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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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There isn't much that WolframAlpha doesn't know.

WolframAlpha is a search engine and knowledge library that makes Google look plain and dumbed down by comparison: It covers everything from mathematical equations to political geography, and it's a resource that you'll find yourself turning to again and again.

Using a finely tuned set of algorithms, the WolframAlpha engine can tell you the plots of novels, the histories of countries, the solutions to algebra problems, the compositions of materials, and much more—check out the examples it gives you for some tips.

WolframAlpha (freemium for web, Android, iOS)

Google Keep is one of the best note-taking apps around.

When it comes to note-taking apps, you've got a wealth of options to pick from, but Google Keep can hold its own against the best. It looks simple to begin with—and is very simple to use—but there are plenty of advanced features to make use of if you dig a bit deeper.

Whether you're tracking lessons or study assignments, you can associate times, dates, tags, and pictures to your notes, and you can even collaborate on notes with other people if you need to. There's also the option to quickly convert notes into documents in Google Docs.

Google Keep (free for web, Android, iOS)

Keep track of everything academic with myHomework Student Planner.

The name of this app tells you pretty much all you need to know about it: myHomework Student Planner gives you a well-designed, flexible, intuitive suite of tools to make sure you're always on top of everything you need to do academically throughout the year.

You can track classes, homework, larger assignments, and tests through the app, and everything syncs seamlessly across whatever devices you happen to be using. Some of the useful features here include deadline reminders and customizable theme options.

myHomework Student Planner (freemium for web, Android, iOS)

Headspace has meditations specifically for kids.

You may well have come across the Headspace meditation app, and Headspace for Kids is the part of the main app dedicated to younger people. It covers the fundamentals of meditation with scaled-down sessions specifically made for those who are still growing up.

These sessions cover breathing exercises, showing kindness to others, and staying focused. And of course, as kids get older they can move on to the adult sections. There is a monthly fee, but you can try it for free, and it gives you a big return on your investment.

Headspace for Kids ($13 a month with a free trial for Android, iOS)

Keep study sessions on track with Bear Focus Timer.

Staying concentrated and on task can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to study sessions, and Bear Focus Timer is one of the best apps around when it comes to making sure your mind doesn't wander when you need to be working.

You set a customized session time, and then Tom the bear will keep you on course with encouragements, reminders, and white noise if necessary. It's one of the more unusual focus apps out there, which is what makes it particularly effective in doing its job.

Bear Focus Timer ($2 for iOS)

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OneNote for Education

Get started for free.

Classroom organization has never been easier. With a personal workspace for every student, a content library for handouts, and a collaboration space for lessons and creative activities, OneNote for Education empowers students to create their best work.

Please enter your school email address (for example, [email protected]).

If you are experiencing issues with the school email address please contact the school administrator.

Organize your classroom with OneNote

The ultimate tool for classroom organization, OneNote enables you to organize your lesson plans and course content in your own digital notebook ensuring you keep track of every assignment or a flash of inspiration.

Keep your content in one place

Keep everything in OneNote and use its powerful search to find what you're looking for.

Access your notes anytime, anywhere

Access and edit your online notebooks for students from anywhere, across devices.

Bring your notes to life

With digital ink, handwritten notes, sketch diagrams, videos, and pictures, OneNote turns notes into living documents.

Learning Tools

Meet the needs of your diverse group of learners with Learning Tools that support reading, writing, math, and communication.

There’s a notebook for that

Whether you’re a student, teacher, or staff member, there’s a OneNote Notebook designed just for you.

OneNote for students

Give every student a personal workspace, an online digital notebook, a content library for handouts, and a collaboration space.

Class Notebook for teachers

Teachers can easily organize lesson plans, collect homework, and provide individualized support.

Staff Notebook for school leaders

Staff Notebooks provide a personal workspace for every staff member and a collaboration space for the whole team.

Sign up your entire school for free

Students and educators are eligible for Office 365 Education for free, including OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and now Microsoft Teams. All you need is a valid school email address. It’s not a trial – so get started today.

OneNote training and support

Transform the way students, teachers, and staff collaborate with free OneNote toolkits, tutorials, and support.

Organize your thoughts with OneNote

Brainstorm, take notes, and organize your thoughts all in one place – the OneNote Class Notebook ensures your most important ideas never get lost.

The 10 best uses for OneNote in your teaching and learning

Learn more about 10 top teaching and learning tips for OneNote from an educator’s point of view.

OneNote tutorials

Easy-to-follow OneNote tutorials cover everything from getting started to finishing homework faster.

OneNote Toolkit for Teachers

Learn how to be more organized and productive while creating and enhancing your lessons with OneNote.

OneNote Support

Get all your OneNote and OneNote Class Notebook answers at our education help center.

Frequently asked questions

Many of the Class Notebook features you know and love are already built into OneNote for Windows 11, with the rest on the way later this summer. Best of all, you don’t need to install a separate add-in anymore. Class Notebook, Stickers, Forms, and many other features you rely on in the classroom are now deeply integrated into OneNote for Windows 11. The Class Notebook experience on Windows 11 is identical to OneNote Online, and more improvements are coming all the time.

OneNote for Windows 11 has all the Class Notebook features built in, so you don’t need to install a separate add-in anymore. Teachers will automatically see the Class Notebook tab on the ribbon, but you can manually enable it at any time by clicking the Settings and More button in the upper right corner, and then clicking Settings> Options > Class Notebook Tools.

OneNote for Windows 11, OneNote Online, and the other modern apps have the same Class Notebook features, and additional improvements are being added all of the time. A handful of OneNote 2016’s Class Notebook features aren’t available in this version yet, but they will be released later this summer. These features include Undo Page Distribution, Content Library Distribution, Page Distribution to Specific Individuals or Groups, and Bulk Section Group Creation/Distribution.

Yes — Like all versions of OneNote, OneNote for Windows 11 caches a copy of your notebooks so you can access them even while you’re offline. The next time you connect to the Internet, all of the changes you made will sync to OneDrive so you’ll be able to see them on other devices Please note that while you can always view and edit your notes while you’re offline, some features which require Internet connectivity may not work, such as Optical Character Recognition, Researcher, creating and deleting notebooks.

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How to Use OneNote for School: 10 Tips for Students and Teachers

Microsoft OneNote can transform the classroom. Find out why the note-taking app is designed for both students and teachers.

Microsoft OneNote weighs just a few megabytes. Lugging around a satchel full of books pales a bit in comparison, doesn't it? So, as you head back to school, let's learn a bit more about how to use OneNote for school.

For enhanced collaboration features like Class Notebook and Staff Notebook, students and teachers can also get Office 365 Education for free with a valid school email address.

There are many unique ways to use OneNote for school. Try these OneNote tips if you are a teacher or student.

OneNote 2016 vs. OneNote for Windows 10

The different versions of OneNote can cause you some confusion. There are two main versions of OneNote and you can use both on the same computer:

OneNote for Windows 10 (the Microsoft Store app)

OneNote 2016 (the Microsoft Office desktop app)

Then, you have the ecosystem of OneNote apps for iOS and Android. And, OneNote Online too which can be accessed with any modern browser.

OneNote for Windows 10 gives you a seamless experience across all devices with either keyboard or touch input. Importantly, OneNote for Windows 10 is continuously updated with new features inspired by OneNote 2016.

Microsoft continues to support OneNote 2016 without bringing out a new version or adding new features. This will continue till October 14th, 2025 (in extended support).

Looking to the future and how your note-taking can build up over time, we recommend that you opt for OneNote for Windows 10  as new features rolled out to this version.

And follow our OneNote tips for teaching and studying at school, or even for personal notetaking.

1. Send Documents to OneNote With a Click

The first step of notetaking starts with capturing information. Students and teachers can send any document or webpage snippet to OneNote with several methods. These two below are native for OneNote.

Select OneNote as the default printer in Windows 10 Settings. Go to Windows Settings and choose OneNote as the default printer (or Send to OneNote 2016 if you are using it). You can then send any documents to any notebook or page via the Print dialog of the app.

Thanks to this, the old Send to OneNote tool from Microsoft Store becomes redundant.

Use the OneNote Clipper extension on Chrome. Browsers are research tools and the OneNote Web Clipper can save, annotate, and organize anything you grab from the web.

And there are more ways to add anything to OneNote from anywhere . The tips work for both OneNote for Windows 10 and OneNote 2016.

2. Embed Your Files as Cloud Attachments

OneNote for Windows 10 also has a flexible way to handle your attachments. They can be located on your desktop or on OneDrive.

Cloud attachments is a valuable addition for portability and teamwork as your file always stays updated. The embedded document will show up in your notebook as a live preview.

You can open and edit the files. Changes will show up in real time. and it will automatically update via OneDrive. Any changes you make will be saved to the original file and you don't have to save and re-attach the files again.

It's a pretty neat feature for students when they do group assignments and even teachers for collaborative learning.

3. Draw on Your Notes With Ink

Teachers can create richer instructions with the inking features on OneNote for Windows 10. Microsoft calls it " Think with Ink ". As the video above demonstrates, you can handwrite notes and draw or sketch things in your notebook.

Of course, it works best on a touch-enabled device like Microsoft Surface or an iPad, but the mouse too can handle some impromptu annotations.

4. Personalize Your Pages

OneNote pages can be scrolled horizontally and vertically. There are no limits. And there's a way to make them at least appear like real paper.

Personalize your OneNote pages with different colors, rule lines, and grids for the type of content in them.

• Go to View > Page Color.
• Go to View > Rule Lines .

You can also give each Notebook and Section its own color to separate the type of notes more visually. Just right-click a Page or a Section name in your OneNote notebook, and then select a color.

Get faster at personalization by using these OneNote shortcuts for Windows and Mac .

5. Use Linked Audio Recordings as Notes

Typing speed cannot keep up with a teacher's lecture. A better way is to just jot down the key point while you record the entire lecture.

The Audio feature in OneNote for Windows 10 lets you type the lecture notes while you record. The recording is linked to what you were typing when you started to record. This ensures you don't miss out on any important information.

To begin an audio recording in your notes, do the following:

• Click a location on the current page where you want to start the audio recording.
• On the Insert tab, click <strong">Audio.
• OneNote begins recording immediately.
• To end an audio recording, do the following:
• On the Recording tab , click Stop . OneNote ends the recording. If you want to continue recording later, click Record again.

6. Make Information Easier to Find With Color Coding

OneNote gives you multiple highlighter colors to choose from in different thicknesses. You can choose a different color to annotate or color code the learning material.

