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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!

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. 

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! 

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. 

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. 

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!)

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.

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.

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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Strategies to make homework go more smoothly.

Routines and incentive systems to help kids succeed

Writer: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Clinical Expert: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Here is the best guide to helping kids do homework successfully that we’ve seen, published by the National Association of School Psychologists on their website, NASPonline.org . Our thanks to NASP for sharing it with us.

There are two key strategies parents can draw on to reduce homework hassles. The first is to establish clear routines around homework, including when and where homework gets done and setting up daily schedules for homework. The second is to build in rewards or incentives to use with children for whom “good grades” is not a sufficient reward for doing homework.

Homework Routines

Tasks are easiest to accomplish when tied to specific routines. By establishing daily routines for homework completion, you will not only make homework go more smoothly, but you will also be fostering a sense of order your child can apply to later life, including college and work.

Step 1. Find a location in the house where homework will be done. The right location will depend on your child and the culture of your family. Some children do best at a desk in their bedroom. It is a quiet location, away from the hubbub of family noise. Other children become too distracted by the things they keep in their bedroom and do better at a place removed from those distractions, like the dining room table. Some children need to work by themselves. Others need to have parents nearby to help keep them on task and to answer questions when problems arise. Ask your child where the best place is to work. Both you and your child need to discuss pros and cons of different settings to arrive at a mutually agreed upon location.

Step 2. Set up a homework center. Once you and your child have identified a location, fix it up as a home office/homework center. Make sure there is a clear workspace large enough to set out all the materials necessary for completing assignments. Outfit the homework center with the kinds of supplies your child is most likely to need, such as pencils, pens, colored markers, rulers, scissors, a dictionary and thesaurus, graph paper, construction paper, glue and cellophane tape, lined paper, a calculator, spell checker, and, depending on the age and needs of your child, a computer or laptop. If the homework center is a place that will be used for other things (such as the dining room table), then your child can keep the supplies in a portable crate or bin. If possible, the homework center should include a bulletin board that can hold a monthly calendar on which your child can keep track of longterm assignments. Allowing children some leeway in decorating the homework center can help them feel at home there, but you should be careful that it does not become too cluttered with distracting materials.

Step 3. Establish a homework time. Your child should get in the habit of doing homework at the same time every day. The time may vary depending on the individual child. Some children need a break right after school to get some exercise and have a snack. Others need to start homework while they are still in a school mode (i.e., right after school when there is still some momentum left from getting through the day). In general, it may be best to get homework done either before dinner or as early in the evening as the child can tolerate. The later it gets, the more tired the child becomes and the more slowly the homework gets done.

Step 4. Establish a daily homework schedule. In general, at least into middle school, the homework session should begin with your sitting down with your child and drawing up a homework schedule. You should review all the assignments and make sure your child understands them and has all the necessary materials. Ask your child to estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment. Then ask when each assignment will get started. If your child needs help with any assignment , then this should be determined at the beginning so that the start times can take into account parent availability. A Daily Homework Planner is included at the end of this handout and contains a place for identifying when breaks may be taken and what rewards may be earned.

Incentive Systems

Many children who are not motivated by the enjoyment of doing homework are motivated by the high grade they hope to earn as a result of doing a quality job. Thus, the grade is an incentive, motivating the child to do homework with care and in a timely manner. For children who are not motivated by grades, parents will need to look for other rewards to help them get through their nightly chores. Incentive systems fall into two categories: simple and elaborate.

Simple incentive systems. The simplest incentive system is reminding the child of a fun activity to do when homework is done. It may be a favorite television show, a chance to spend some time with a video or computer game, talking on the telephone or instant messaging, or playing a game with a parent. This system of withholding fun things until the drudgery is over is sometimes called Grandma’s Law because grandmothers often use it quite effectively (“First take out the trash, then you can have chocolate chip cookies.”). Having something to look forward to can be a powerful incentive to get the hard work done. When parents remind children of this as they sit down at their desks they may be able to spark the engine that drives the child to stick with the work until it is done.

Elaborate incentive systems. These involve more planning and more work on the part of parents but in some cases are necessary to address more significant homework problems. More complex incentives systems might include a structure for earning points that could be used to “purchase” privileges or rewards or a system that provides greater reward for accomplishing more difficult homework tasks. These systems work best when parents and children together develop them. Giving children input gives them a sense of control and ownership, making the system more likely to succeed. We have found that children are generally realistic in setting goals and deciding on rewards and penalties when they are involved in the decision-making process.

Building in breaks. These are good for the child who cannot quite make it to the end without a small reward en route. When creating the daily homework schedule, it may be useful with these children to identify when they will take their breaks. Some children prefer to take breaks at specific time intervals (every 15 minutes), while others do better when the breaks occur after they finish an activity. If you use this approach, you should discuss with your child how long the breaks will last and what will be done during the breaks (get a snack, call a friend, play one level on a video game). The Daily Homework Planner includes sections where breaks and end-of-homework rewards can be identified.

Building in choice. This can be an effective strategy for parents to use with children who resist homework. Choice can be incorporated into both the order in which the child agrees to complete assignments and the schedule they will follow to get the work done. Building in choice not only helps motivate children but can also reduce power struggles between parents and children.

Developing Incentive Systems

Step 1. Describe the problem behaviors. Parents and children decide which behaviors are causing problems at homework time. For some children putting homework off to the last minute is the problem; for others, it is forgetting materials or neglecting to write down assignments. Still others rush through their work and make careless mistakes, while others dawdle over assignments, taking hours to complete what should take only a few minutes. It is important to be as specific as possible when describing the problem behaviors. The problem behavior should be described as behaviors that can be seen or heard; for instance, complains about h omework or rushes through homework, making many mistakes are better descriptors than has a bad attitude or is lazy.

Step 2. Set a goal. Usually the goal relates directly to the problem behavior. For instance, if not writing down assignments is the problem, the goal might be: “Joe will write down his assignments in his assignment book for every class.”

Step 3. Decide on possible rewards and penalties. Homework incentive systems work best when children have a menu of rewards to choose from, since no single reward will be attractive for long. We recommend a point system in which points can be earned for the goal behaviors and traded in for the reward the child wants to earn. The bigger the reward, the more points the child will need to earn it. The menu should include both larger, more expensive rewards that may take a week or a month to earn and smaller, inexpensive rewards that can be earned daily. It may also be necessary to build penalties into the system. This is usually the loss of a privilege (such as the chance to watch a favorite TV show or the chance to talk on the telephone to a friend).

Once the system is up and running, and if you find your child is earning more penalties than rewards, then the program needs to be revised so that your child can be more successful. Usually when this kind of system fails, we think of it as a design failure rather than the failure of the child to respond to rewards. It may be a good idea if you are having difficulty designing a system that works to consult a specialist, such as a school psychologist or counselor, for assistance.

