. Don't plead ignorance. Saying you didn't know it was due or weren't in class when it was assigned won't work, for three big reasons. First, since it's your responsibility, not theirs, to make sure you're up-to-date on assignments, this excuse is pretty much like telling the teacher that it was your own fault.

  3. 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.

  4. 19 Strategies To Overcome Avoidant Behaviors With Homework

    Time Yourself:Anyone can work towards completing just about any task for 10 minutes. Set a timer for 10 minutes. Commit to working until the timer goes off. When the timer goes off, stop and acknowledge what you have accomplished. Recognize this is a small victory. Then, do it again.

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

    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 ...

  6. How To Get Out Of Doing Homework Like A Pro in 2022

    Tell the teacher that you were sick: This is one of the most common ways of getting away with homework. Nobody plans to get sick and such, your teacher will understand. However, you might have to produce a medical report. Say that you were involved in community service: If you have an understanding teacher, you will escape with such an excuse.

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

    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 ...

  8. Should We Get Rid of Homework?

    That takes homework and the acknowledgment that sometimes a student can get a question wrong and, with proper instruction, eventually get it right. Students, read the entire article, then tell us ...

  9. 10 Tips to Reduce Homework Stress

    Here are 10 tips to help your child learn how to make homework less stressful. 1. Stick to a Schedule. Help your child plan out his or her time, scheduling time for homework, chores, activities, and sleep. Keep this schedule handy so your child knows what he or she should be working on, and when. 2.

  10. 30 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Find Motivation to Do Homework

    Do weekly filing of your loose papers, notes, and old homework. Throw away all the papers and notes you no longer need. 23. Stop saying "I have to" and start saying "I choose to.". When you say things like "I have to write my essay" or "I have to finish my science assignment," you'll probably feel annoyed.

  11. 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.

  12. EdNavigator

    Build in breaks. Keep an eye on how long it takes your child to complete their homework. The amount they should have depends on their age and grade level. For longer stretches, ensure students take brain breaks to get the blood flowing and increase alertness. For high school, every 30-45 minutes of studying should be followed by a 10-15-minute ...

  13. 11 Excuses for Not Doing Homework (And How to Stop Making Them)

    Excuse #1: You lack the required knowledge. Let your parents and teacher know if you're taking a class and feel as if you lack the necessary skills or knowledge to complete the homework. Ask your teacher for extra guidance so you don't fall too far behind. See if your parents can find the time to help you, or you can look for a tutor.

  14. How to Get Out of Doing Homework?

    The best way to get out of doing your assignments is to hire one of our professional writers to complete the task for you. Not only do you find the best solution for how to not do your homework and get away with it, but you also stand a chance of scoring good grades. When you hire us to do your assignment, you have the advantage of: A team of ...

  15. How to Prevent Homework Procrastination

    Have your child sit down and plan to take a break after 45 minutes or an hour of work. Make the break short and sweet 5-10 minutes tops is best; move around, and before your child heads out on ...

  16. Homework anxiety: Why it happens and how to help

    Use a calm voice. When kids feel anxious about homework, they might get angry, yell, or cry. Avoid matching their tone of voice. Take a deep breath and keep your voice steady and calm. Let them know you're there for them. Sometimes kids just don't want to do homework. They complain, procrastinate, or rush through the work so they can do ...

  17. Homework challenges and strategies

    The challenge: Managing time and staying organized. Some kids struggle with keeping track of time and making a plan for getting all of their work done. That's especially true of kids who have trouble with executive function. Try creating a homework schedule and set a specific time and place for your child to get homework done.

  18. 4 Ways to Avoid Distractions While Studying

    4. Go off the grid. Texting, social media, calls, and other distractions that come from our electronic devices are some of the biggest barriers to staying focused when studying. Luckily, the fix is easy and totally within your control. Unplug yourself! [3] Turn off notifications on your devices.

  19. 16 Ways to Concentrate on Your Homework

    Get up and walk or stretch occasionally, or even do jumping jacks or run in place for a couple of minutes. Standing up while you work is also a great way to boost your focus. [1] Try sitting on an exercise ball or wobbly chair when you're doing your homework. The movement may help you stay focused.

  20. Homework Pros and Cons

    Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We've known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that "homework had no association with achievement gains" when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7]

  21. 3 Ways to Excuse Yourself from Unfinished Homework

    Teachers are familiar with many excuses, and can often recognize outlandish ones as untrue. [1] 2. Mutilate your assignment so you teacher can't tell you didn't actually do the work. Turn in the illegible or destroyed assignment, so that you can show your "proof" of your excuse. Crumple and tear a paper assignment.

  22. 5 ways to avoid homework battles with your grade-schooler

    2. Take breaks. All kids, not just kids who learn and think differently, can feel overwhelmed at the idea of a long homework session. Encourage short breaks between subjects. Your child can build in a snack break or get up and move around to avoid feeling restless. Taking a little time to reset can make homework time more productive.

  23. Feeling Unmotivated? Here's How to Get Out of the Rut

    So things like meditation, exercise, just getting out of doors, feeling your body can help you calm down, get in touch with your feelings a little bit, and get that distance that you need to make ...

  24. How to Get Away with Not Doing your Homework: And Score an A

    1. Hire a Professional Ghostwriter. Hiring a professional writer is the best method of getting away with not doing your homework. This is the best way that still guarantees you a score of A if your writer perfects the work. Many professional writers out there will be willing to do your assignment at an affordable price.