For instance, choose "Yellow" for key terms or definitions. Use "Orange" or "Red" to follow up on something. A consistent color code across your notes can help you scan and gather feedback on what you need to do next.

You can use highlighters with a right-click on the selected text, use the Home tab, or annotate with the choices on the Draw tab.

• Use the right-click menu. Select the words and then right-click for the highlighter tool with a choice of colors.
• From the Home tab. Select the words you want to highlight, and then click the Text Highlight Color button.
• From the Draw tab. The highlighter here is freeform and doesn't let you annotate in a neat straight line. It is more natural to use with a stylus.

7. Learn Math With OneNote

The Ink Math Assistant is one of OneNote's best features. It's a digital tutor that takes a handwritten math equation and solves it step by step. Use it to learn or teach everything from basic math to advanced Calculus.

The Math Assistant can even draw interactive graphs of your equations, thus helping you understand difficult math concepts. For instance, you can go to the interactive graph and change a few variables to see how they affect the final solution.

You can save a screenshot of the graph to your notebook and revise it later. This Microsoft Support article is a complete OneNote tutorial through this fantastic feature.

Note: The Math Assistant is only available with the Office 365 subscription.

8. Use Immersive Reader for Reading Comprehension

The Immersive Reader is a part of OneNote Learning Tools . The full screen reader makes it easy for students of all abilities to read and comprehend any document.

For OneNote for Windows 10, Mac, or iPad, open OneNote. Select View > Immersive Reader .

On the Immersive Reader, you can change text properties, line spacing, fonts, and background color. A feature called Parts of Speech helps readers understand complex sentences by highlighting nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. in a sentence.

Voice options read aloud sentences and improve accessibility. This includes a Picture Dictionary that explains a word with an image and its audio pronunciation.

It can even read out the step by step solutions from a math problem solved by the Math Assistant .

The Immersive Reader is available on OneNote for Windows 10 OneNote 2016, OneNote for the web, and OneNote for iOS.

9. Find School Homework Material With Researcher

The Researcher uses Bing to find relevant information for your homework or academic paper. But it is more than a simple search engine.

It is a serious time saver as you don't have to jump back and forth between the browser and OneNote. You can use the research tool to search for material with keywords, create outlines, and add sources without leaving the OneNote page you are working on.

• Go to Insert > Researcher and type in the keywords for your topic.
• The Results pane shows a list of sources from books, journals, and the web.
• Choose a topic in the Results pane to explore in detail. You can add the text or images to your notes by clicking the "+" sign in the upper-right corner.

The Researcher is part of the Office 365 subscription plan.

10. Teach With the Class Notebook in OneNote

The Class Notebook is the perfect online collaboration space for teaching. Educators can ask for a Teacher license with the Office 365 subscription. Teachers can use it to interact with one student or the entire class.

The OneNote Class Notebook is a part of OneNote for Windows 10. And it is available as an add-in for OneNote 2016 .

You have to enable the Class Notebook from the Settings. Go to Settings > Options , and set Class Notebook tools to On.

Now, Class Notebook is visible with all its controls in a separate OneNote tab.

The Class Notebook can become the core digital folder for teachers that contains all their resources like lesson plans, class assignments, grading templates, etc. The Notebook also integrates with over 40 third-party services that include several learning management systems (LMS).

Get the Most Out of OneNote at School

We have scratched the surface. There are loads of OneNote tutorials, tips, and tricks you can learn from once you start using it in class.

For instance, we haven't spoken about the OneNote Staff Notebook which is another collaborative workspace for teachers. We also haven't seen how you can use polls to gauge feedback in OneNote.

Microsoft is adding features with every update and most of them are something you can't duplicate on old-school paper and pen. For instance, try the utility of OneNote templates that can save you a lot of time with note-taking in school.

Never forget a class or assignment again.

Unlock your potential and manage your classes, tasks and exams with mystudylife- the world's #1 student planner and school organizer app..

School planner and organizer

The MyStudyLife planner app supports rotation schedules, as well as traditional weekly schedules. MSL allows you to enter your school subjects, organize your workload, and enter information about your classes – all so you can effortlessly keep on track of your school calendar.

Homework planner and task tracker

Become a master of task management by tracking every single task with our online planner – no matter how big or small.

Stay on top of your workload by receiving notifications of upcoming classes, assignments or exams, as well as incomplete tasks, on all your devices.

“Featuring a clean interface, MyStudyLife offers a comprehensive palette of schedules, timetables and personalized notifications that sync across multiple devices.”

” My Study Life is a calendar app designed specifically for students. As well as showing you your weekly timetable– with support for rotations – you can add exams, essay deadlines and reminders, and keep a list of all the tasks you need to complete. It also works on the web, so you can log in and check your schedule from any device.”

“MyStudyLife is a great study planner app that makes it simple for students to add assignments, classes, and tests to a standard weekly schedule.”

“I cannot recommend this platform enough. My Study Life is the perfect online planner to keep track of your classes and assignments. I like to use both the website and the mobile app so I can use it on my phone and computer! I do not go a single day without using this platform–go check it out!!”

“Staying organized is a critical part of being a disciplined student, and the MyStudyLife app is an excellent organizer.”

The ultimate study app

The MyStudyLife student planner helps you keep track of all your classes, tasks, assignments and exams – anywhere, on any device.

Whether you’re in middle school, high school or college MyStudyLife’s online school agenda will organize your school life for you for less stress, more productivity, and ultimately, better grades.  

Take control of your day with MyStudyLife

Stay on top of your studies. Organize tasks, set reminders, and get better grades, one day at a time.

We get it- student life can be busy. Start each day with the confidence that nothing important will be forgotten, so that you can stay focused and get more done.

Track your class schedule on your phone or computer, online or offline, so that you always know where you’re meant to be.

Shift your focus back to your goals, knowing that MyStudyLife has your back with timely reminders that make success the main event of your day

Say goodbye to last minute stress with MyStudyLife’s homework planner to make procrastination a thing of the past.

Coming soon!

MyStudyLife has lots of exciting changes and features in the works. Stay tuned!

Stay on track on all of your devices.

All your tasks are automatically synced across all your devices, instantly.

Trusted by millions of students around the world.

School can be hard. MyStudyLife makes it easier.

Our easy-to-use online study planner app is available on the App Store, the Google Play Store and can be used on desktop. This means that you can use MyStudyLife anywhere and on any device.

Discover more on the MyStudyLife blog

See how MyStudyLife can help organize your life.

As 10 melhores ferramentas de IA para ajudar os alunos a aprender mais rápido em 2024

La guía para estudiar con el ruido blanco – encuentra tu enfoque, filter by category.

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• High School Tips and Tricks
• Productivity
• Spanish/Español
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• Using MyStudyLife

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The best note-taking apps for students

Our favorite tools for writing assignments and classroom notes..

Every student needs a good note-taking system. The human brain, after all, can only store and retain so much information. There's nothing wrong with relying solely on pen and paper (and if that's your preference, go for it!). But if you're reading Engadget, we suspect you're interested in some kind of digital equivalent: an app that can store those handwritten notes or, if you're ready to take the plunge, let you record everything with a keyboard or stylus. It should be fast, intuitive and, most important, accessible from all of your favorite devices.

So what should I use?

There are dozens if not hundreds of note-taking apps to choose from. All of them, unsurprisingly, promise to make you an organization and productivity guru. If you're struggling to sift through them all, it's important to ask the following questions.

What hardware do I own?

First and foremost, eliminate any service that doesn't support your primary devices. For argument's sake, let's say you own a Macbook Pro and an Android smartphone: You can immediately rule out any platform that doesn't support Google's mobile operating system, like Bear and Ulysses. Why? Because it's critical that you can access your notes anytime, anywhere. A good, reliable mobile app means you can speed-read some revision notes while sitting on the bus or waiting in line for coffee. It's also a decent backup if you forget to charge your laptop or tablet before class.

What's my learning style?

If you haven't already, take a "learning style" quiz. It will explain whether you absorb and process information best with visuals (photographs, diagrams, maps, et cetera), audio (podcasts, audiobooks, class recordings), words (good old-fashioned reading and writing) or some sort of physical, tactile representation (looking at a globe, fixing a car by hand, et cetera).

What am I studying?

You should then consider your subjects. What would be the best way to represent and digest the course materials? A photography degree, for instance, will probably cover some prolific shutterbugs like Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson. If you want to remember their lives and techniques, it makes sense to build some notes that contain a mixture of text and example images.

What's my budget?

Don't spend what you can't afford. Set yourself a budget (we have a guide for managing your finances too) and dismiss anything that goes above it. Be wary, too, of "free" versions that lock basic features like offline access and cross-device syncing behind expensive subscription plans. You don't want to feel constrained by your note-taking app in class.

It's impossible to pick a single "best" note-taking app. Instead, we've made some suggestions that are tailored to specific users, devices and learning styles.

"I want to do everything with an iPad and Apple Pencil."

Our pick: Notability

Ginger Labs

gingerlabs.com

Platforms: iOS, macOS

Price: $9.99 ($19.98 for both)

Apple's iPad and Pencil stylus are a powerful combination. The former gives you limitless paper -- both in volume and sheet size -- while the latter can seamlessly switch among a near infinite number of multicolored pens, brushes and highlighters. If you plan to use this combination for most of your college work, we recommend Notability by Ginger Labs. The software is a tad more expensive than GoodNotes 5, but we prefer its general look and side rail organization as well as the way it smoothes out handwriting. Notability has a desktop app too, which is valuable if you occasionally switch over to a conventional laptop or PC.

Alternative: GoodNotes 5

Platforms: iOS

Price: $7.99

"I want to use a tablet and a laptop or PC."

Our pick: OneNote

onenote.com

Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows 10, web

Price: Free

If you split your time evenly between a tablet and PC, it's worth checking out OneNote. We love Microsoft's software because it's completely free and available on a wide range of platforms. You can organize your life in any number of notebooks and nested sections, which are then backed up to your Microsoft OneDrive account by default. Individual notes can also support a vast number of media types, including text, images, hand-drawn doodles and audio recordings. You can also share your notebooks and collaborate on individual notes with other people. We love Evernote too, but the free tier limits account access to two devices.

Alternative: Evernote

Price: Free (basic), $7.99/month (premium), $14.99/month (business)

"I'm a power user who wants to customize everything."

