This thread can be used to offer tips and suggestions to help with getting homework done.

Do the easiest subject 1st

Break assignments down into smaller sections or ask somebody else to help you break it down.

Do a little at a time and then take a SHORT break.

Set a timer or ask somebody else to time your break then come back to your assignment.

It's really important for Jr/Senior high students with ADD to make a daily plan. I know it seems tediuos but if you develop the habit of either writing up a plan or using a flowchat to see what you to work on. When you get home after school, look at the clock and ask yourself how many hour are there before bed. If, for example, you arrive home at 4:00 p.m. and are in bed by 10:00 p.m. you have a total of 6 hours. Depending on your grade you should be doing between 1-3 hours per night.
Here is where planning comes in. Make a chart in 30 minute incremints and slot in your study/homework time.
4:00-4:30 chill out
4:30-5:15 begin history essay outline
5:15-6:00 dinner
6:00-6:45 math
etc.

I find (add and medicated, im at uni) that the best thing to do is not to do anything like chill out until I have done all my work, because a ten minute break for me quickly transforms into hours of wasted time. I tend to study at the uni library till I finish my work because I find it very hard and often impossible to avoid distractions at home.

How about making good use of a timer when taking breaks? :D

Yes i also think think taking a 10mins break will become like few hours wasted. I can am trying very hard to study at home. I tell myself to pretend that home is library. I tell myself i must concentrate hard and cheat myself that the deadline is tomorrow when it is not. People, humans are motivated by DEADLINES and REWARDS and FEARS. The fears can be fearing of failing. The dealines can be when i study early i tend to laze or not really pay attention but when the deadline drew near like tomorrow, i will really be studying.
This is not good when you don't know how to manage your time and stop yourself from distractions. You will see when you see your marks and grades. I find that i have performed alot better when i forced myself to study early. I used to always last minute and i got borderline grades for everything. But recently i tried to force myself to study early, i got really improved grades. From my experiences it taught me that when i get poor grades it is because i procrastinate too much. I see that i really have the potential to do better in my quizzes, tests, exams if only i knew how to manage my time.
Hope this information benefits those college students struggling now like me.
Study early, don't procrastinate, you will see improved results. There is no one who can study in the last minute because when you are stressed, you just cannot concentrate. This is my belief. At least most people could not cope with last minute studying, like myself.

this is all fine advice for things like math problems, but what about doing an essay? there are some times when i simply CANT think of anything good to write, so i do all my other work, go to bed early, and set my alarm for 3am, praying i will wake up in time to do it. doing this tonight actually. i've had a few times of this working fine, and some others of it being a disaster. but when i do get it done, the work is usually better, because i have a really hard time doing any work that requires full concentration at the end of a day, compared to a fresh brain at the beginning of a day.

is this a bad idea? or has sleeping on homework worked for others here?

Yes binro
I cannot concentrate at night too
But most often than i wish for, i just most likely happen to be doing it in the morning say like 3 or 5am. Not that i wish for it. It just so happen i procrastinate too much. I think no one can beat me in my procrastination i mean referring to with my classmates. When i do my work at 3 am it so happen also that i couldn't get it done on time. Sometimes because i have to finish my work i have to miss one early lecture to get the work done. Usually i don require for datelines extension or hand in late. Because if i hand in late, i will not be graded. So i rather miss the first lecture to finish up my stuff. It is not good, especially if you try to practice this tactic for exams, there will be a lot of panicks. I tried i couldn't finish my revision and i purposely do it until the last minute and took a cab to school. And there are also times i was late for exam for 29mins. Another one minute i will be debarred from my exam. It is because i couldn't finish my revision. This is just how bad my procrastination can get me into really deep ****. Don't be like me. Study early you have time to clarify doubts. Oh well i am still procrastinating now. Oh sigh.

When I have to write an essay or a paper, I've found that this works best for me:

Starting early, I just sit down and type out all my thoughts about the topic, ignoring any order or even complete sentences. I just get all my thoughts out of my head. Then I organize them into groups for future paragraphs, maybe tie them together a little. This doesn't take too long.

Then I save it and walk away.

Then I go back hours or days later and edit it into coherent paragraphs, adding any new details I can think of or any research I've done. Having taken a break lets me read my paper with a fresh head.