Step 4. Write a homework contract. The contract should say exactly what the child agrees to do and exactly what the parents’ roles and responsibilities will be. When the contract is in place, it should reduce some of the tension parents and kids often experience around homework. For instance, if part of the contract is that the child will earn a point for not complaining about homework, then if the child does complain, this should not be cause for a battle between parent and child: the child simply does not earn that point. Parents should also be sure to praise their children for following the contract. It will be important for parents to agree to a contract they can live with; that is, avoiding penalties they are either unable or unwilling to impose (e.g., if both parents work and are not at home, they cannot monitor whether a child is beginning homework right after school, so an alternative contract may need to be written).

We have found that it is a rare incentive system that works the first time. Parents should expect to try it out and redesign it to work the kinks out. Eventually, once the child is used to doing the behaviors specified in the contract, the contract can be rewritten to work on another problem behavior. Your child over time may be willing to drop the use of an incentive system altogether. This is often a long-term goal, however, and you should be ready to write a new contract if your child slips back to bad habits once a system is dropped.

Click here to download the homework planner and incentive sheet .

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Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

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How to Make a Better Homework Schedule for Your Family

Verywell / Zackary Angeline

Why Homework Schedules Are Effective

• Developing a Schedule

Other Considerations

Do you frequently have homework struggles with your child or teen? Or, does your student procrastinate doing their work? Maybe they even fail to turn in assignments. If any of these scenarios resonate with you, a better homework schedule may help.

A regular homework schedule establishes predictable times when homework is to be completed. Once the homework schedule has been in place for a few weeks, you may even find your child will begin doing their homework without needing to be reminded—although you may still need to monitor their work progress.

If you're struggling with homework completion in your household, or if you're having daily battles about allotting the appropriate amount of time to homework, you're not alone. That's why educators recommend developing a homework schedule—with input from your kids.

Once you set a homework schedule, then there are no questions about when the work will be done. It also communicates clear expectations; having a homework schedule helps kids understand what is required of them. And following the schedule encourages them to develop a good work ethic.

Schedules also help prevent procrastination and instill good habits like completing work on time. Homework routines also improve study skills and encourage kids to plan ahead.

Other benefits include developing your child's work ethic and organizational abilities. By helping your child complete their work at regular intervals, you are modeling how to manage time and projects in the future. When you send them off to college , they will know how to pace their work so they can avoid all-nighters at the end of the semester.

How to Develop a Homework Schedule

To develop a homework schedule, start by talking with your kids. Get their input on how they would like to manage their time and incorporate their homework into their daily routine. A successful homework schedule allows kids to finish their work and also have some free time.

Give Kids an Option

If you ask kids when they want to do their homework, their first answer might be "Never" or "Later." But if you dig a little deeper, your child may tell you what matters to them as they plan their schedule. This information will help you avoid scheduling homework during their favorite television program or when they usually get online to play games with friends.

When you include your child in the decision-making process, you also will get more buy-in from them because they know that their concerns were heard. You don't have to give them their way, but at least considering what they have to say will let them feel included. After all, this homework schedule is about them completing their homework.

Allow for Free Time

Some kids can step through the front door and buckle down on their homework right away. When this happens, they reap the reward of getting their work done early and having the rest of the evening to do what they want. But most kids need to eat and decompress a bit before tackling their assignments.

As you develop your homework schedule, keep in mind your child has already spent at least six hours in class. And this time doesn't include getting to and from school or participation in extracurricular programs . Allow kids some free time before beginning their homework if that's what they need to unwind.

Establish a Timeline

Generally, you can expect about 10 minutes of homework per grade level of school. This means that a third-grade student will need about 30 minutes to complete homework. However, the amount of time needed can vary dramatically between students, teachers, and schools.

Find out how much time your child's teacher expects homework to take each evening. If your child takes a lot of time to complete their work or struggles with homework , talk with the teacher. Your child may need extra instruction on a task or tutoring assistance—or fewer homework assignments.

Pick a Homework Spot

Designate a comfortable and efficient spot for your kids to do their homework. This workspace should be well-lit, stocked with supplies , and quiet. The workspace should allow you to provide some supervision. 

If you have multiple kids trying to complete their homework at one time, you may want to find a separate location for each child. Sometimes kids can complete their homework together at the kitchen table, but other times having siblings around can be distracting. Do what works best for your family.

Put It All Together

Now that you know what your child's needs and concerns are for finding a time to do homework, you need to come up with the actual plan. Creating a homework routine is really just one piece of creating a daily school year routine .

For the homework time itself, get it down on paper so you can see exactly what they will be doing and when they will be doing it. Do this for each day of the week if you have different activities on different weekdays. Students who are assigned larger projects will need to review their homework plans regularly to make adjustments as needed.

Expect your child to work consistently throughout the assigned time. Avoid having multiple homework sessions, such as one before dinner and a second one after dinner. Starting and stopping may mean children may spend more time getting into what they are doing than working continuously.

Be Consistent

Once you have decided on a time to do homework, stick to the plan! It usually takes about three weeks for most children to really get into the habit of their new schedule.

If your child or teen has difficulty maintaining concentration for the length of time that their homework should take, then you may want to carefully consider breaking up the work to take advantage of the time when your child can focus.

This added step is especially important for children and teens with depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They may benefit from multiple smaller work sessions and more frequent breaks.

Even though the idea behind creating a homework schedule is to get your child to work consistently and independently, you may need to look over their work when they are done. This is especially important for younger children.

Make sure they understand their assignments and that they completed a reasonable amount of work during the homework session. If you find your child is having trouble actually working during their homework time, troubleshoot to find out what might be the issue. Sometimes kids need extra help and other times they simply need more motivation to get their work done.

If you find that your child continues to struggle with homework even with a schedule in place, you might need to dig a little deeper. Consider discussing your child's issues with their teacher or pediatrician.

Sometimes kids are reluctant to complete their homework because of undiagnosed learning disabilities. It could be that your child struggles with reading comprehension or has a processing disorder. Or it could be that your child is struggling with a mental health issue like anxiety .

A Word From Verywell

Establishing a homework schedule allows children to build some important life skills that will help them as they navigate high school, college, and eventually the workforce. Practice is important when kids are learning new skills. So, having a nightly homework routine enhances your child's learning. Just be sure you aren't requiring homework time at the expense of being a kid. Having time to play is just as important to a child's development as learning new material.

National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder .

By Lisa Linnell-Olsen Lisa Linnell-Olsen has worked as a support staff educator, and is well-versed in issues of education policy and parenting issues.

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How many times have you found yourself still staring at your textbook around midnight (or later!) even when you started your homework hours earlier? Those lost hours could be explained by Parkinson’s Law, which states, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, if you give yourself all night to memorize those geometry formulas for your quiz tomorrow, you’ll inevitably find that a 30 minute task has somehow filled your entire evening.