Our pick: Notion

Price: Free, $4/month (personal), $8/month (team), $20/month (enterprise)

Notion is a note-taking app with a cult-like following, and with good reason. It's an extremely powerful and versatile option that supports simple to-do lists, longer blog posts and a whole bunch of other get-your-life-together tools, such as Kanban project-management boards, calendars and Wiki-style databases. Pages (Notion's term for notes) can also link to pages stored in a completely different part of the app. The software can be daunting for newcomers, however, and building the perfect setup takes time. Thankfully, the company has developed a bunch of page templates and posted some helpful guides online.

"I have a Chromebook. What are my options?"

Our pick: Google Keep (plus Docs)

google.com/keep

Platforms: iOS, Android, Chrome, web

A Chromebook is one of the cheapest ways to get a laptop-like experience with desktop-class web browsing. If you're using one for school, we recommend Google Keep and Docs for most of your assignments. Keep is a dead-simple tool for capturing quick-and-dirty lesson summaries, deadlines and daily to-do lists. Docs, meanwhile, is a conventional writing application similar to Microsoft Word. It's great for converting shorter notes into longer, meatier essays and revision documents. With a dedicated Chrome extension, you can also create, view and edit all of your Google Docs content offline.

"I want to take notes with paper and pen!"

Our pick: Evernote

evernote.com

Not a problem. For many people, the physical act of writing helps their brain memorize the information. An app can still be useful, though, for creating a digital backup that can be accessed anywhere. Many note-taking apps have a built-in camera feature, but not all are designed for handwritten documents. Evernote is one of the few that can smartly detect and capture a note while the camera is open. It will then make subtle adjustments, including contrast tweaks, based on whether it's a notebook page, business card, receipt or whiteboard. Otherwise, we highly recommend Microsoft OneNote -- a truly free alternative, provided you have cloud storage -- for capturing your handouts and Moleskine pages.

Alternative: OneNote

"I want a lightweight app for quick, simple notes."

Our pick: Google Keep

Just want a place to dump quick thoughts, ideas and reminders? Again, we recommend Google Keep. The free software has a simple and clean design that anyone can grasp in a matter of seconds. We love the labeling system and ability to change a note's background color, just like a wad of multicolored sticky notes. There are plenty of other options, though, including Simplenote and the pre-installed Apple Notes app for iPhone, iPad and macOS. Zoho Notebook, meanwhile, is a free alternative with beautiful "cards" designed for blocks of text, checklists, audio snippets, photographs, files and hand-drawn sketches.

Alternative: Simplenote

Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows 10, Linux

Alternative: Notes (Apple)

Alternative: Zoho Notebook

Platforms: iOS, Android, macOS, Windows 10

"I want an app for serious writing too."

Our pick: Ulysses

ulysses.app

Price: $4.99/month or $39.99/year

Many people want a single app for all of their notes and school-based assignments. The ideal solution should, therefore, have a text editor that's competitive with, if not superior to, Microsoft Word and Google Docs. One such tool is Ulysses, which offers a beautiful design and a super smart take on Markdown, dubbed Markdown XL, for text formatting. At the time of writing, though, it's only available for iOS and macOS users. Bear, another writing app that we absolutely love, shares the same problem. Dropbox Paper is an intriguing alternative but relies on the web for desktop editing. There's also Scrivener, an expensive but powerful writing app that's available for iOS, Windows 10 and macOS -- but sadly not Android.

Alternative: Bear

Price: Free, $1.49/month or $14.99/year (Pro)

Alternative: Dropbox Paper

Platforms: iOS, Android, web

Alternative: Scrivener

Platforms: iOS, macOS, Windows 10

Price: iOS ($20), macOS ($49), Windows 10 ($45), macOS & windows 10 ($80)

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The best desktops for students

The best electric bikes, scooters and skateboards to use at school

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The best gaming PCs and accessories for students

The best consoles, games and accessories for students

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Top 7 Homework Planner Apps for Students

Whether you are attending classes, completing your assignments, studying for a quiz, project work, extra-curricular activities, or squeezing some time for friends and family. You’d agree that organizing and planning goes a long way. That’s why a homework organizer or a homework planner app can be a lifesaver to keep track of all your assignments, tests, submission deadlines, and exams. I did the research and shortlisted the perfect homework planner apps for Android and iOS. Let’s check those out.

Read:  Best Notes App for Windows to Increase Productivity

Homework Planner Apps for Students

1. student planner- homework agenda & notes.

The first app on the list is a simple homework and notes management app. It keeps track of homework, assignments, projects, and to-do lists. The layout is minimal, all the tasks are neatly organized with a colored bookmark for easy identification. You can mark a task complete and remove it from the pending list.

Courses can be added easily and color-coded as well. The calendar shows any upcoming deadlines so you can prioritize accordingly. The tasks have a progress bar that you can adjust as you make progress which enables you to get a quick summary without actually opening every task.

You can also break your assignments in small chunks as subtasks that would make finishing a task much easier and the progress bar will fill automatically. It also allows you to attach media files to your assignments or projects for easy access to the important information in one place.

• Progress bar
• Deadline Reminders
• Calendar View
• No option to sync data to the cloud

Student Planner is a great app for all the students, it has all the necessary features like Deadline reminders, subtasks, progress bar, color-coded tasks, and courses. It can significantly increase your productivity when used regularly. You can get this app for free in the Play Store.

Install Student Planner- Homework Agenda ( Android )

2. Student Planner

Student Planner is another fast and simple homework management app which is wrapped by a beautiful and intuitive material designed UI. What Student Planner adds to the table is the inclusion of a schedule or time table which you can use to either store your class schedule or it might even be a study schedule for your exams.

You first start by adding your subject and the schedule then you can add an assignment or set a reminder. The due assignments are arranged as separate cards and can be swiped away once done with.

•  Simple and easy to get started with
•  Fast and small in size
•  Beautiful Minimal UI
•  Option for Schedule
• No sync/backup
• Timetable implementation not perfect

I would recommend this app to anyone who is looking for a simple homework management app with timetable support and a minimal UI.

Install Student Planner ( Android )

Egenda is simple. Open the app, add all the classes or subjects to the app, and once that is set up, you have the option of adding a new Homework, Quiz, Project, or Test and choose the respective subject deadlines. The app also arranges the due work in cards that can be swiped away when done. But what I love the most about this app is that the fact it allows you to go subject-wise and view all your upcoming tests, projects, or pending assignments which is a huge convenience for planning your schedule ahead of time instead of the previous day.

Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have a timetable option, but in its latest update, it added a  Calendar View  where you can see your whole month at a glance with your assignments, tests, and projects.

•  Subject-wise sorting
•  Calendar View
• No timetable support

Egenda provides some great tools for Homework and Test planning and I am sure anyone would find them extremely convenient and useful. But keeping its single con in mind, go for this app if you are not too keen on having a schedule or timetable.

Install  Egenda  ( Android  |  iOS )

4. ChalkBoard

The next app on our list is ChalkBoard, which I found out to be a pretty smart homework planner app. Chalkboard strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and features.

Although the setup process is a little longer than the previous three apps, as you have to feed meticulous details about the classes, teacher, and schedule. It is worth the effort.

On the home screen, you are shown upcoming classes, events tab, and upcoming tests. ChalkBoard fetches the dates for every subject from the Timetable for your future classes. Little features like these make the app stand out from the rest and give an overall great experience. You can also view classes and assignments subject wise.

• Proper Timetable
• Ability to add teachers for subjects
• View tomorrow’s classes as well as assignments/tests/quizzes
• Smart features
• Little longer to set up
• No calendar view

If you are looking for a homework planner as well as a school planner, Chalkboard is the app as it strikes a great ground with almost all the features one might need while not being too bulky.

Install ChalkBoard ( Android )

5. School Planner

School Planner is a full-fledged planning application designed for students to manage their career as a student. Along with your homework and timetables, School Planner offers you to keep track of your grades and attendance, add contacts for teachers, add recorded lectures, and even multiple planners.

The app supports backing up of all your data via Google Drive, Calendar View along with a weekly report, attaching snapshots to your assignment reminders, student accounts from ClassViva, and a lot more. In spite of so many features, the app doesn’t feel slow at all and delivers a powerful performance with its beautiful design.

• Full-fledged student companion
• Feature-packed and free
• Supports sync and backup
• Widget Support
• Tedious setup procedure
• Big in size
• Complex, not so smooth learning curve

While it is not for someone who is looking for a fast and easy way into homework management, School Planner is a great student companion app and serious students will surely get the most out of hit.

Install School Planner ( Android )

6. My Study Life

My Study Life comes with its own web app and syncs with the Android app, essentially making your data accessible from any device as long as it has a browser.

It implements a goal-centric circular tracker that shows your progress. The Calendar view combines your timetable, deadlines, and shows all your classes and assignments, projects in a single place.

• Refreshingly new UI
• Access from anywhere through its web app
• Sync and Backup
• Lengthy setup process

If you study from your computer or laptop, My Study Life makes it easy to access your homework planner on your phone from your computer, while not compromising on features and being completely free. What more can you ask for?

Install My Study Life ( Android  |  iOS )

7. iStudiez Pro

Like School Planner, iStudiez Pro includes grading and subject wise organization of tasks. iStudiez Pro takes it further with the integration of Google Calendar that allows you to directly get all your holidays, exam schedule, routine from Google Calendar itself.

It also offers separate apps on all platforms including iOS, Mac, and Windows. All the apps sync seamlessly between themselves, so studying on your computer consulting your planner won’t be an issue.

• Google Calendar Integration
• Cross-Platform
• Cumulative Price

If Google Calendar integration and cross-platform support is a must for you, iStudiez Pro is definitely the app you want.

Install iStudiez Pro ( Android   |  iOS )

So this was our roundup of the best homework planner apps for Android. We genuinely think that there is an app for every need and we hope that you found a Homework Planner that suits your need whether you are a high school student or a college senior. So which one was your favorite or did we forget to add yours? Let us know in the comments below.

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Home / Blog / Stories / The Best Apps for Taking Notes, Scheduling, and Studying

The Best Apps for Taking Notes, Scheduling, and Studying

We all know social media, TV, and texting can be distracting for students, but instead of pushing back on technology, why not use it to your academic benefit? There are plenty of apps and settings out there that help you take notes more efficiently and keep track of your assignments. 