Walk away.

Go back and edit it again, and keep doing that until my paper sounds great.

I usually do this over the course of a couple of days, but it can be done in a day too.

Try to do one of those after school programs for homework.

ive trid about 10 different strategies this year

- writing everything down on a daily sheet in a little notepad, and arrowing it onto a next day if not done

- using post it notes as task notes, and doing them one by one - that worked to get 75% stuff done for one week (not including assignment stuff)

- writing lists of to do and blue tacking them (they just get ignored or intimidate me)

yesterday i wrote a list for the day, and i just had way too much stuff on there, it would have taken 8 hours or more if i did it all consecutively.

i'm trying to make just 'prioroty reminder' lists, so that i do do stuff, cause i know what i have to do, but so i remember i have to work on assignments etc.

i still remain utterly disoriented... im working on an assignment for tomorrow, and there's a lot more to do now that i get into it. argh. bad planning.
how ironic since the assignment is a lesson plan!
(i'm studying primary education at uni)

in the assignmetn, we have to make provisions for learner diversity (eg, include learning difficulty and SAER, and make more difficult work for TAGS, and i'm also including help for the adhd kids - in the form of a 'box-task-sheet' for the activities in the lesson, where each step is clearly and succincly stated, they go through it with the teaher, and they cross out, tick, scribble over, or colour in each box as they have completed each task).


if you haven't read it already, go find the poem "bill of rights for children with add" on the internet, and read it, print it off, and try to see how that could adapt to exactly you.
i did this, and wrote notes all down the side of it.

pinkie, i like your essay-attack stragegy. i will try that for my next essay! :)

Like many ADD/ADHD people, my handwriting is bad. I find to study, I retype my notes from each day of class while the material is fresh in my mind. In this way I have a nightly review of what happened. As for homework I do it all on the computer the first thing I do is unplug my network cable, instant messenging, forums and everything are too distracting. And I listen to some music while I'm working. This has been beneficial to me with my homework. I'll try some of the suggestions others offer on here.

I think the best thing is to have someone on your back like your parents, because you get your work done all the time. It may be a pain in the backside to begin with but in the long run you will learn to do it on your own, plus all your projects and homework are always in on time.

I have a severe. Talking the talk, but not walking the walk problem. I hate it, but what will I ever do about it?

It is easy to say, "i'm going to sit down and do my homework" especially when you have all sorts of fun stuff surrounding you (like a TV, movies, video games, music, etc).

Contingencies work well for me! - I don't get to do the things I like until I get my homework done. For instance, on Wednesday nights I love to watch Veronica Mars, which is on at 8pm (central).
I get home at 6pm from work - I take 1/2 hour to make dinner, eat. from 630-7p I study. Then I get a 15 minute break. at 715pm, I study for another 1/2 hour, sometimes 45 minutes. Then I get to watch Veronica Mars. If I don't study during that time, no Veronica Mars.

It's hard to hold yourself accountable. I live by myself - so I have to. But, if you have others to help you, ask them! Timers work great too, more often than not I use one.

Right now, I'm in grad school - so it's difficult info to digest - but my goal to finish and have the career I want is motivating me enough to study. I think in junior/middle high, high school and sometimes even college (especially with those darn general classes) it's difficult to get motivated to study and do homework.
Because of low or lack of motivation, you need to create it yourself by using other means (like TV, computer, video games, hanging out with friends, etc).

*applause* Thanks, everyone for sharing your experiences with the less experienced..you're the man!

By the way, i found that actually having a purpose, going into a research paper or essay, makes it a lot easier to come up with ideas you feel confident with. You have to stop and think for a moment. Why am I writing this paper? What kind of people am I writing it for? What are their interests? What are my interests? Ask yourself. What am I interested in=all that counts. Just write about what interests you. If you pick a topic, that you find absolutely uninteresting, you will find it much more difficult to start, or gather information.

If you guys are interested...There is a book I own called Writing With a Purpose. It's very thick, but just after reading a few pages, I felt a little relieved, b/c I found out that writing research papers and such weren't really that hard after applying the right techniques right off the bat. I dunno, but I can say so much more, sorry but I have to go to school. If you would like to ask me a question, by all means I will try to reply.