We know that you have more homework than ever. But even with lots and lots to do, a few tweaks to your study routine could help you spend less time getting more accomplished. Here are 8 steps to make Parkinson’s Law work to your advantage:

1. Make a list

This should be a list of everything that has to be done that evening. And we mean, everything—from re-reading notes from this morning’s history class to quizzing yourself on Spanish vocabulary.

2. Estimate the time needed for each item on your list

You can be a little ruthless here. However long you think a task will take, try shaving off 5 or 10 minutes. But, be realistic. You won’t magically become a speed reader.

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3. Gather all your gear

Collect EVERYTHING you will need for the homework you are working on (like your laptop for writing assignments and pencils for problem sets). Getting up for supplies takes you off course and makes it that much harder to get back to your homework.

The constant blings and beeps from your devices can make it impossible to focus on what you are working on. Switch off or silence your phones and tablets, or leave them in another room until it’s time to take a tech break.

Read More: How to Calculate Your GPA

5. Time yourself

Noting how much time something actually takes will help you estimate better and plan your next study session.

6. Stay on task

If you’re fact checking online, it can be so easy to surf on over to a completely unrelated site. A better strategy is to note what information you need to find online, and do it all at once at the end of the study session.

7. Take plenty of breaks

Most of us need a break between subjects or to break up long stretches of studying. Active breaks are a great way to keep your energy up. Tech breaks can be an awesome way to combat the fear of missing out that might strike while you are buried in your work, but they also tend to stretch much longer than originally intended. Stick to a break schedule of 10 minutes or so.

8. Reward yourself! 

Finish early? If you had allocated 30 minutes for reading a biology chapter and it only took 20, you can apply those extra 10 minutes to a short break—or just move on to your next task. If you stay on track, you might breeze through your work quickly enough to catch up on some Netflix.

Our best piece of advice? Keep at it. The more you use this system, the easier it will become. You’ll be surprised by how much time you can shave off homework just by focusing and committing to a distraction-free study plan.

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The Smartest Time For Homework

As many students start their second semester, it's important that they finish the school year on a high note. This may mean studying more and altering their homework routine . While some kids work best after school, others may have more focus after a playdate. Here, real moms share their opinion on the optimal homework time.

Right After School

Many moms find that the best time for kids to do homework is directly after school, before distractions set in. As Lori C. shares, " It's a lot easier than pulling them away from the TV or a video game once they've started playing. " Janet T. also recommends this routine: "I have my kids do it directly after school. I feel that by doing this I am instilling the 'work first, play second' mentality . I also believe that I am teaching them to be responsible and not procrastinate."

After a Play Break

Other moms find that allowing kids a postschool break for a little play before settling them down to do homework works well, as it helps them burn off bottled-up energy. As Pam C. notes, the wane of daylight may be another reason to consider a play break before homework time. "Once it starts getting dark early, I do let her go out to play first, only because there is limited daylight playtime, and she's not allowed out after dark."

Around Dinner Time

Many moms find that a before-dinner homework routine is best. "We tried waiting until after dinner, but then the homework seems to take twice as long , thus bedtime gets later and later," says Kim H.

But not everyone finds this to be an issue, and many have their kids buckle down for homework right after eating. " What works best for us is to do it later ," Theresa P. says. "After getting off the bus, none are ready to sit down and concentrate. I let them have a snack, then go play to burn off their energy, have dinner, then it's homework time." Diane D. agrees. " It's just like when an adult gets home from work , they want to unwind a bit before going out to mow the lawn. Let 'em relax a bit too! School is work as well, they just do not get paid. Their brains needs to reboot, and a snack and play time will help. I say after dinner is the best bet."

Thinking of changing your child's routine? Test out each method for a few days, then switch to something new. Once your child finds a time that works best for them, make sure they stick to it!

What's your child's homework routine?

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It’s science: The best times of day to do everything

Be a time-management pro: Here are the best times of day to do seven things.

Your usual routine has probably been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. As you work toward a new normal, time management is now left more up to you each day. It’s a good idea to create a structure for getting things done.

Fortunately, science can help you determine the best times to do certain activities, from working out to prepping for a test to sending an email. Here’s a look at the best times to tackle seven common college activities.

The best time to:

Work out: 7:00 a.m..

Studies show that exercising at 7:00 a.m. can actually shift your body clock earlier, meaning you’ll be more alert and awake when you start your day. Earlier-morning sweats can also lead to better mental health and productivity throughout the day, so you’re more likely to finish that paper early or crank out an extra study session.

Write a paper: 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Creative ability is highest during and immediately after sleep. According to research, this is when the prefrontal cortex is most active. Additionally, says Daniel Pink, author of “When,” this is when your attention span is at its peak and when you are least likely to be distracted. Meanwhile, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. is what he calls the “trough period,” or the period of lowest performance, and it’s when our minds are likely to wander.

Send an email: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Weekdays tend to be better than weekends for sending emails, and the middle of the day is the best time. Open rates peak then, which is helpful for emails to professors regarding questions about that assignment you’re working on or emails to employers about internship applications.

Take a snack break: 10:30 a.m.

Experts recommend keeping your snack habit relegated to between meals, as opposed to after your last meal of the day. So, if you typically eat breakfast at 7:00 a.m., and lunch at noon, have a snack somewhere in between. Bonus tip: Try snacking on foods with plenty of protein and fiber, which will help you feel satisfied until your next meal.

Nap: 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Aim to nap for only 10 to 30 minutes, or you’re likely to feel groggy instead of refreshed. Also, take your nap before 3:00 p.m. Naps later in the afternoon can affect your nighttime sleep schedule, and that will leave you feeling more tired than rested, in the long run.

Tidy up: 4:00 p.m.

Late afternoon is the best time of day to clean your room, organize your desk, or tidy up in general. Research shows that at 4:00 p.m., hand-eye coordination peaks, and mood levels are high, making it a great time to pick up around the house and get organized.

Study: 4:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Studies show that better learning happens later in the day. This is because the analytical parts of our brains, the parts that scrutinize data and memorize facts, become more active as the day goes on.

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Best Time for Homework

As a general rule, most children need a break when they first get home from school. Fifteen to 20 minutes for a snack and a talk about their day can help them to unwind from the hectic pace of school, and then they'll feel rested and ready for homework. The break can be extended if they need a little more down time, but if you wait too long to get started, homework can move into dinner and bath time. For most children, the ideal is to have a break when they get home, do homework, then have some time to relax before and after dinner.

As the new school year starts, you can try different schedules for a week at a time until you find one that meets the needs of your children.

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The best time for elementary and teen students to do homework

Dick Uliano | [email protected]

August 26, 2014, 7:10 PM

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WASHINGTON — Kids in Maryland and D.C. are back in school this week; many students in Northern Virginia return next week. So it’s a good time to get the homework habit right.