If you prefer good-old-fashioned pen and paper, that’s perfectly fine. But if having reminders, technological features, and a more compact place to keep all of these notes, dates, study guides, and flashcards is helpful for you, the right apps will make the process a breeze. Download these helpful apps to your phone, tablet, or laptop–or all of the above–and go into the school year ready to work smarter.

Notetaking Apps

1. evernote.

Use: Evernote uses a cloud system to store all of your notes, files, recordings, and photos. The app allows you to organize these notes and other materials into categories. You can also share notes with others.

• Basic: Free
• Plus: $3.99 per month or $34.99 per year
• Premium: $7.99 per month or $69.99 per year

*Students get 50% off premium

• Business: $14.99 per user per month

Where you can get it: Apple Store , Google Play , Microsoft Store  

“I use Evernote as a centralized place to track notes for different projects I’m working on. It has a sleek user experience that allows me to edit and share notes on the go.” – Scott Mann, University of Illinois graduate

Use: Bear is great for students who need a place to store more extensive, long-form notes. Organization is unique in that you can use tags (#) to group your notes and the double bracket sign ([[) to link notes. There are several other similar features. The format is especially helpful for students who are in computer and engineering majors, as there are HTML/code-friendly features.

• Bear Pro: $1.49 monthly or $14.99 annually

Where you can get it: Apple Store

Use: OneNote comes with all the features of a standard notetaking app, including organizational features, tagging capabilities, file adding, and the ability to share your notes. But the major bonus to OneNote is that you can customize your notes with text boxes and a drawing function. This is great for students in creative/art majors, math and science students who need to draw out equations, and general doodlers. 

Price: Free. Yep, all of it.

Where you can get it: Google Play , Apple Store , Microsoft Store , or download directly from OneNote.com (already installed on Windows 10)

Planner and Schedule Organizing Apps

Use: Originally built for the workplace, Trello has also proven to be great for students! Trello allows you to set up boards for different “projects.” These projects can be classes, personal commitments, clubs or other activities, and major school assignments. Then, organize your workflow with to-do lists, in-progress cards, and complete cards. You can also share projects with people, which is great for group projects. 

• Business Class: $9.99 per month

Where you can get it: Google Play , Apple Store , Microsoft Store , or sign up directly on Trello.com

“I use Trello to organize my life and make sure I don’t drop the ball on anything, work-related or personally.” – MacKenzie Mantsch, University of Denver graduate

2. myHomework Student Planner

Use: myHomework Student Planner uses a classic calendar layout that allows you to add items. The app is specifically geared towards students as you can organize items under the tabs “class,” “priority,” and “type.” Notify yourself of due dates, homework assignments, and tests, and color code based on the type of item entered. This app is especially great for college students, as it allows you to enter classes that occur every other day rather than every day.

• Premium: $4.99 per year

Where you can get it: Google Play , Apple Store , Microsoft Store , Chrome Web Store , and Kindle Fire

3. Class Timetable

Use: If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-use format, this is your schedule app. The main screen shows your classes for the day, and there is a separate “tasks” tab where you can enter assignments and due dates.

• Pro: $0.99 upgrade

Where you can get it: Apple store , Google Play

Other Helpful Apps

Use: Screenshot and screencast everything on your computer, and quickly transfer files. This is helpful for group projects, classes where you need to present demonstrations, video classes, and much more. Droplr is a simple download that you can add to your web browser, or download Droplr to your desktop so you can share screenshots, screencasts, and files with classmates.

Price: $2.99 per month

Where you can get it: Download directly from Droplr.com

“With Droplr, you can capture anything with just one click. It’s the easiest and fastest way for students like you to share online.” – Nicolas Weiser, CEO of Droplr.

*Disclosure: Peterson’s is a parent company of Droplr.

2. SelfControl

Use: If you have trouble focusing on homework and assignments due to social media, emails, and other distracting websites, you will want to download SelfControl. SelfControl is an iOS app that allows you to blacklist certain websites, then set a timer. During this time, you won’t be able to access these websites. But be warned, this app really forces your self control as you can’t access these sites during the time you set no matter what–even if you restart your computer or delete the app.

Price: Free

Where you can get it: Apple Store , or download Chrome extension

See also: The Best College Student Discounts. EVER.

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Taking Better Notes: 5 Effective Strategies for Students

Note-taking is a vital, handy tool in school and later in life. It helps keep you alert, organized, and focused on what you’re listening to. It basically forces you to pay attention so you know what to write down. People who take better notes often remember specific details better than those who only listen. In one study at Ohio University, researchers found students who regularly took notes scored 13% higher on tests than students who didn’t write information down in class.

5 Types of Note-Taking

Different note-taking strategies aren’t always taught in the classroom and sometimes students need help understanding why it’s so important and the best ways to go about it. In this blog, we’ll explain five different note-taking strategies to set your student up for success.

1. Freestyle Method

Freestyle note-taking consists of writing down everything that you hear , in any format. It is a great method for students who need to quickly jot down notes and have time to process the information later. However, freestyle note-taking can be very disorganized and hard to study.

2. Outline Method

Many students have better luck staying organized with the outline method. This consists of writing a heading (the main topic), subheadings, and details under each subheading. The outline method is great for students who are able to synthesize information while listening to the teacher. 

Brianna Bown, M.Ed., a virtual tutor at Educational Connections , says when students use the outline method their notes are already organized and simple to skim through, which makes it easier to study.

“If you have a student who likes the freestyle method, then they can take their notes and later put them into the outline method,” explained Brown.

3. Cornell Note Method

This is a research-based method, that’s best for middle, high school, and college students. The Cornell method helps students connect everything they are writing to a question . 

“Teachers love to see that students are thinking from a question-based perspective because they’re going to be asked a ton of questions on tests and in class. So if they organize their thought process, it’s going to keep them stay on task.”

To use the Cornell Method, students can draw two simple columns with one merged column on the bottom. The key ideas or terms should be written in the left column and all of the important details related to the main ideas should go in the right column. 

The bottom section is reserved for a summary. Here the student should reflect on what they have just learned in their own words.

“You can take various notes, but if you don’t sit down and analyze it, of what it means to you, it’s not going to be effective. Because you can write it down and then it’s out of your brain.”

4. Creative Note-Taking Methods

Many visual learners enjoy taking their freestyle notes and turning them into colorful drawings or illustrations. These are great strategies for students who love to be creative.

To make a web , students can write the topic in the center and have subheadings branch off from it. When creating a mind map , students can write the main ideas and connect them with keywords, details, and pictures. Both methods can help draw connections between ideas and concepts .

5. Digital Note-Taking Methods

For many students, notetaking has moved from a notebook to a laptop. The benefits of digital note-taking include easy organization and a smaller chance of losing notes after class.

However, there are many studies including this one that found students are often more distracted in class when using a digital device to take notes . Also, it’s much easier to try to type everything you hear. Researchers found that taking verbatim digital notes can reduce how much a student remembers compared to when they paraphrase while writing by hand.

There’s a variety of programs students can use to take digital notes, including Microsoft’s OneNote and Google Docs.

N ote.ly a virtual post-it note board that does not require a subscription. It allows students to easily create a note for each topic, which they can type or draw on. They can then drag and drop the notecards in order of importance. For example, they can move cards that contain information they already know to the bottom of the pile and move everything they need to focus on to the top. 

Important Notes on Better Note-Taking 

No matter the method of notetaking, it’s always important for students to watch someone model the process . This shows the student the proper way to organize notes and includes a thorough explanation of the thought process they can use in class.  Students should also get in the habit of:

• Paraphrasing – Put information into your own words to reinforce the meaning.
• Using abbreviations – It’s okay to abbreviate and write in incomplete sentences as long as you can understand what you wrote.
• Using main ideas, supporting details, and bullet points – This helps keep the notes organized.
• Highlighting/color coding and underlining- This can help with memorization, but don’t overdo it and use too many colors or lines.
• Drawing pictures or using photos- Drawing a picture of the topic or adding a digital photo (while digital notetaking) can be an effective way to help with memorization.
• Including the date and page numbers – This will help the student keep track of their notes.

Teaching Healthy Note-Taking Habits

Getting in the habit of keeping concise, well-organized notes will make reviewing and studying that much easier. And the benefits of developing great note-taking skills will extend well beyond the classroom. 

I f your student needs help learning to take better notes and to keep organized, our  executive function coaches  are here to help. 

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Smart Classroom Management

A Simple, Effective Homework Plan For Teachers: Part 1

So for the next two weeks I’m going to outline a homework plan–four strategies this week, four the next–aimed at making homework a simple yet effective process.

Let’s get started.

Homework Strategies 1-4

The key to homework success is to eliminate all the obstacles—and excuses—that get in the way of students getting it done.

Add leverage and some delicately placed peer pressure to the mix, and not getting homework back from every student will be a rare occurrence.

Here is how to do it.

1. Assign what students already know.

Most teachers struggle with homework because they misunderstand the narrow purpose of homework, which is to practice what has already been learned. Meaning, you should only assign homework your students fully understand and are able to do by themselves.

Therefore, the skills needed to complete the evening’s homework must be thoroughly taught during the school day. If your students can’t prove to you that they’re able to do the work without assistance, then you shouldn’t assign it.

It isn’t fair to your students—or their parents—to have to sit at the dinner table trying to figure out what you should have taught them during the day.

2. Don’t involve parents.

Homework is an agreement between you and your students. Parents shouldn’t be involved. If parents want to sit with their child while he or she does the homework, great. But it shouldn’t be an expectation or a requirement of them. Otherwise, you hand students a ready-made excuse for not doing it.

You should tell parents at back-to-school night, “I got it covered. If ever your child doesn’t understand the homework, it’s on me. Just send me a note and I’ll take care of it.”

Holding yourself accountable is not only a reminder that your lessons need to be spot on, but parents will love you for it and be more likely to make sure homework gets done every night. And for negligent parents? It’s best for their children in particular to make homework a teacher/student-only agreement.

3. Review and then ask one important question.

Set aside a few minutes before the end of the school day to review the assigned homework. Have your students pull out the work, allow them to ask final clarifying questions, and have them check to make sure they have the materials they need.

And then ask one important question: “Is there anyone, for any reason, who will not be able to turn in their homework in the morning? I want to know now rather than find out about it in the morning.”

There are two reasons for this question.

First, the more leverage you have with students, and the more they admire and respect you , the more they’ll hate disappointing you. This alone can be a powerful incentive for students to complete homework.

Second, it’s important to eliminate every excuse so that the only answer students can give for not doing it is that they just didn’t care. This sets up the confrontation strategy you’ll be using the next morning.

