Two weeks ago, school was just beginning. After getting home from GBN, I sat on the couch and attempted to start my homework. As usual, I was logged on to Facebook. Although I was trying to set a good example for myself, as it was the beginning of the school year, there were just so many distractions. The T.V. was on, and my computer was running a profusion of different applications, including Gmail, Facebook, and Civilization V. The math notebook sitting on the living room table was simply an afterthought.
Finishing my homework seemed impossible until I thought of the perfect solution. Since at GBN there is a block schedule, why bother doing homework over a two night period? It may seem like an act of procrastination, but it is actually pure logic. In this world of over-stimulation and excessive distraction, it is impossible to assume that someone can go an entire day without interruption or interference. Therefore, it is reasonable to assign one day to homework, and one day to Facebook and Civilization V.
When I first thought of this idea, a few issues brewed in my mind. What if we only have one day to complete an assignment? What if there is not enough time in one day to complete it? Both of these problems troubled me, but upon closer inspection, they are not problems at all--rather they are gateways for solutions.
First of all, many assignments are due the day after they are assigned, such as much of my Orlando reading homework. This is solved by schedule postings at the beginning of the week. My English and Social Studies teachers almost always post our homework schedules ahead of time, and all of my other classes are on a block schedule (except for Chinese, which has minimal homework). Therefore, I always have at least two days to do my homework. This is also a solution, because it keeps me organized and gives me a motive to do homework in advance.
In our busy lives, it might seem impossible to complete two days of homework in just one night. But it is actually not that difficult. With our technologic age, many teachers post schedules online, as said before, or just tell us the weekly schedule in the previous class. If we complete a good amount of the homework on Sunday, it eliminates a lot of the stress that comes with a heavy workload. For example, I am currently an entire reading assignment ahead in the book we are reading for English. On top of easing my workload, this also serves as a "just in case" precaution. If I have a lot of homework one night, it's not a huge problem because I am ahead on my homework. This also allows me to get enough sleep, because I will never have so much homework that it is unbearable.
As this thought began to take shape in my head, I really wanted to try this out for myself. That Sunday, I did a majority of the next week’s homework. Because there's no school on Sundays, I was able to finish a lot of my homework while still having some time to myself. Even with fall play auditions that week, my plan worked and I was able to get enough sleep while still completing my assignments without distraction.
This idea burgeoned into a great strategy that I am currently using. It allows me to stay focused with a goal in mind, while still having some free time on the weekdays. I hope to keep this idea with me throughout the year. Although there may be some exceptions due to scheduling and just plain laziness, this thought filled me with hope that this year doesn't have to be so incredibly difficult. By scheduling and organizing time wisely, any student can make life easier, more fun, and more bearable.
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