“There are really five times kids can do homework: right after school; after about a 30-minute break; before dinner; after dinner; or right before bed,” says Ann Dolin, a former Fairfax County teacher and founder of Educational Connections Tutoring.

Some teachers pile on homework these days, especially for kids in 6th grade and higher. To get it all done, a little planning may be in order. Dolin says she believes the best homework time for elementary school students is a bit after school.

“Elementary students usually need some downtime after they return home from school or an extra-curricular activity,” Dolin says. She recommends a homework start time for elementary students about 30 minutes after getting home.

It may be harder to set an exact homework start time for adolescents.

“For older students, consider having the family policy that homework starts before dinner. This step, in itself, will greatly reduce late-night stress,” Dolin says.

Parents should help students with school projects. Dolin says the younger the child, the more involved the parents have to be. But, she says, it should be the student’s project — not the parents’.

“In general, a parent’s pencil should never touch the paper,” Dolin says.

Parents can lay the groundwork — perhaps have the child write out the steps that the project requires — and parents can prod the child to get the project done.

Get a list of all area school start dates on WTOP.com.

Related Stories:

• Parents, are you doing your child’s homework?
• Study: Stress of homework hurts students’ grades
• Tips for a peaceful homework time

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page .

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6 ways to boost your car trade-in value: Plan ahead for the best deal

Key takeaways.

• Start by finding out the value of your car through Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds.
• Boost the car’s value by fixing any mechanical issues and cleaning it for curb appeal. Then, shop around and negotiate for the best price.
• Time your trade-in for periods of higher value, such as winter for 4-wheel drive vehicles, but avoid trading in if you still owe money on the car.

According to Kelley Blue Book , it’s still a seller’s market for used cars. Used car inventory remains thin, meaning dealerships are motivated to pay a good price for your car.

If the market changes have encouraged you to trade in your car for a new set of wheels, don’t speed to the dealer and miss a good deal. Follow these steps to boost the car’s trade-in value and negotiate the best price.

1. Do your homework

Knowing the value of your ca r is important, particularly if you plan to trade it in. Research to find your vehicle’s current trade-in value.

You can use sources like Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds to get its current sale value, though you should also be honest with yourself about repairs and your vehicle’s condition. You likely won’t get the current sale value as a car trade-in value unless the car is in truly pristine condition.

Also, remember that you’ll get less for your trade-in than you would if you sold your car on your own.

“Many people think they are going to get the top value, but dealers taking in the trade need a margin of profit and will offer you less than the trade-in price listed on these sites,” says auto expert Lauren Fix.

2. Take care of known mechanical problems

The mechanical and physical condition of your car are big drivers of value. So, it’s best to resolve any issues that are relatively simple to fix.

In general, minor repairs that don’t cost much out of pocket and are likely to increase the resale value of your vehicle are worth considering. This might include small cosmetic fixes such as dents and scratches or replacing lights that are out.

Research repairs that increase the resale value of your car and the expense associated with each repair to decide which repairs will be the most cost-effective.

You should also check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration database for any vehicle recalls affecting your car. Recalled parts can be fixed free of charge, and the extra effort may up your car’s value.

Keep receipts for repairs and maintenance, and check your files for old ones. These can prove to the dealer or buyer that you cared for the vehicle. Consider pulling a car history report for your vehicle for the dealer to review when evaluating your trade-in.

3. Make sure that your car looks its best

Fix points out that a clean and well-maintained car is most likely to get the highest trade-in value.

“Clean the vehicle inside and out,” she says. “Detailing the car is like staging a home for resale.”

In other words, curb appeal matters.

4. Shop around for trade-in value

Zach Shefska, president and CEO of CarEdge, says it’s important to “shop around” your car for trade-in potential.

“Get as many competitive quotes for your trade-in as possible before engaging with the dealer,” he says.

Seek quotes from Carvana , CarMax and any other major used car dealers in your area before discussing your trade-in with the dealer you plan to buy from. You can use these figures and other research you do on pricing to estimate your car’s baseline value.

5. Negotiate car trade-in value and purchase price separately

Negotiating your trade-in and purchasing separately ensures you get the best trade-in value possible and the best price on the new vehicle you’re buying.

Shefska recommends that buyers watch out for dealerships that try to combine the two transactions into one deal. They do this because there are more opportunities for a dealer to generate profits when working on two transactions at once.

It’s also a good idea to get the trade-in offer in writing. This protects you from the dealer changing or going back on its offer for any reason. A formal offer is especially important if you leave the dealership to shop around further and return to the same dealer later.

6. Time your trade-in

Trading in your car to buy another vehicle may work better some times of the year than others , depending on the year, make and model of your vehicle. Weather conditions and other factors could also affect the offer you receive.

Matthew Kircher, financial advisor and president at Fairpoint Wealth Management, says he recently timed his trade-in value based on demand.

He purchased a new 2021 Toyota 4Runner and traded in his old Ford Escape in January 2021. He was strategic about timing. He knew that all-wheel-drive SUVs would be in high demand during winter, right before the spring college semester.

“We waited until the perfect time to trade in our used vehicle to boost its value,” Kircher says. “We also timed it perfectly, with the best offers for new vehicles coinciding at the same time.”

The first two quarters of the year can also be a good time to trade in a vehicle because buyer demand tends to be higher. Dealers need more vehicles on their lots to meet the demand and may offer a higher price for your trade-in.

Trading in a car when you owe money on it

Trading in may not be the right choice if you’re still paying off your car , particularly if you owe more than your car is worth . You may want to postpone your next car purchase or sell the car on your own to earn a higher price. But if you trade it in, the negative equity doesn’t just disappear and is likely to roll into the subsequent car loan.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions against using a dealership that promises to “pay off your loan no matter how much you owe.” While a dealership might pay off your old loan, it must make up the difference somewhere — and that “somewhere” will eventually catch up with you.

“Dealers may include the negative equity in consumers’ new car loan,” writes the FTC. “That would increase their monthly payments by adding principal and interest.”

The bottom line

Ensuring you get the best trade-in value can help you get a lower price and monthly payment on the new or used vehicle you want. It’s well worth it to research, make much-needed repairs, spruce up your ride and secure multiple quotes.

When it’s time to buy, use the same research skills to compare auto loans. A dealership you’re working with might offer in-house financing , but that doesn’t mean it’s the best deal. You may be able to get preapproved for an auto loan online with better terms and use the loan offer as leverage when negotiating a deal on your next car purchase.

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Is it better to work out in the morning or at night?

For men, an evening workout offered more benefit. For women, the answer varied, depending on whether the goal was to burn fat or build muscle.

There is no wrong time to exercise, but there may be some times that are more right than others.

The best time of day to exercise can depend on your gender and even whether you want to burn fat or get stronger, according to a helpful new study of men, women and exercise timing.