4. Confront students on the spot.

One of your key routines should be entering the classroom in the morning.

As part of this routine, ask your students to place their homework in the top left-hand (or right-hand) corner of their desk before beginning a daily independent assignment—reading, bellwork , whatever it may be.

During the next five to ten minutes, walk around the room and check homework–don’t collect it. Have a copy of the answers (if applicable) with you and glance at every assignment.

You don’t have to check every answer or read every portion of the assignment. Just enough to know that it was completed as expected. If it’s math, I like to pick out three or four problems that represent the main thrust of the lesson from the day before.

It should take just seconds to check most students.

Remember, homework is the practice of something they already know how to do. Therefore, you shouldn’t find more than a small percentage of wrong answers–if any. If you see more than this, then you know your lesson was less than effective, and you’ll have to reteach

If you find an assignment that is incomplete or not completed at all, confront that student on the spot .

Call them on it.

The day before, you presented a first-class lesson and gave your students every opportunity to buzz through their homework confidently that evening. You did your part, but they didn’t do theirs. It’s an affront to the excellence you strive for as a class, and you deserve an explanation.

It doesn’t matter what he or she says in response to your pointed questions, and there is no reason to humiliate or give the student the third degree. What is important is that you make your students accountable to you, to themselves, and to their classmates.

A gentle explanation of why they don’t have their homework is a strong motivator for even the most jaded students to get their homework completed.

The personal leverage you carry–that critical trusting rapport you have with your students–combined with the always lurking peer pressure is a powerful force. Not using it is like teaching with your hands tied behind your back.

Homework Strategies 5-8

Next week we’ll cover the final four homework strategies . They’re critical to getting homework back every day in a way that is painless for you and meaningful for your students.

I hope you’ll tune in.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

What to read next:

• A Powerful Way To Relieve Stress: Part One
• A Simple Exercise Program For Teachers
• The Best Time To Review Your Classroom Management Plan
• Why Your New Classroom Management Plan Isn't Working
• 27 Things That Make Your Classroom Management Plan Work

21 thoughts on “A Simple, Effective Homework Plan For Teachers: Part 1”

Good stuff, Michael. A lot of teachers I train and coach are surprised (and skeptical) at first when I make the same point you make about NOT involving parents. But it’s right on based on my experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator the past 17 years. More important, it’s validated by Martin Haberman’s 40 years of research on what separates “star” teachers from “quitter/failure” teachers ( http://www.habermanfoundation.org/Book.aspx?sm=c1 )

I love the articles about “homework”. in the past I feel that it is difficuty for collecting homework. I will try your plan next year.

I think you’ll be happy with it, Sendy!

How do you confront students who do not have their homework completed?

You state in your book to let consequences do their job and to never confront students, only tell them the rule broken and consequence.

I want to make sure I do not go against that rule, but also hold students accountable for not completing their work. What should I say to them?

They are two different things. Homework is not part of your classroom management plan.

Hi Michael,

I’m a first-year middle school teacher at a private school with very small class sizes (eight to fourteen students per class). While I love this homework policy, I feel discouraged about confronting middle schoolers publicly regarding incomplete homework. My motive would never be to humiliate my students, yet I can name a few who would go home thinking their lives were over if I did confront them in front of their peers. Do you have any ideas of how to best go about incomplete homework confrontation with middle school students?

The idea isn’t in any way to humiliate students, but to hold them accountable for doing their homework. Parts one and two represent my best recommendation.:)

I believe that Homework is a vital part of students learning.

I’m still a student–in a classroom management class. So I have no experience with this, but I’m having to plan a procedure for my class. What about teacher sitting at desk and calling student one at a time to bring folder while everyone is doing bellwork or whatever their procedure is? That way 1) it would be a long walk for the ones who didn’t do the work :), and 2) it would be more private. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks. 🙂

I’m not sure I understand your question. Would you mind emailing me with more detail? I’m happy to help.

I think what you talked about is great. How do you feel about flipping a lesson? My school is pretty big on it, though I haven’t done it yet. Basically, for homework, the teacher assigns a video or some other kind of media of brand new instruction. Students teach themselves and take a mini quiz at the end to show they understand the new topic. Then the next day in the classroom, the teacher reinforces the lesson and the class period is spent practicing with the teacher present for clarification. I haven’t tried it yet because as a first year teacher I haven’t had enough time to make or find instructional videos and quizzes, and because I’m afraid half of my students will not do their homework and the next day in class I will have to waste the time of the students who did their homework and just reteach what the video taught.

Anyway, this year, I’m trying the “Oops, I forgot my homework” form for students to fill out every time they forget their homework. It keeps them accountable and helps me keep better track of who is missing what. Once they complete it, I cut off the bottom portion of the form and staple it to their assignment. I keep the top copy for my records and for parent/teacher conferences.

Here is an instant digital download of the form. It’s editable in case you need different fields.

Thanks again for your blog. I love the balance you strike between rapport and respect.

Your site is a godsend for a newbie teacher! Thank you for your clear, step-by-step, approach!

I G+ your articles to my PLN all the time.

You’re welcome, TeachNich! And thank you for sharing the articles.

Hi Michael, I’m going into my first year and some people have told me to try and get parents involved as much as I can – even home visits and things like that. But my gut says that negligent parents cannot be influenced by me. Still, do you see any value in having parents initial their student’s planner every night so they stay up to date on homework assignments? I could also write them notes.

Personally, no. I’ll write about this in the future, but when you hold parents accountable for what are student responsibilities, you lighten their load and miss an opportunity to improve independence.

I am teaching at a school where students constantly don’t take work home. I rarely give homework in math but when I do it is usually something small and I still have to chase at least 7 kids down to get their homework. My way of holding them accountable is to record a homework completion grade as part of their overall grade. Is this wrong to do? Do you believe homework should never be graded for a grade and just be for practice?

No, I think marking a completion grade is a good idea.

I’ve been teaching since 2014 and we need to take special care when assigning homework. If the homework assignment is too hard, is perceived as busy work, or takes too long to complete, students might tune out and resist doing it. Never send home any assignment that students cannot do. Homework should be an extension of what students have learned in class. To ensure that homework is clear and appropriate, consider the following tips for assigning homework:

Assign homework in small units. Explain the assignment clearly. Establish a routine at the beginning of the year for how homework will be assigned. Remind students of due dates periodically. And Make sure students and parents have information regarding the policy on missed and late assignments, extra credit, and available adaptations. Establish a set routine at the beginning of the year.

Thanks Nancie L Beckett

Dear Michael,

I love your approach! Do you have any ideas for homework collection for lower grades? K-3 are not so ready for independent work first thing in the morning, so I do not necessarily have time to check then; but it is vitally important to me to teach the integrity of completing work on time.

Also, I used to want parents involved in homework but my thinking has really changed, and your comments confirm it!

Hi Meredith,

I’ll be sure and write about this topic in an upcoming article (or work it into an article). 🙂

Overall, this article provides valuable insights and strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms. I look forward to reading Part 2 and learning more about how to make homework a simple and effective process. Thanks

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85 Positive Words of Encouragement for Students

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When you know a student is struggling with coursework and staying motivated, will words of encouragement help motivate and inspire them? You bet they will! 

In fact, research studies investigating the power of verbal encouragement found that college students receiving encouragement from counselors reported they felt more empowered to earn their degree and make better decisions regarding their career choices. 

In addition, the evidence is overwhelming that teachers and parents consistently offering words of encouragement to K-12 students contribute profoundly to the their academic success. 

So in this article, you will discover 85 words of encouragement you can give to a student in your life.

But first, let’s start by answering a quick question:

Table of Contents

What are Words of Encouragement for Students?

Words of encouragement are statements that help students know that they are capable of doing anything that they put their mind do.  These words are better than throwing out generic statements like “You can do it” or “You'll be fine”. 

Students who typically do well in school but seem to be experiencing unusual difficulty with schoolwork may be dealing with family or relationship issues . 

Gently asking the student how things are going in their life before offering words of encouragement can also give you further insight into how to optimize your encouragement.

Discussing a struggling student with their teacher is another way to determine exactly what kind of encouragement the student would most benefit from hearing.

85 Powerful Words of Encouragement for Students

• Believe it or not, tough times often quickly dissolve into easier times. You’ve got what it takes to get past a tough time.
• You know why people make mistakes ? Because they are willing to see just how far they can push themselves. You don’t know what you’re capable of achieving until you try to achieve it.
• If you fall 10 times, know that you are perfectly capable of standing up 11 times.
• Getting a C or D on a test does not describe you as a person. A test score is simply a happening, not a person.
• You are the only one who can decide how to end your story. Endings aren’t written by circumstances. They are written by people like you.
• Feeling motivated doesn’t always make you feel like you’ve got Superman’s powers. Sometimes, motivation and determination is that quiet but clear voice that tells you tomorrow is another day to try, try and keep trying.
• What’s the hardest assignment you’ve got to finish? Always do that one first because you’ve already completed the easy ones.
• The easiest way to cope with not achieving a goal is to simply accept it. But, tell yourself that you cannot accept it unless you’ve tried to do the best you can do.
• Succeeding at school does not mean never making mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. That’s how we learn and grow. It’s avoiding making the same mistake that gets you closer to your goals.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. once said that you don't have to see all the steps of a big staircase. You just have to take that first step to start climbing them.
• If you wait for just the right time to do something, well, that time may never come. In fact, the right time may be right now.

• Have you ever struggled to follow a path in the woods covered with fallen branches and muddy holes and, after working hard to keep following it for a long time, you eventually come to the most beautiful lake you've ever seen? 
• You know you can do this, right? I know you can. YOU know you can. Well, that means you're already halfway there. And the last part of anything–a movie, a level in a video game, the last inning of a baseball game–is always the best.
• There are always doors of opportunity opening for you but you've got to be the one to decide to go through those doors to see what's on the other side
• It may seem like some problems don't have solutions but remember, every solution found was once somebody's problem
• Opportunities and chances are two entirely different things. Never let chance decide how you are going to achieve your goals. 
• What you are capable of doing right now is much more important than thinking of what you are capable of doing
• So you made a mistake –so what? That means you tried to do something nobody else ever tried to do. That makes you
• Have you ever played baseball with your friends and felt a little scared when it came time for you to bat because you were afraid you might strike out? But, you stepped up to the plate, anyway, didn't you?
• How do you know something is impossible to achieve until you try achieving it?

