Last updated 15:51, Wednesday, 23 April 2008

HOMEWORK is any kind of study exercise that you do after the home-time bell has rung. Homework can take many forms – writing essays, mathematical calculations, researching subjects, artistic challenges and completing interactive activities on your computer at home

n KEEP UP TO DATE: Though homework can sometimes feel more like a chore than a pleasure, it’s vital to keep up-to-date. Homework is often given out to make sure pupils understand a subject. So if you don’t do your homework, you could fall behind in your work.

Don’t be afraid to tell your teacher if you feel you’re falling behind with your homework. If you’re having genuine problems, your teacher will suggest different approaches and useful tips that can help put you back on the right track. You’ll find that once your homework is sorted out, the sense of relief is amazing.

n FEEDBACK: If you aren’t happy with the comments you receive for your work, always ask your teacher for advice. It might be a good idea to wait until the end of the lesson for a private one to one conversation.

Don’t be afraid to ask ‘What can I do differently?’ or ‘How can I improve?’ Your teacher wants you to achieve the best results possible and will respect you all the more for asking.

For advice on how you might do better in your homework, the web is a great place to start. No matter what subject or level of study you’re doing, the internet can help guide you. But remember, it won’t give you the answers to all your questions. Particularly avoid sites that charge money to do your homework for you.

Try to do the following during your homework:

Try to do your homework in a few short bursts rather than one long session. Take a short break in between sessions and have a glass of water or something similar to drink

Make sure your surroundings are comfortable and there are no distractions. Try turning off the TV and make sure you’re in a warm room

Try doing homework with a friend. You can bounce ideas off each other. But don’t cheat and copy your friend’s work

Whether you love it or hate it, homework is a fact of life if you’re still at school or college. Here are some handy tips to help you get it out of the way:

n EXTRA HELP: Ask your teacher if you need some extra help. They’ll be glad you were honest enough to say that you’re having difficulties, rather than muddling through it on your own and making mistakes.

n SERIOUS: It’s best not to rely on your teacher to do everything for you. They won’t be keen to help you if you haven’t made some sort of effort. Show that you have made a serious attempt.

n PLANNING AHEAD: It’s a good idea to plan when you’re going to do your homework. Try and do it as soon as you get in from school, while you’re still in work mode.

n LAST MINUTE: It’s never a good idea to do your homework on the school bus, or at the last minute such as the night before it’s due in. You can’t produce good work unless you’ve spent a bit of time on it and done it somewhere comfortable.

n LOOK INTO IT: The best work takes a bit of research. Why accept one explanation when there could be others? Do some extra reading. Your teacher is bound to be impressed that you’ve shown initiative, as long as you don’t stray too far from the original question.

n COPYCAT: Never be tempted to rip things off the internet or from books. If there’s one thing teachers hate, it’s copying. It’ll be obvious that the work is not your own, so you’re bound to be found out. It could result in you getting a zero mark for your work. Is it worth it?

n QUALITY: Concentrate on the quality of your work rather than quantity. As long as your work is well researched and thought out, it shouldn’t matter how much you’ve done.

n ON AND ON: Try not to waffle. It’s tempting to go on and on about a subject to fill space but you’re unlikely to hold your teacher’s attention if you’ve written something that is overlong, no matter how worthy every point.

n PRETTY NEAT: Try and write as neatly as you can. It’s important for the reader of your work to understand what you’re trying to say. If a teacher can’t read what you’ve written then they may not bother persevering and reading until the end.

n SICKLY SWEET: You shouldn’t overdo it with the presentation. If what you’ve written isn’t up to scratch, no amount of fancy underlining, highlighting and handwriting styles in lots of pretty colours will hide that fact. Just stick to the task in hand.

n GET STUCK IN: Don’t just skip doing your homework; your teacher won’t be impressed.

If you really don’t have time, then at least do as much as you can before handing it in, it’s better than nothing.

n TALK TO SOMEONE: Never ignore a problem if you’ve got one. If you just decide not to hand it in, you’ll look like you don’t care. If you need an extension, ask your teacher before the homework is due in, not as they come to your desk to collect it from you.

For some, exams are coming up and it’s yet another nail biting time as revision gets underway and assessments are completed to get that all-important final grade. If you feel like you’re falling behind a little with your studies, there are things you can do before it’s too late.

n TALK TO A TEACHER: Your first step if you’re feeling like it’s all getting a bit much is to chat with the teacher of the subject that’s causing you grief. If you don’t find this teacher approachable, talk to your personal tutor. It’s important that you alert your tutor as soon as you can. The sooner they know there’s an issue, the quicker they can help you work things out.

Admitting you need help is much braver and much more sensible thing to do than just hoping the problem will go away. Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re thick or can’t handle it, it just shows that you’re willing to confront your problems and not sweep them under the carpet.

n GET HOME TUITION: One option is to get extra tuition at home for the subjects where you need a helping hand. It might sound like a drag, but one-on-one home tutoring can help you get back on track quickly.

The education department of your local authority should be able to help you find a qualified tutor. How much this will cost can depend on the subject you’re learning.

n USE ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES: The internet is a great way to learn more about your problem subjects, as long as you can trust yourself to stay on the learning sites and not wander off to check your emails.

Sites like BBC Bitesize have online resources than can help bring you up to speed in whatever subjects you need. You can take mock exams, find help on getting further reading and much more.

Do an online search for tuition sites and see what you can find. Some sites may not give you this info for free, so be careful and be sure to read fully the terms and conditions of any site you use.

n STUDY WITH A FRIEND: Working with one of your mates can really help you look at a subject in a different way. As long as you’re not ripping off their work or disrupting their studies, revising together is a good way of communicating your ideas and seeing where you might be able to improve.

It might be a good idea to tell a teacher you’re planning to work together; the teacher might have some suggestions for exercises or projects you can do together.