It found that, for women, morning workouts zapped abdominal fat and improved blood pressure better than late-day training. For men, evening exercise led to greater fat burning and better blood pressure control. Evening exercise also amplified the benefits of strength training, but more so for women.

Studies of exercise timing are part of the burgeoning science of chronobiology, which focuses on how our internal clocks affect almost every aspect of our physiology.

Human bodies, like those of other mammals, plants, reptiles and insects, operate on an innate 24-hour circadian rhythm , with a master clock system in our brains sending and receiving biochemical signals that coordinate with molecular clocks inside our cells to direct a boggling symphony of biological processes.

This rhythm, in turn, responds to signals from the outside world, especially daylight and darkness, but also when we eat, sleep and exercise.

Recent studies in mice allowed large groups of rodents to run on exercise wheels at varying times of day. The studies showed that the animals’ heart rates, fat burning, gene expression and body weights change substantially, depending on when they exercise — even if the exercise itself is the same.

Human studies of exercise timing have been more contradictory, though. Some show people burn extra fat and lose more weight by exercising early, especially before breakfast, while others suggest we gain greater health benefits from afternoon or evening workouts .

But most of these studies were small and involved only men with metabolic conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or obesity. So we have known little about optimal exercise timing for healthy men — and even less about the best timing for women. Which is why the new study is so meaningful.

A real-world study of exercise timing

Published in May in Frontiers in Physiology, the research was designed to reflect real-world demographics, said Paul Arciero, the director of the Human Nutrition, Performance & Metabolism Laboratory at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the study’s lead author.

All of the volunteers self-identified as male or female, and more than half of the 56 participants were women. They also were all healthy and physically active but not athletes.

The researchers tested the volunteers’ health, strength and fitness, then randomly divided them into two groups, with equal numbers of men and women. One group was asked to exercise four times a week in the morning, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. The other group was instructed to exercise in the evening, between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.

Each group took part in an identical workout. Once a week, they lifted weights. The next day, they did about 35 minutes of interval training (running, swimming or cycling as hard as possible for about a minute, resting and repeating). Another day, they did yoga or Pilates. They ended the week with about an hour of running, cycling or other aerobic exercise.

The groups maintained this routine for 12 weeks, then returned to the lab for retesting.

Everyone in the study was leaner, faster, fitter, stronger, healthier and more flexible, whether they worked out early or late.

Do you want to shed belly fat? Or build strength?

But there were relevant differences between the groups based on what time of day they exercised. Here’s what the researchers found:

• For women, fat burned away better in the morning. The female early exercisers dropped, on average, about 3 percent more total body fat than the evening exercisers, with much of the loss coming from their waistlines. The morning exercisers shed about 7 percent more abdominal fat than women working out in the evening. (None of the volunteers’ total body weight fell, since they gained muscle as they lost fat.)
• Morning exercise also lowered blood pressure in female exercisers significantly better than the same workouts in the evening.
• Evening exercise by women, meanwhile, amplified strength gains. Overall, the evening exercisers improved their upper body strength by 7 percent more than the morning group, and they also powered through more sit-ups and push-ups.
• For men, evening exercise was the clear winner in terms of health. The evening exercisers significantly lowered their cholesterol levels, while the morning exercisers, surprisingly, slightly raised theirs. Evening exercise also fired up men’s fat-burning. By the end of the study, the bodies of the male evening exercisers were burning about 28 percent more fat during workouts than at the start, a shift that can drive body-fat loss. The morning group’s fat-burning grew only slightly.
• Any time was the right time, though, for men to up their strength and fitness. Among the men, morning and evening exercisers raised their bench press, leg press, sit-up, push-up and other strength bests by about the same extent, whether they exercised early or late.

What these results mean in practical terms is that women with specific health or fitness goals may want to finesse the timing of their workouts, Arciero said. If you are a woman hoping to lose inches around the middle, consider morning workouts. If your goal is strength, evening workouts might be more effective.

For men, exercising early or late seems comparable for strength and fitness, but evening exercise could have special advantages for health, Arciero said.

Still, “it is early days yet with regard to providing individualized prescriptions for the optimal time of day to exercise,” said John Hawley, the head of the Exercise and Nutrition Research Program at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia, who has extensively studied exercise metabolism and timing but was not involved with this study.

He pointed out that the new study did not control for women’s menstrual cycles or track people’s chronotypes — whether they naturally were morning or evening people — both of which could influence exercise responses. It also did not include midday exercise or look into why men and women reacted so differently to exercise timing. Arciero suspects hormones and other cellular and genetic effects, and plans follow-up studies to learn more, he said.

For now, the study’s key takeaway is that timing may fine-tune what we gain from exercise. But we benefit, regardless, so, “any time of day that you choose to exercise is the right time,” Hawley said.

Do you have a fitness question? Email [email protected] and we may answer your question in a future column.

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How to Make the Most of Summer

You don’t need a vacation to embrace a sunnier state of mind.

By Jancee Dunn

Summer may be a few weeks away, but Memorial Day weekend is often when people start asking if you have vacation plans. And for many reasons, including work demands or a tight budget, the answer might be “nope.”

But you can still find ways to enjoy the summer even if you can’t get away, whether it’s getting more ice cream into your life, bringing flowers from your backyard to work, or taking a nightly firefly walk.

The trick is to look for small opportunities to appreciate the season, said Peter Economou, an assistant professor of applied psychology at Rutgers University. “You do have to create them,” he added. “They won’t just fall into your lap.”

So I asked him and other experts for advice on how to savor the summer.

Create a summer ritual at work.

If you work indoors, see if you can move any tasks outside, such as taking a call or a meeting in the park, said Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and the author of “Slow Productivity.”

Working outside, he said, varies your day, connects you to nature and can unlock more interesting thoughts .

If you can’t work outside, eat lunch outdoors, Dr. Economou added. On warm days, he said, sometimes he’ll take a break to watch pups at a nearby dog park.

You can also establish some low-key summer rituals at work, like a Friday night drink with co-workers, suggested Kandi Wiens, a workplace stress researcher at the University of Pennsylvania and the author of “Burnout Immunity.” Emphasize that it’s optional so no one feels pressured, Dr. Wiens said.

Or you could organize a potluck lunch where each person brings a favorite summer dish every week, Dr. Wiens added. (This corn and tomato salad recipe is my go-to.)

Seize the daylight.

If your work hours are flexible, ask your supervisor if you can come in an hour ahead, so you can leave earlier and enjoy the extra daylight hours, Dr. Economou suggested.

Since the sun sets later this time of year, your time after work “can feel like a whole extra day,” Dr. Newport said.

So during the summer, try to be “extra committed” to leaving work on time, he said. And remember to take your vacation time, even if you’re not going anywhere. Nearly half of U.S. workers don’t take their paid time off, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey .

Create a ‘fun file’ for weekends.

Try to approach your summer weekends with a vacation mind-set, said Mike Rucker, a behavioral scientist and the author of “The Fun Habit.” A 2021 study found that people who viewed their weekends as vacations reported greater happiness levels the following Monday.

Dr. Rucker suggested creating a “fun file” — a list of simple, achievable things you want to do this summer. Focus on day trips that you can do for a few hours.

And most communities, large and small, offer free or low-cost events during the summer — like outdoor concerts and festivals, Dr. Rucker added, so check your community newspaper, library or local government website.

Build in weekday summer pleasures.

Send a group text to your neighbors for a spontaneous meet-up at an ice cream truck, or host a weeknight dinner in your backyard or local park. “These activities foster a sense of togetherness and make the summer feel special,” Dr. Rucker said.

Or think of summer activities that you used to love as a kid, like riding a bike or playing basketball, added Dr. Wiens, and see if you can take them up again.

One summer treat that Dr. Newport gives himself is to leave work early on a particularly hot day to see a matinee. “There’s something about being in a movie when you know most people are still at work that magnifies the relaxation,” he said.

I’m going to take the experts’ advice and invite some co-workers to eat lunch on a bench outside. Maybe I’ll make it more festive and bring a batch of Katharine Hepburn’s brownies . Inside, it’s a sad desk lunch; outside, it’s a picnic.

Everything you need to know about drugs like Ozempic.

The news around drugs being used for diabetes and weight loss can be tough to keep up with. So Dani Blum breaks it down: how they work, what possible side effects to expect and how much they cost, as well as other conditions for which these drugs are being studied.

Read the article: All About Ozempic and the Next Generation of Obesity Drugs

A.D.H.D. is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adults. Why are treatment guidelines still for kids?

About 4 percent of American adults are estimated to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but there are no U.S. clinical practice guidelines for diagnosing and treating patients beyond childhood. This lack of clarity leaves some doctors in a bind.

Read the article: Doctors Are Still Figuring Out Adult A.D.H.D.

The Week in Well

Here are some stories you don’t want to miss:

There are first aid basics that everyone should know. Elizabeth Passarella fills you in .

Hetty Lui McKinnon and Alice Callahan explain how to become a vegetarian (or eat more plants).

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Kristina Kuzmič writes about her mixed feelings at having a birthday celebration when her son was in a psychiatric hospital .

Let’s keep the conversation going. Follow Well on Instagram , or write to us at [email protected] . And check out last week’s newsletter about how to embrace solitude .

Jancee Dunn , who writes the weekly Well newsletter for The Times, has covered health and science for more than 20 years. More about Jancee Dunn

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The Best Bath Towels, According to Testing

We spent six years evaluating more than 90 bath towels in our Textiles Lab.

Finding the best bath towel is largely based on personal preference, but one thing we can agree on is that it should be absorbent to dry you off, comfortable against your skin and long-lasting to stand up to repeated use and laundering. It also doesn't hurt to have one that dries quickly after it gets wet.

• Best Overall: Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towel
• Best Value : Amazon Basics Quick-Dry Bath Towel, Set of 2
• Best Quick-Dry: Everplush Diamond Jacquard Bath Towel
• Best Lightweight: Pottery Barn Hydrocotton Quick-Dry Towel
• Best Heavyweight: Brooklinen Super Plush Bath Towel, 2-Pack
• Softest: Riley Plush Bath Towel
• Most Absorbent: RH Ultra Soft Turkish Bath Towel
• Best Luxury: Matouk Milagro Bath Towel

Frontgate Resort Collection Bath Towels

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 3/5 | Softness: 4.3/5 | Durability: 4.2/5

Frontgate's towel uses a simple, high-quality construction that outperformed most other towels in our review. Part of that is thanks to its material, including long-staple Turkish cotton fibers (which are smoother and more durable than traditional cotton). As an added bonus, it comes in 25 colors so there's something for every preference.

At-home users praised the towel's softness and said it looked great after repeated use. One described it as having "a classic, plush feel and a substantial hand," while adding, "These have stayed soft after months of use thus far." Users also highlighted the appearance and one called it "a perfect size to wrap around my body." Just note that although at-home testers unanimously gave it perfect scores for softness, it didn't earn quite as high softness ratings in our comparison tests when consumers felt it alongside other towels.

When it came to our Textiles Lab evaluations, this one earned perfect scores in our absorbency tests. It's not quick-drying and only had a moderate dry speed in our tests, and though it had some shrinkage in the wash, it was overall durable with strong fabric that didn't show signs of wear after laundering.

Material: 100% cotton | Weight: 700 GSM | Colors: 26 options | Dimensions: 30" x 58" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

Amazon Basics Quick-Dry Bath Towels, 2-Pack

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 3.5 /5 | Drying speed: 3.5/5 | Softness: 4/5 | Durability: 3.8/5

If you're looking to save or prefer to buy towels on Amazon , this one had an standout performance and costs just $10 per towel. It feels lightweight — it's thinner and less dense than other towels — yet is still super soft. I've been using this one at home to get a sense of how it compares to the others we recommend and have been impressed that it feels more expensive than it actually is.

Not all testers loved its lightweight feel, especially those that prefer the heftier weight of a luxe towel. However, users said it feels soft and absorbent during real use after showers. It was somewhat absorbent in Lab tests, though it didn't soak up fluid as easily as other options and had some shrinkage after laundering. Still, its performance for the price can't be beat.

Material: 100% cotton | Weight: Not listed | Colors: 4 options | Dimensions: 30" x 54" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

Everplush Diamond Jacquard Bath Towel

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 5/5 | Softness: 4.4/5 | Durability: 4.1/5

This quick-dry towel is my personal favorite thanks to its unique construction. I especially love how it has cotton on the outside for softness, but microfiber on the inside for enhanced performance. The result makes it an excellent balance of absorbent, quick-drying, strong and shrink-resistant. Testers also noted that they liked the texture, which looks different than typical cotton loops.

One thing to note is that the fabric surface showed fuzzy signs of wear more quickly than other towels in our laundering evaluations. Still, it was a top performer and the only towel to ace both absorbency and drying time tests. We're also fans of the brand's Hokime Ribbed Towels for those who prefer even more of a textured feel as these were also top performers in our tests.

READ OUR FULL REVIEW: The Everplush Diamond Jacquard is the Only Bath Towel I Need

Material: 48% polyester, 40% cotton, 12% polyamide | Weight: Not listed | Colors: 9 options | Dimensions: 30" x 56" inches | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

Pottery Barn Hydrocotton Quick-Dry Towel

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 3.5/5 | Softness: 4.7/5 | Durability: 4/5

If you prefer a luxurious towel that's not too heavy , this one is your best bet. It's made of Turkish cotton that's certified organic by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), plus it stood out in our tests for being super soft and ultra-absorbent. In fact, it earned perfect absorbency ratings in our evaluations, soaking up all fluid without any liquid running off. Our testers unanimously gave it high scores, referring to it as "comfy," "so fluffy" and the "ideal towel." I tried it at home and agree: It has stayed soft despite repeated use and feels lighter than other absorbent towels I've tried.