• Nobody is perfect. Nobody! If everybody was perfect, we wouldn't be motivated to do anything except sit and think about how perfect we are. Wouldn't that be boring? You wouldn't want to show your friends that new bicycle trick you taught yourself if you thought you were perfect.
• Writing the first sentence of that essay is the best way to show yourself you are fully capable of writing the second sentence, and the third sentence, and the fourth sentence.
• Nobody can do everything they want to do but right now, in this moment, you can do anything you want to do.
• Do you know what Kermit the Frog meant when he said “time is fun when you are eating flies”? He was saying that no matter what a frog is doing, they always find fun in doing it. 
• You know why they put “delete” keys on a keyboard? Because nobody is perfect. If you don't like something you've done, delete it and move on. 
• If you can dream about getting a good grade on a project, you have the ability to make it happen.
• Right now something may seem impossible but once you've accomplished that impossible task, it's now a reality.
• How can you learn to get back on your own two feet if you don't fall over and over again? Falling teaches you how to get up as fast and capably as possible
• What are the 10 things in your life right now that make you happy ? Think about those 10 things. Then start tackling your school work. I guarantee you'll be smiling.
• You have an endless supply of creativity. The more you use it, the more you'll have.
• What do you want to be doing 10 years from now? Whatever it is depends on your ability to get things done.

• You can't beat somebody who never gives up.
• Finishing an assignment is like learning to walk as a baby. One step at a time eventually got you to that toy you really wanted lying on the other side of the room.
• Take advantage of the opportunities you have right now. You can't depend on chances. They're not dependable.
• No difficulty is without its own, unique reward. But you won't find out what that reward is until you take on that difficulty.
• You might be on the right track but if you just sit down on that track, you might get run over.
• Blow right by a failure and don't stop. It's the only way to get to your ultimate destination–success.
• Your professor (or teacher) might be an expert on something but he didn't start out an expert.
• Have you made a mistake yet? If not, then you're not really trying to be the best you can be
• OK, let's get this done. But first, tell yourself loudly “No negative thoughts are allowed in my brain”!
• Nobody accomplishes anything without feeling motivated. So, what motivates you? 

• If you believe you can do something and try to do it, then you were right.
• Attitudes are like tires. If they're flat, you gotta change them or you're stuck in the middle of nowhere.
• Don't think about why something may not work. Think about it working.
• We are always much, much more than what we think we are. Think big and bold when it comes to your strengths and skills. They are just waiting for you to discover them. 
• Comfort zones are meant to be breached.
• Don't just imagine finishing your work or getting a good grade. When you only dream, you are only sleeping.
• Limitations on what you can achieve are set by one person only–yourself.
• Your future needs you to make it. Right now, it's waiting for instructions.
• You don't need anybody's approval or anybody's opinion. All you need to do is focus on doing the best you can do.

• You might not feel motivated or inspired right now but know that thousands of people have made it to the top of the tallest mountains in the world. If they can do that, you can do this.
• That wall you don't think can be climbed only exists in your mind. So knock down that wall with an imaginary wrecking ball and don't stop to look at what remains. It no longer matters.
• It is entirely possible to live your dreams. But you can't live them when you simply think about them. Life is all about action, motivation and doing.
• You won't know what “coulda” been if you don't dive into a lake of “shouldas”. 
• There are no victims of circumstances beyond their control. There are only victims of their own inaction. Decisions have benefits or consequences. It's your choice.
• There is no such thing as a fast track to success. Sometimes it’s best to pace yourself and make pit stops now and again to improve your performance.
• Picture what makes you most happy in life and hold that in your mind. Now, when you tackle life’s challenges or come across difficult moments, remember the things that are waiting for you to move forward.
• Every mistake you make should be seen as a learning opportunity.
• There is something special about every single person in this world, whether it’s a personality or physical trait… or a wonderful talent. Search within yourself and find what makes you special . Maybe there is more than one thing. Now write them down on a piece of paper and keep it close by. Whenever you start to doubt yourself, look at the paper.  
• Whenever you feel like there isn’t enough time to accomplish all you set out to do, remember that taking care of yourself is never a waste of time. Take a deep breath and start over.
• There is no elevator to success. Every step you take to get there is indicative of the hard work you’ve put in.

• Never be afraid to try something that scares you. The feeling you get from facing and overcoming your fears will give you the fuel you need to propel you forward and restore your confidence. 
• Self confidence is the key to unlocking every door that appears closed to you.
• There are no impossible tasks, only our own thoughts of impossibility.
• As a teacher, I can guide you; but, you are the only one who can take my hand and choose to follow me. 
• Every teacher was once a student.
•  If any person tries to tell you that they are never scared or unsure of themselves, they are either kidding themselves or lying. Nobody is impervious to doubt anymore than they are capable of keeping bad things from happening. It’s how you let these things affect you that defines you.
• My favorite track and field event is 100 meter hurdles. It reminds me that we can’t sprint to the finish line without incurring some obstacles along the way.
• Slow and steady wins the race. You should never measure your success on how long it takes you to obtain it.    
• When you’re afraid of failing, try to picture yourself succeeding and focus on that instead.
• I became a teacher for two reasons. The first was to learn from my students and the second was to motivate them. I am your biggest fan and have seen all that you are capable of.
• Failure is not an option in my classroom. I am in your corner, which means that I will always be there to help soften the blows of defeat and encourage you to keep fighting.
• Don’t let negative thoughts of what you can’t do prevent you from doing what you can do.

• You deserve every bit of the success you work hard for.
• The minute you decide to give up is the very minute you’ve handed over your keys to what could have been.
• Nothing worth having should ever come too easy. That would rob you of that feeling of accomplishment afterwards, which is something you deserve. 
• If you never had to work hard, you’d never appreciate the things that come easy.
• Without the presence of doubt , the mind is capable of anything it sets out to do.
• Believing in yourself is where you need to put the most effort when you’re struggling.
• When faced with a daunting task, it’s perfectly ok to walk away for a while. Do something you enjoy instead and put yourself in a better state of mind to tackle it later.
• There is no such thing as having too much knowledge. So if something takes you a bit longer to learn, you should still be grateful for the opportunity.
• Knowledge is power. The more you gain, the stronger you will become.
• When something seems too difficult, try setting a series of smaller and more obtainable goals . Then reward yourself every time you reach one.  
• Why reach only for the stars? Why not the entire universe?
• Never settle for mediocrity. Doing so would be doing a disservice to the incredible person you truly are.

Final Thoughts on Words of Encouragement for Students

Students today are especially struggling with academic studies due to lockdowns and uncertainty over whether their school will open. 

So these words of encouragement are especially important right now.  Hopefully when you say them to an important student in your life, this will help them stay motivated to finish their work and by having in-depth discussions about their fears, their hopes and their dreams.

And if you want more positive words of encouragement, be sure to check out these blog posts:

• 45 Words of Encouragement for Your Son to Inspire Him
• 37 Helpful Words of Encouragement for Your Daughter
• 103 Positive Words of Encouragement for Preschoolers & Young Kids

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May 10, 2024

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

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Growth mindset teaching helps students make the grade

by Judie Kinonen, University of Texas at Austin

It's been more than 30 years since psychologist Carol Dweck introduced "growth mindset" —the psychological and motivational effects of believing that a person's ability in any domain is not fixed but can develop through effort and coaching. The concept has been widely lauded in company mission statements, athletic locker rooms, and schools.

In practice, however, it's not always easy to keep the mindset going across an organization, says Christopher Bryan, associate professor of business, government, and society at Texas McCombs.

In recent research , Bryan offers a new approach to making such behaviors more pervasive—and to realizing their power to shape human potential in the classroom and in the workplace. He tested the approach on a group of high school teachers, predicting their adoption of growth mindset would have an impact on student performance .

The key, he found, was to connect the growth mindset with the teachers' existing priorities: an approach he calls "values alignment." It identified what values mattered most to teachers and then designed a training around those values.

The result: Teachers were more likely to adopt the mindset, and their students were more likely to succeed academically—particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

"By aligning the intervention to teachers' values, we found we can counter inequality without putting the onus on disadvantaged students themselves to overcome the barriers imposed on them," he says, adding the approach has implications for business culture, as well.

Finding the common value

With University of Texas at Austin colleagues Cameron Hecht and David Yeager, Bryan surveyed teachers to determine what trait they most admired in a fellow teacher . The overwhelming consensus was an ability to inspire students' enthusiastic engagement without resorting to threats or bribes.

The researchers built a 45-minute self-administered online course around that value. It argued that consistently expressing a growth mindset toward students—communicating that every student can learn and improve—would boost a teacher's ability to inspire them.

They had 155 teachers take the course near the beginning of the school year, while a control group took a different module. Both groups taught dual high school/college credit courses with high failure rates, especially among students from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

A single training in growth mindset, the researchers found, produced significant improvements in academic achievement.

• Overall, students increased their pass rates by an average 3.59 percentage points and their grades by 0.10 grade point, compared with students whose teachers didn't take the training.
• Students from low socioeconomic backgrounds drove all that improvement, with a pass rate 6.31 percentage points higher. Says Bryan, "Many of these are students who would be thought of as 'not college material,' but this mindset shift among teachers had a significant impact on them."

In previous experiments, Bryan has found a values-alignment approach can change behaviors as well as grades. He helped teenagers adopt healthier eating habits by aligning an intervention around their core value: rebelling against adult manipulation and control. Students who learned how junk food companies were manipulating them were far more willing to shun the vending machines.

In follow-up research, Bryan is taking his approach beyond the classroom. He and his colleagues are identifying a motivating value for front-line business leaders and designing a growth-mindset intervention for managers at a large corporation.

"We've found the key to motivating leaders to support a growth mindset culture is in articulating how such a culture advances a goal already near the top of a leader's priority list: inspiring followers to engage enthusiastically with work," Bryan says.

"We can induce teachers, managers, and coaches to invest their energy in encouraging a growth mindset . As a consequence, their students, employees, and players—particularly those with the greatest needs—perform better."

Provided by University of Texas at Austin

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America’s Colleges Are Reaping What They Sowed

Universities spent years saying that activism is not just welcome but encouraged on their campuses. Students took them at their word.

Listen to this article

Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (NOA) using AI narration.

N ick Wilson, a sophomore at Cornell University, came to Ithaca, New York, to refine his skills as an activist. Attracted by both Cornell’s labor-relations school and the university’s history of campus radicalism, he wrote his application essay about his involvement with a Democratic Socialists of America campaign to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act . When he arrived on campus, he witnessed any number of signs that Cornell shared his commitment to not just activism but also militant protest, taking note of a plaque commemorating the armed occupation of Willard Straight Hall in 1969.

