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Nothing sours the idea of a break for me like school work. The sheer exhaustion of three months of non-stop homework, quizzes, and tests, and just when the hope of Thanksgiving break peaked around the corner — SLAM! A calculus project, a book to read, a paper to write, or several college applications would materialize.
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t have homework over the break. Breaks would actually involve relaxation and wouldn’t require you to think about school at all. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. But I have good news for you. You don’t have to let homework ruin your turkey and cranberry sauce! Here are ways I’ve tackled Thanksgiving homework:
Plan Ahead
Sometimes it’s the simple things. On the week leading up to the break, try working ahead. This will help cut back on how much homework you actually have left to do during the break. Outline how much you can do before the break actually starts. If you don’t get to finish all of your homework, or don’t have the time to, it’s okay.
Make a list of everything you still have to get done and how long you estimate it will take you to get it done. Then add about 20 minutes to all the time estimates, since it’s always better to overestimate how long you’ll take. Next, consult your schedule for the holiday and determine when you can get things done. Travel time can often be wasted, so it’s an excellent opportunity to get some writing or reading done.
Be sure to tell the friends and family you’ll be with that you have work to do over the break. Also tell them when you intend to do it. This way, you can have uninterrupted study time and people to hold you accountable to your study schedule.
Do Homework on the Last Day of Class
For me, it’s incredibly hard to resist the urge to kick my shoes off and shove my backpack in a corner. But you can always do your homework on your last day of class. If your school district is like mine back home, this will be Tuesday, a couple days before you break out the turkey. There are a lot of benefits of getting homework out of the way before the break officially starts.
Doing your homework first means you won’t have to review before you tackle problems, since the material is fresh on your mind. It’s incredibly less likely that you’ll forget an assignment if you do your homework at the beginning of the break. Plus, you’ll give yourself the gift of a stress-free holiday.
If there is too much work to do all in one night, divvy it up. My advice is to you do your math and science homework on day one. You won’t want that looming over you all weekend.
Treat Yourself to Your Homework
One of the things I love about a break is that you can create luxurious conditions to do your homework in. Maybe this won’t fit that description for some of you, but I think back to my sophomore year, curled up in my bed with apple pie, ice cream, and my assigned reading, Their Eyes Were Watching God.
In fact, some of my favorite homework memories (those exist right?) are the ones where I was eating Thanksgiving leftovers. If homework is going to intrude on your break time, you might as well get something out of it. You can use events in your holiday as incentives while doing your homework or as incentives to finish it. Maybe you hold out on watching the parade until you finish your paper, or save the candied yams for when you read to the end of your physics chapter.
The incentives don’t have to be huge, just little rewards. You’ll not only have more motivation to get your work done, but you’ll also have a sight, smell, or taste to associate with what you’re studying. That will actually help you remember it better.
So go on ahead, put cinnamon apple spice tea and sweet potato pie on your grocery list or menu. Tell your parents that it’s for educational purposes.
How do you handle homework over the break? Tell us in a comment below!
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