Beyond that, it held up well to our laundering tests — the fabric looked and felt good (despite some shrinkage) even after 20 wash cycles. Just note that although the name claims these towels are quick-dry, they actually took longer to fully dry than other bath towels in our test.

Material: 100% organic Turkish cotton | Weight: 550 GSM | Colors: 14 options | Dimensions: 28" x 50" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

Brooklinen Super-Plush Bath Towels, 2-Pack

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 3/5 | Softness: 4.8/5 | Durability: 3.9 /5

This style is ideal for anyone who prefers the comfort of a soft, dense towel: Its cotton fabric has the heaviest weight of all our picks at a whopping 820 GSM. This helped it achieve excellent absorbency in Lab evaluations and superior softness ratings in our consumer tester reviews. One tester noted, "It is a very thick towel that absorbs the water off your body practically in one pass," while another proclaimed, "It's the best towel I've ever used." I've personally used this one at home and can attest to its thick and absorbent construction.

Another highlight is that it didn't shed lint in the wash, which is a common concern with plush towels. It did have some shrinkage after laundering and it wasn't quick-drying, but both of these areas still scored average compared to other towels in our test. On top of that, this one is backed by our Good Housekeeping Seal , which means we stand behind it with our limited warranty.

Material: 100% Turkish cotton | Weight: 820 GSM | Colors: 11 options, with additional seasonal colors | Dimensions: 30" x 58" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet, bath mat

Riley Home Plush Bath Towel

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 4/5 | Softness: 5/5 | Durability: 4.1 /5

Riley's towel uses a zero-twist combed cotton construction, meaning the fibers are longer and stronger so it's softer, more absorbent and more durable. At-home users unanimously gave it perfect scores for softness and raved about its luxurious feel. In fact, one tester said, "It was the softest towel I've ever used," while another told us, "I expected the softness to disappear with washing, but it stayed soft. And the fluffiness didn't decrease with washing either."

In addition to the exceptional reviews from consumer testers, our analysts were amazed by how soft it remained after repeated laundering cycles in our standardized tests, though it did have some shrinkage. It also earned perfect absorbency scores in the Lab and dried fairly quickly, which is impressive for a plush, 100% cotton towel. Just note that at times we've seen inventory issues with this style with certain colors and sizes sold out online. We also recently tested Riley's Spa Towel Collection , which is more of a low-pile towel (i.e. not as plush or dense) and was well-loved by testers.

Material: 100% cotton | Weight: 650 GSM | Colors: 6 options | Dimensions: 30" x 58" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

RH Ultra-Soft Turkish Bath Towel

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 2/5 | Softness: 4.9/5 | Durability: 3.8/5

This 100% cotton towel was by far the most absorbent in our tests, quickly soaking up all fluid without any runoff. Plus, our panel praised the fluffiness and rated it softer than dozens of others in a blind comparison. They specifically liked the heavy, blanket-like feel and described it as super plush.

On the flip side, these towels took a while to dry, which is not surprising with such high absorbency. It also shrunk a bit in our wash tests. Still, if you want to wrap yourself in a thick, cozy towel that dries you off quickly, this is the one for you.

Material: 100% cotton | Weight: 750 GSM | Colors: 15 options | Dimensions: 30" x 56" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet

Matouk Milagro Bath Towel

LAB RESULTS: Absorbency: 5/5 | Drying speed: 4/5 | Softness: 4.9/5 | Durability: 4.6/5

Though it's certainly not for everyone, this one's a great choice for anyone who's looking for the most luxurious option that's worth the splurge . The towel size is longer than average at 60 inches, plus it's soft, fluffy and fairly lightweight. The brand says it uses a long-staple cotton and zero-twist construction, which helps the towel become softer and more absorbent.

A tester described this towel as feeling like a "soft, fluffy cloud" and added, "I liked drying my hair with it (it felt less harsh)." It was super absorbent in Lab tests, yet didn't take too long to dry compared to other absorbent styles. It did have notable shrinkage in laundering tests, but the appearance looked like new after repeated washing.

Material: 100% cotton | Weight: 550 GSM | Colors: 17 options | Dimensions: 30" x 60" | Matching pieces: Washcloth, hand towel, bath sheet, bath mat, fingertip towel

More types of bath towels to consider

Our tests show that the traditional bath towel style made with cotton terry loops performs best in terms of absorbency, softness and overall tester satisfaction. That being said, there are some novel types of towels that have been gaining popularity for their unique attributes. Here are some that we tested and recommend if you're looking for something new:

• Best Waffle Towel: The Parachute Waffle Towel is super lightweight at 220 GSM and dried quickly in our tests. The downside is that it wasn't as absorbent as traditional towels, which is true for every waffle towel we've tested. We also recently tested the popular Onsen Waffle Weave Bath Towel . It stood out for its durability, but didn't earn high scores in our absorbency, drying speed or softness tests.
• Best Organic Towel: Not only is the Coyuchi Temescal Organic Towel certified by GOTS (so you know the entire production process follows strict standards), but it was also one of the top performers in our softness and absorbency tests, proving that you don't need to sacrifice towel quality by shopping more sustainability. The downside is that this one is extremely pricey.
• Best Linen Towel: Linen towels are not common, but they stand out for having a crisp, textured feel. We recently tested the Linoto Linen Spa Bath Towel , which was overall durable and well-liked by at-home testers. However, it wasn't rated as soft as cotton bath towels in comparison tests and didn't soak up water easily in our absorbency tests.
• Best Hybrid Towel: Boll & Branch's Waffle Terry Bath Towel has a unique construction with a traditional terry fabric on one side and a waffle fabric on the other. It was fairly absorbent with an average drying speed, and at-home testers unanimously loved using it.

How we test bath towels

My team of product analysts and I have tested more than 90 bath towels in the past six years. Each one is put through the wringer in both Lab tests and consumer evaluations. Here's how the bath towels are scored:

✔️ Absorbency: Using the apparatus pictured here, we set up a towel sample at a 60-degree angle and pour water onto it from a standard distance. Any water that the towel doesn't absorb rolls off the fabric and into the container below, which we weigh to measure much runs off. This test is performed multiple times on each towel, including after repeated wash cycles because absorbency can change after extended use. A towel with perfect absorbency doesn't have any runoff.

✔️ Drying speed : We apply a standard amount of water to a towel swatch then hang it to dry. We reweigh the swatch every 30 minutes until it reaches its original weight, indicating that the towel has fully dried.