Cornell positively romanticizes that event: The university library has published a “ Willard Straight Hall Occupation Study Guide ,” and the office of the dean of students once co-sponsored a panel on the protest. The school has repeatedly screened a documentary about the occupation, Agents of Change . The school’s official newspaper, published by the university media-relations office, ran a series of articles honoring the 40th anniversary, in 2009, and in 2019, Cornell held a yearlong celebration for the 50th, complete with a commemorative walk, a dedication ceremony, and a public conversation with some of the occupiers. “ Occupation Anniversary Inspires Continued Progress ,” the Cornell Chronicle headline read.

As Wilson has discovered firsthand, however, the school’s hagiographical odes to prior protests have not prevented it from cracking down on pro-Palestine protests in the present. Now that he has been suspended for the very thing he told Cornell he came there to learn how to do—radical political organizing—he is left reflecting on the school’s hypocrisies. That the theme of this school year at Cornell is “Freedom of Expression” adds a layer of grim humor to the affair.

Evan Mandery: University of hypocrisy

University leaders are in a bind. “These protests are really dynamic situations that can change from minute to minute,” Stephen Solomon, who teaches First Amendment law and is the director of NYU’s First Amendment Watch—an organization devoted to free speech—told me. “But the obligation of universities is to make the distinction between speech protected by the First Amendment and speech that is not.” Some of the speech and tactics protesters are employing may not be protected under the First Amendment, while much of it plainly is. The challenge universities are confronting is not just the law but also their own rhetoric. Many universities at the center of the ongoing police crackdowns have long sought to portray themselves as bastions of activism and free thought. Cornell is one of many universities that champion their legacy of student activism when convenient, only to bring the hammer down on present-day activists when it’s not. The same colleges that appeal to students such as Wilson by promoting opportunities for engagement and activism are now suspending them. And they’re calling the cops.

The police activity we are seeing universities level against their own students does not just scuff the carefully cultivated progressive reputations of elite private universities such as Columbia, Emory University, and NYU, or the equally manicured free-speech bona fides of red-state public schools such as Indiana University and the University of Texas at Austin. It also exposes what these universities have become in the 21st century. Administrators have spent much of the recent past recruiting social-justice-minded students and faculty to their campuses under the implicit, and often explicit, promise that activism is not just welcome but encouraged. Now the leaders of those universities are shocked to find that their charges and employees believed them. And rather than try to understand their role in cultivating this morass, the Ivory Tower’s bigwigs have decided to apply their boot heels to the throats of those under their care.

I spoke with 30 students, professors, and administrators from eight schools—a mix of public and private institutions across the United States—to get a sense of the disconnect between these institutions’ marketing of activism and their treatment of protesters. A number of people asked to remain anonymous. Some were untenured faculty or administrators concerned about repercussions from, or for, their institutions. Others were directly involved in organizing protests and were wary of being harassed. Several incoming students I spoke with were worried about being punished by their school before they even arrived. Despite a variety of ideological commitments and often conflicting views on the protests, many of those I interviewed were “shocked but not surprised”—a phrase that came up time and again—by the hypocrisy exhibited by the universities with which they were affiliated. (I reached out to Columbia, NYU, Cornell, and Emory for comment on the disconnect between their championing of past protests and their crackdowns on the current protesters. Representatives from Columbia, Cornell, and Emory pointed me to previous public statements. NYU did not respond.)

The sense that Columbia trades on the legacy of the Vietnam protests that rocked campus in 1968 was widespread among the students I spoke with. Indeed, the university honors its activist past both directly and indirectly, through library archives , an online exhibit , an official “Columbia 1968” X account , no shortage of anniversary articles in Columbia Magazine , and a current course titled simply “Columbia 1968.” The university is sometimes referred to by alumni and aspirants as the “Protest Ivy.” One incoming student told me that he applied to the school in part because of an admissions page that prominently listed community organizers and activists among its “distinguished alumni.”

Joseph Slaughter, an English professor and the executive director of Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, talked with his class about the 1968 protests after the recent arrests at the school. He said his students felt that the university had actively marketed its history to them. “Many, many, many of them said they were sold the story of 1968 as part of coming to Columbia,” he told me. “They talked about it as what the university presents to them as the long history and tradition of student activism. They described it as part of the brand.”

This message reaches students before they take their first college class. As pro-Palestine demonstrations began to raise tensions on campus last month, administrators were keen to cast these protests as part of Columbia’s proud culture of student activism. The aforementioned high-school senior who had been impressed by Columbia’s activist alumni attended the university’s admitted-students weekend just days before the April 18 NYPD roundup. During the event, the student said, an admissions official warned attendees that they may experience “disruptions” during their visit, but boasted that these were simply part of the school’s “long and robust history of student protest.”

Remarkably, after more than 100 students were arrested on the order of Columbia President Minouche Shafik—in which she overruled a unanimous vote by the university senate’s executive committee not to bring the NYPD to campus —university administrators were still pushing this message to new students and parents. An email sent on April 19 informed incoming students that “demonstration, political activism, and deep respect for freedom of expression have long been part of the fabric of our campus.” Another email sent on April 20 again promoted Columbia’s tradition of activism, protest, and support of free speech. “This can sometimes create moments of tension,” the email read, “but the rich dialogue and debate that accompany this tradition is central to our educational experience.”

Evelyn Douek and Genevieve Lakier: The hypocrisy underlying the campus-speech controversy

Another student who attended a different event for admitted students, this one on April 21, said that every administrator she heard speak paid lip service to the school’s long history of protest. Her own feelings about the pro-Palestine protests were mixed—she said she believes that a genocide is happening in Gaza and also that some elements of the protest are plainly anti-Semitic—but her feelings about Columbia’s decision to involve the police were unambiguous. “It’s reprehensible but exactly what an Ivy League institution would do in this situation. I don’t know why everyone is shocked,” she said, adding: “It makes me terrified to go there.”

Beth Massey, a veteran activist who participated in the 1968 protests, told me with a laugh, “They might want to tell us they’re progressive, but they’re doing the business of the ruling class.” She was not surprised by the harsh response to the current student encampment or by the fact that it lit the fuse on a nationwide protest movement. Massey had been drawn to the radical reputation of Columbia’s sister school, Barnard College, as an open-minded teenager from the segregated South: “I actually wanted to go to Barnard because they had a history of progressive struggle that had happened going all the way back into the ’40s.” And the barn-burning history that appealed to Massey in the late 1960s has continued to attract contemporary students, albeit with one key difference: Today, that radical history has become part of the way that Barnard and Columbia sell their $60,000-plus annual tuition.

Of course, Columbia is not alone. The same trends have also prevailed at NYU, which likes to crow about its own radical history and promises contemporary students “ a world of activism opportunities .” An article published on the university’s website in March—titled “Make a Difference Through Activism at NYU”—promises students “myriad chances to put your activism into action.” The article points to campus institutions that “provide students with resources and opportunities to spark activism and change both on campus and beyond.” The six years I spent as a graduate student at NYU gave me plenty of reasons to be cynical about the university and taught me to view all of this empty activism prattle as white noise. But even I was astounded to see a video of students and faculty set upon by the NYPD, arrested at the behest of President Linda Mills.

“Across the board, there is a heightened awareness of hypocrisy,” Mohamad Bazzi, a journalism professor at NYU, told me, noting that faculty were acutely conscious of the gap between the institution’s intensive commitment to DEI and the police crackdown. The university has recently made several “cluster hires”—centered on activism-oriented themes such as anti-racism, social justice, and indigeneity—that helped diversify the faculty. Some of those recent hires were among the people who spent a night zip-tied in a jail cell, arrested for the exact kind of activism that had made them attractive to NYU in the first place. And it wasn’t just faculty. The law students I spoke with were especially acerbic. After honing her activism skills at her undergraduate institution—another university that recently saw a violent police response to pro-Palestine protests—one law student said she came to NYU because she was drawn to its progressive reputation and its high percentage of prison-abolitionist faculty. This irony was not lost on her as the police descended on the encampment.

After Columbia students were arrested on April 18, students at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study decided to cancel a planned art festival and instead use the time to make sandwiches as jail support for their detained uptown peers. The school took photos of the students layering cold cuts on bread and posted it to Gallatin’s official Instagram. These posts not only failed to mention that the students were working in support of the pro-Palestine protesters; the caption—“making sandwiches for those in need”—implied that the undergrads might be preparing meals for, say, the homeless.

The contradictions on display at Cornell, Columbia, and NYU are not limited to the state of New York. The police response at Emory, another university that brags about its tradition of student protest, was among the most disturbing I have seen. Faculty members I spoke with at the Atlanta school, including two who had been arrested—the philosophy professor Noëlle McAfee and the English and Indigenous-studies professor Emil’ Keme—recounted harrowing scenes: a student being knocked down, an elderly woman struggling to breathe after tear-gas exposure, a colleague with welts from rubber bullets. These images sharply contrast with the university’s progressive mythmaking, a process that was in place even before 2020’s “summer of racial reckoning” sent universities scrambling to shore up their activist credentials.

In 2018, Emory’s Campus Life office partnered with students and a design studio to begin work on an exhibit celebrating the university’s history of identity-based activism. Then, not long after George Floyd’s murder, the university’s library released a series of blog posts focusing on topics including “Black Student Activism at Emory,” “Protests and Movements,” “Voting Rights and Public Policy,” and “Authors and Artists as Activists.” That same year, the university announced its new Arts and Social Justice Fellows initiative, a program that “brings Atlanta artists into Emory classrooms to help students translate their learning into creative activism in the name of social justice.” In 2021, the university put on an exhibit celebrating its 1969 protests , in which “Black students marched, demonstrated, picketed, and ‘rapped’ on those institutions affecting the lives of workers and students at Emory.” Like Cornell’s and Columbia’s, Emory’s protests seem to age like fine wine: It takes half a century before the institution begins enjoying them.

N early every person I talked with believed that their universities’ responses were driven by donors, alumni, politicians, or some combination thereof. They did not believe that they were grounded in serious or reasonable concerns about the physical safety of students; in fact, most felt strongly that introducing police into the equation had made things far more dangerous for both pro-Palestine protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters. Jeremi Suri, a historian at UT Austin—who told me he is not politically aligned with the protesters—recalls pleading with both the dean of students and the mounted state troopers to call off the charge. “It was like the Russian army had come onto campus,” Suri mused. “I was out there for 45 minutes to an hour. I’m very sensitive to anti-Semitism. Nothing anti-Semitic was said.” He added: “There was no reason not to let them shout until their voices went out.”

