A well-stocked desk in a quiet part of your home is ultimately everything, but sometimes it needs a change. Moving to a cafe, library, park, or kitchen table will give you a change of scenery that will stimulate your brain to retain information better.

Start small.

If you have a big assignment like a research paper, keep yourself motivated by completing part of the project every few days. Write one paragraph every night. Or, solve five algebra problems from the problem set, then take a break.

School is still not enough to keep things organized.

Develop a system and stick to it. Do you keep one big folder for all your classes with color-coded tabs, or do you want to keep separate folders for your notebooks and handouts? We keep the system simple. If it’s too flashy or too complicated, you probably won’t be able to maintain it every day.

Make a routine.

 When do you spend time doing your homework each day? Find a time that works best for you (this can change daily, depending on your schedule!) and create a schedule to work on the book.

Learn how to create a distraction-free zone.

A study of workplace distraction found that it took workers an average of 25 minutes to return to work before the interruption. Turn off notifications on your phone or (temporarily) block Twitter on your computer so you can focus on the homework.

Be realistic.

When looking at the homework you have to do tonight, be realistic about how long it will take. It will take an hour to read the history chapter and 30 minutes to write the answers to help you plan how to use your time. 9. Check your notes every night to make sure you have them.

Fill in the details, edit the bits that don’t make sense, and check or mark the information you know is most important. Working with notes makes it easier to remember. You can also use homework help to get your questions answered 24/7. 11. Don’t let bad grades get you down.