✔️ Washability: Our analysts wash and dry each towel 20 times, measuring shrinkage and appearance throughout this process. We also measure weight loss from laundering to see how much each towel sheds lint.

✔️ Fabric strength: A specialized machine called the Instron pulls swatches of towel fabric apart and measures the force needed to break each one.

✔️ Consumer tests: Dozens of consumer testers use the towels at home and rate them on factors like softness, appearance, whether they were dried off quickly and more. We also set up blinded softness tests in our Lab, where additional consumers feel and rate each one in a side-by-side comparison.

How to choose the right bath towel for you

One thing we've learned from extensive consumer testing is that picking out the best bath towel is largely based on personal preference. Here's what you should consider:

• If you want a super soft, ultra-absorbent towel, look for 100% cotton with dense, plush loops on the surface. You can also look at fabric weight, which is shown in GSM (grams per square meter). Over 600 GSM is considered heavy, so these will typically be the plushest. Lighter towels like waffle weaves or ribs typically weren't as soft in our test.
• If you want a towel that's quick-drying and more durable, consider a cotton-poly blend or a lighter fabric with a low pile (short loops). Fluffy loops help the towel feel soft and absorb water, but they can take longer to dry and may show more wear from laundering.

Is Egyptian or Turkish cotton better for towels?

It’s not a rule of thumb, but towels labeled as “Turkish cotton” or “Made in Turkey” performed better in our tests than those claiming to be made of “Egyptian” cotton. In theory, they’re very similar: Both are long-staple fibers, helping to make the fabrics softer and more durable. However, Turkish cotton is more popular in bath towels and is known for drying faster than Egyptian cotton, which is more commonly seen in bed sheets. Plus, there have been instances of bedding fabrics mislabeled as Egyptian cotton, especially because it's difficult to verify this claim.

How do you stop towels from shedding fluff?

My best tip is to wash them before use. Sometimes there are loose fibers leftover from the production process, but laundering the towels a few times should help get rid of them. Not to mention, washing them also makes the towels more absorbent because it gets rid of leftover finishes from production.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Lexie Sachs is the executive director of strategy & operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute , where she has been researching, testing and writing about bath towels for over a decade. Lexie has developed proprietary evaluations while also following standardized industry test methods to review dozens of styles both in the Textiles Lab and in the homes of consumer testers.

Testing for this article has also been conducted by senior textiles analyst Emma Seymour , textiles product reviews analyst Grace Wu and contributing analyst Rachael Chen .

Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute and a lead reviewer of products in the bedding, travel, lifestyle, home furnishings and apparel spaces. She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries.

Grace Wu (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she evaluates fabric-based products using specialized equipment and consumer tester data. Prior to starting at Good Housekeeping in 2022, she earned a master of engineering in materials science and engineering and a bachelor of science in fiber science from Cornell University. While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway.

Emma Seymour (she/her) is a senior product analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance. 

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How to Follow an After School Routine

Last Updated: April 9, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Desiree Panlilio . Desiree Panlilio is a Teen Life Coach and the Owner of Encouraging Teens, LLC. With over three years of experience, she specializes in helping teens and young adults define roles, set goals, develop healthy academic and personal habits, grow in leadership potential, and create their life paths. Desiree holds a BSN in Nursing from The University of Victoria and an MA in Human Services Counseling with a concentration in Life Coaching from Liberty University. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 62,676 times.

If you find that you’re struggling to get everything done in the evening after school, sketching out a routine might help. Be sure you plan in all the tasks you have to do, as well as leaving some time to relax and unwind. Following a routine can help you learn to manage your time and get on top of all your schoolwork.

Creating an After School Routine

• You can write down a timetable on a piece of paper or on the computer.
• Break each hour down into smaller chunks so you can be more precise in your planning.

• Doing your homework.
• Completing your chores around the house.
• Eating your dinner.
• Taking a bath or shower.
• Preparing your bag for the next school day.

• You might find it helpful to label these tasks as priority A, B, or C.
• If you do this, be aware, that you may find that priority C tasks get overlooked. [3] X Research source
• An alternative is to organise these tasks by the deadlines. If something does not have a specific deadline, you can apply one yourself.
• This could be a short-term or longer-term deadline. For example, you might say you have to get your daily homework done by 8pm, or you that you need to finish your project by the end of the month.

• Add in any regular after school commitments you have. This could include soccer practice, or music lessons.
• If you have lots of different commitments on different days of the week, make a separate schedule for each day.

Managing the Essentials

• Playing sports with your friends immediately after school is a good way to decompress after class.
• It can help you clear your mind and unwind.
• Having a defined transition time from school to home is an important part of a successful routine. [5] X Research source

• You will have time to relax again before bed after you have completed your homework.
• This is the time to watch some TV, read, or just hang around with your family.

• Don’t forget to schedule time to wash before bed.
• If you have a nice warm bath you can include this as part of your relaxing time before bed.
• Relaxing before bed will help you get to sleep more easily and have a more restful night. [9] X Research source

• If you are rushing around trying to find things in the morning, you will be getting stressed out before you even leave the house.
• Being prepared means you will have time to sit down and have a good breakfast before you head out.

Sticking to Your Routine

• Make sure you allow yourself time to readjust when you leave school and go home.
• Make an adjustment to your routine if you find that your homework is taking longer than you expected.
• Trying to do too many activities will just tire you out, and you will get less done than if you had a more modest routine.

• You have to try and find a balance between being flexible and consistent. [11] X Research source
• Being aware of things before they happen will help you plan ahead and prioritise.
• For example, if you have some deadlines coming up at school, take this into account early. Alter your routine to give you time to study without sacrificing all your fun and relaxing time.

• For example, if you are learning Spanish, set yourself twenty minutes of vocabulary practice at 6pm every night.
• Wait for the set time, and try to stick to it exactly. Once you have done this for a few weeks you will feel proud of your self-control.
• Breaking tasks down into smaller chunks can help you overcome procrastination and make steady progress through your routine. [13] X Research source

• A good routine should have a mix of active and quiet periods, as well as activities done alone and done in a group.
• Also try to mix indoor and outdoor activities when it is possible. [16] X Research source

Example After School Routine

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Desiree Panlilio. Teen Life Coach. Expert Interview. 12 October 2021.
• ↑ https://success.oregonstate.edu/learning/prioritize
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/10-best-time-management-tips-for-students/
• ↑ https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/07/let-it-grow
• ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/notes-self/201310/how-relax
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/changing-habits/
• ↑ https://www.stetson.edu/administration/academic-success/media/STUDY%20SCHEDULE.pdf
• ↑ https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/resources/study-skills/time-management/time-management
• ↑ https://www.cdu.edu.au/launchpad/future-study/six-tips-balancing-work-and-study
• ↑ https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources-covid-19/your-lifestyle/importance-physical-activity-exercise-during-covid-19-pandemic

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