From the May 1930 issue: Hypocrisy–a defense

As one experienced senior administrator at a major research university told me, the conflagration we are witnessing shows how little many university presidents understand either their campus communities or the young people who populate them. “When I saw what Columbia was doing, my immediate thought was: They have not thought about day two ,” he said, laughing. “If you confront an 18-year-old activist, they don’t back down. They double down.” That’s what happened in 1968, and it’s happening again now. Early Tuesday morning, Columbia students occupied Hamilton Hall—the site of the 1968 occupation, which they rechristened Hind’s Hall in honor of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza—in response to the university’s draconian handling of the protests. They explicitly tied these events to the university’s past, calling out its hypocrisy on Instagram: “This escalation is in line with the historical student movements of 1968 … which Columbia repressed then and celebrates today.” The university, for its part, responded now as it did then: Late on Tuesday, the NYPD swarmed the campus in an overnight raid that led to the arrest of dozens of students.

The students, professors, and administrators I’ve spoken with in recent days have made clear that this hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed and that the crackdown isn’t working, but making things worse. The campus resistance has expanded to include faculty and students who were originally more ambivalent about the protests and, in a number of cases, who support Israel. They are disturbed by what they rightly see as violations of free expression, the erosion of faculty governance, and the overreach of administrators. Above all, they’re fed up with the incandescent hypocrisy of institutions, hoisted with their own progressive petards, as the unstoppable force of years’ worth of self-righteous rhetoric and pseudo-radical posturing meets the immovable object of students who took them at their word.

In another video published by The Cornell Daily Sun , recorded only hours after he was suspended, Nick Wilson explained to a crowd of student protesters what had brought him to the school. “In high school, I discovered my passion, which was community organizing for a better world. I told Cornell University that’s why I wanted to be here,” he said, referencing his college essay. Then he paused for emphasis, looking around as his peers began to cheer. “And those fuckers admitted me.”

Student Stories: What Is Senioritis?

Media contact.

Katy Payne   she/her 360-764-0201

Editor’s Note: OSPI aims to elevate the authentic experiences of the students in Washington’s K–12 public schools. This story was written by a Washington state high school student participating in  OSPI’s Student Stories Program . The author’s opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints do not necessarily reflect those of OSPI, and publication of this story does not constitute OSPI’s approval or endorsement of its contents. With questions, please contact OSPI’s Communications team at [email protected].

As a senior in her final semester of high school, I have been hearing an uncountable number of students in my position self-diagnosing with the mysterious prognosis of senioritis . Senioritis is defined as “a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance” by Oxford Languages Dictionary. Viewed by underclassmen, parents, and teachers as simple work-shyness and eagerness to be out in the real world, the causes of senioritis and its possible effects are sometimes left forgotten or brushed past.

Yes, one's junior year of high school is their opportunistic year for academic achievement. This is because junior year is the last time for achievements to be considered by colleges. Knowing this, I for one entered my senior year already demotivated in the home stretch and simply want to be free of the 7 am – 2 pm schedule.

Secondly, it is important to note that first semester senior grades are submitted to colleges and taken into consideration upon admittance. This key aspect fueled my drive to work hard and maintain high standing grades within that first semester. Sure, colleges have a gander at your second semester grades, but if a student is not failing any courses in the second semester, they will typically hold their admittance to the said college. In a way, this can enable the act of giving up and taking the easy way out as opposed to holding yourself accountable.

I have held myself accountable to keep achieving high marks by understanding that the Advanced Placement (AP) classes I am taking now will carry into college and will be put onto my university transcript. There have been times where I have wanted to take it easy or hang out with my friends instead of doing homework, but this self-reminder has urged me to keep going.

The effects of senioritis vary. For some students this illness means getting a B in an AP course. For other students it means not doing homework, and for some it means the halting of school attendance. While the end of my senior year is a busy time clouded by the inevitable goodbyes that will be had and desire to spend time with my friends whilst I can, it is nevertheless important to time-manage and keep up my work, to finish strong. I know that the private school I will be attending this fall will check my second semester grades.

Finally, many universities still require you to submit AP exam scores prior to your enrollment. The latter half of second semester is typically used for AP exam preparation, synchronizing with the time many seniors quit putting in effort. While your grades may not be considered, your AP exam scores will. So, instead of faltering in the face of presumed freedom, I’m taking that time to prosper and set up healthy habits for myself consisting of sustainability and reliability.

About the Author

Trillium Keith (she/her) is in her senior year of high school in the Mukilteo School District. She is an aspiring aeronautical physicist and plans to move to Scotland for university! In her free time, you can find Trillium reading, building robots, and going to see local bands.

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New Maverick mom finished homework while in labor

Thursday, May 09, 2024 • Cristal Gonzalez : contact

The journey toward baby Sarala’s arrival in September 2023 was arduous for Kelly Meek and her husband: nearly four years of fertility treatments, ultrasounds and injections to combat Meek’s diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

So when Sarala decided to arrive a little ahead of schedule, Meek, who was set to complete her first term in the eight-week accelerated master’s program in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington, wasn’t about to let a little homework stand in her way. Her hospital “go bag” included diapers, clothes for the newborn and a laptop—so Meek could complete class assignments from the delivery room.

Now Meek is scheduled to graduate on May 10—and celebrate her first Mother’s Day as a new mom two days later.

Although entitled to excused absences and the opportunity to turn in work early or late under Title IX, Meek said she was determined to finish on time and ace her coursework.

“It was a good distraction, and I could have kept working. But when the nurses and doctors broke my water, I was in a lot of pain,” she said. “We’re always so busy, so we got used to juggling a million things. Sarala has bopped along the entire time.”

According to her husband, Chris, nothing slows down Meek, who was pursuing her master’s degree while also teaching middle school math in League City, Texas. In addition, Meek is active in her church band and even went on a 10-day trip to Alaska as a missionary, installing sheetrock and insulation for a community building—while eight months pregnant.

“She just does not give up. It’s part of what makes her an amazing partner, mother, teacher and friend,” Chris said. “I hope someone will read her story and find that it resonates with them, maybe to get started or to keep going when they think of giving up.”

- Written by Monique Bird , College of Education

Biden vs. Trump on college protests: What their clashing messages say about 2024 election

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clashed this week over Palestinian protests that erupted on college campuses, signaling vastly different messages for the 2024 election.

In a speech Thursday at the White House, Biden tried to strike a balance  on the nationwide campus chaos, arguing the U.S. must respect peaceful protest while making clear "violent protest is not protected."

Biden's address followed days of attacks from Trump on the demonstrators. The president's remarks underscored the delicate line Biden is walking to keep intact the Democratic coalition , including young voters protesting the war in Gaza , while not wavering from his support for Israel.

"There’s the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos," Biden said.

More: President Biden breaks silence on campus unrest: 'Violent protest is not protected'

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Trump, between appearances this week in a New York courtroom for his hush-money trial, struck a very different tone, encouraging the police crackdowns at Columbia University , University of California, Los Angeles, and other colleges across the nation. He went a step farther than Biden in his law-and order messaging, celebrating the police crackdown as "a beautiful thing to watch."

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is working to tie Biden to the chaos and destruction on colleges in an appeal to undecided independent voters, suburban voters and moderate Republicans unsure about backing Trump .

"These are radical left lunatics, and they've got to be stopped now," Trump said of the protesters before his court appearance Thursday.

Colleges protests presented Biden with no good options politically

For days leading up to Biden's most extensive remarks on the protests, Trump taunted Biden about his silence on the images of destruction on college campuses.

Biden subtly struck back Thursday.

"In moments like this, there are always those who rush in to score political points," Biden said, without mentioning Trump by name. "But this isn't a moment for politics, it's a moment for clarity."

The wave of college protests presented Biden with a dilemma: Speaking out forcefully against the protests and applauding actions of university leaders and police could further alienate himself with young voters, a key Democratic constituency. But defending the rights of the protesters feeds new lines of attack to Trump and Republicans, who want to pin the national unrest on Biden.

In the end, Biden tried to have it both ways ― saying enough is enough with the violence, but standing up for the right to peacefully protest. Biden also condemned antisemitism that's surfaced at some protests, while also denouncing "Islamophobia" and discrimination against Arab Americans.

"We are not an authoritarian nation where we silence people or squash dissent," Biden said. "But neither are we a lawless country. We are a civil society, and order must prevail."

Two of Biden's most telling remarks came after his prepared speech was over. Asked by a reporter whether the protests have forced him to reconsider his policy on Israel, Biden responded, “No.”

And asked whether he believes the National Guard needs to intervene in protests − like some Republicans have demanded − Biden also said, "No."

Trump uses college protests to downplay Jan. 6 attacks

Similar to the George Floyd protests of 2020, Trump and Republicans have pointed to the pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses to paint Biden and Democrats as beholden to the far left and unwilling to enforce the law.

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Speaker Mike Johnson traveled last week to Columbia University to seize on the protests, while other House Republicans this week made the short trip to George Washington University, another site of pro-Palestinian protests.

During a rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday − an off day for the trial − Trump said: "The radical extremists and far-left agitators are terrorizing college campuses, as you possibly noticed, and Biden's nowhere to be found; he hasn't said anything."

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rejected any notion that criticism from Trump prompted Biden's speech. "When it comes to something like this, he doesn't need to follow anyone," Jean-Pierre said.

With this year's protests, Trump has also argued there's a double standard for liberals and conservatives.

Trump has suggested that officials might not prosecute the kinds of demonstrators who took over, barricaded, and vandalized a building at Columbia .

Trump is also using the violence to downplay the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in which his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in a failed effort to block certification of President Joe Biden's victory in the 2000 election.

In condemning the college demonstrators, Trump said this week: "I wonder if what’s going to happen to them will be anything comparable to what happened to J6, because they’re doing a lot of destruction, a lot of damages, a lot of people getting hurt very badly."

He added: “I think I can give you the answer right now ... and that’s why people have lost faith in our court system.”

In response, Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said Trump has cheered on Jan. 6 and other right-wing protesters for years. Trump is "a chaotic, hateful, and divisive figure who fans the flames to turn Americans against each other."