The Art of Preparation: How to Stay Productive When Nothing Is Due Tomorrow

At Green Ivy, we encourage our students to deliberately schedule two-hour daily “work blocks” dedicated to homework and studying. By blocking out productive periods ahead of time, students can assert control over their growing responsibilities. Those who use a paper planner consistently, for example, tend to benefit from increased productivity, sharpened time management skills, and stress relief.

Although our scheduling system aims to be straightforward, we know it does require a bit of flexibility. Some nights, students might have a number of assignments that seem impossible to knock out in just two hours. On the other hand, students will occasionally find themselves homework-free, without any upcoming tests or looming due dates. For students whose nightly homework loads tend to alternate between packed-to-the-brim and blissfully unburdened, the question becomes this: How can you make the most of your work blocks on lighter days to proactively reduce the anxiety of the heaviest days?

Here are our tips for students:

1. Get Organized

As the semester grows more intense, many students lose track of assignments, forget important due dates, and misplace useful study resources. On nights there is a lot of homework, we recommend using leftover time in a two-hour work block to sort binders, update your planner, and check online for any upcoming tests, essays, or projects. Practicing strong time management skills will prevent anything from slipping through the cracks.

2. Get Ahead

No homework tonight? That’s a perfect opportunity to get ahead on next week’s material. Even 15–30 minutes spent reading the upcoming chapter in math or history, for example, can help with grasping concepts more quickly when a teacher introduces them in class. Think of it this way: Taking time outside of school to get ahead is like enriching the soil of your brain. If you take the time to preview tomorrow’s content, new connections are more likely to take root when your teacher introduces a lesson you’ve seen before.

3. Get Refreshed

Significant research suggests that our brains are prone to forget learned information quickly—around 75 percent of new information after six days—unless we consistently engage with and review content. Therefore, using the extra time in a two-hour work block to review old chapters and tests can help polish up the skills needed to do well on projects, cumulative tests, and finals. First, make a list of all the sections that aren’t fully understood. Then, go steadily through textbook problems or returned work and complete practice problems to review rusty concepts.

4. Get Creative

While studying, variation is key. In other words, use as many diverse study resources as possible. For example, bolster your understanding of challenging concepts by watching Khan Academy tutorials or taking notes from online articles on related subjects. Explaining the topic to another person allows you to act as the teacher of the content and further cement the information. Focus first on materials provided by your teacher, but when there is extra time on light homework nights, it can help to find creative ways to learn.

5. Get Some Rest!

Be kind to your body and mind. No matter how dedicated you are to your work, sometimes it can be more productive to go to sleep than to stubbornly study through a sleepless daze. By taking time out of your daytime hours to commit to rest, you are investing in tomorrow’s success rather than, say, tiredly whiling away minutes on your phone. For example, gentle stretching before bed or committing to more movement earlier the day can help support rest. Any amount of movement is better than none; do the best you can!

It can be tempting to call up a friend or turn to your favorite hobby when you finish all your homework before your two-hour work block is up. At the same time, taking time to capitalize on every precious minute of your scheduled work blocks will dramatically relieve the stress of those inevitable rougher nights!