You’re always praying that you get good marks, but why is it so hard? In this blog I will explain why homework is so hard and how you can get better at it.
Homework allows you to practice what you have learnt, helping reinforce a lesson. So why is it so hard? Well your brain already knows what it needs to know to complete your homework making it easier than usual, but your brain has a trick that makes your homework hard to start.
Habits & Routines
Have you ever done something and felt like it was effortless or that you didn’t even have to think about it? This is known as a habit, your brain came up with this trick to save energy. Habits occur when you complete the same routines over and over again. For example, imagine you are walking through a forest, at first it’s hard but then over time you make a path which makes it easier to cross. Bad habits also start in the same way.
Now that we know habits happen when you complete a routine over a long period of time we need to know what a routine is. A routine is a set of tasks that have a combined end result. For example you buy all the ingredients to make your favorite meal and cook them in a certain order because you like the end result.
This is what causes you avoid your homework, but we can also use this trick to our advantage.
How To Start A Habit
Before you can start a habit you need to break down the task into the smallest, simplest possible parts. This will help make the task easier for your brain to process. It also helps if you set yourself some clear triggers (like at a certain time or place). Now that you have broken down your task you need to do it every day. Continue this until you have turned your routine into a habit. Keep in mind it may be quicker for some to form a habit or it may take longer. Over time you will be able to do this task without having to convince yourself that you want to do it. Habits also get stronger over time .