When I’m doing my homework, when should I take a break?

Short answer: When it’s finished.

Long answer: Taming the Homework Monster is easy if students start their work early. Here are the three primary challenges to doing homework:

1. Starting. By far the most common problem that I hear from the high school students I coach is that just getting started is the hardest part.
2. Getting stuck. The second (and far less common) is getting stuck or not understanding the material well-enough to keep moving forward.
3. Finishing. Another common problem is for students to leave just enough unfinished work for the following day that they can do before school, between classes, or during breaks.

Working as a Life Coach for teenagers for the past eight years, here’s what I know works the best (and yes, you can pass this along to your teenager and tell them that John recommends this):

As soon as you get home, start doing your homework and don’t stop until it’s completely finished!

You don’t really need a break, and once you build up your stamina to push through and finish your homework, you realize three huge benefits:

1. Your brain is actually fresher and the material is fresher in your mind because you’re approaching it again soon after school.
2. Once it’s finished, you’ll have the rest of your evening to really relax without something in the back of your mind nagging you.
3. You’ll start to like school.

About the last one… yes, really. You’ll actually start to genuinely like school. (And yes, your secret is safe with me.)

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Yes, I’m being ironic!