Is it better to rest first or finish your homework?

As a requirement for school, students everywhere encounter times when they work overtime just to finish their homework. Because of the growing demands at school, it is a common occurrence in high school and college, but it also happens in upper elementary school at times. Such is also the life in graduate school as people are juggling work, studies, and family time.

Disadvantages of staying up late to finish

There are, however, a few disadvantages of staying past your bedtime to finish your assignments.

• Many mistakes

The biggest problem with staying up late just to finish is that you will not be able to give your best. Sleepiness affects the thought process, so the chances are high that you will make a lot of errors. If you are debating about sleeping first or finishing, it is better to rest.

• You might be late the next day

If you sleep late, you will probably wake up late the following morning. For a student, this may mean missing a quiz or being marked tardy. For an employee, this could result in a deduction in salary or harsher sanctions if lateness has become a regular habit because of schoolwork.

• You won’t have the energy to focus

To make matters worse, staying up late for homework means you will probably be too tired to concentrate in class or work or both. The result is even more difficulty in doing your next assignment, creating a vicious cycle.

What you can do

Thankfully, there are other options so that your homework and the rest of your school and work life.

1. Sleep then wake up early to finish

Rather than turning in half-baked assignments, some students decide to sleep first and then wake up early (4:30 AM or so) to answer the questions. Even if the student did not get the full 8 hours of sleep, once the body and mind have rested a bit, you will be able to think more clearly as you do your homework. The good news too is that you will still be able to survive the majority of the day at school or work.

2. Do homework during your breaks

A big reason why homework piles up is that many students wait until they get home before they start their assignments. The alternative is to begin doing your homework as soon as the teacher assigns it. For college students, this means working during the breaks between your classes, rather than chatting with friends. For high school students, this may mean multitasking during lunch.

3. Forego some leisure time at home

A final way to ensure you get rest while still finishing your homework in the evening is to forego TV, social media, and video games so that you begin your assignments once you get home. Yes, it may feel like a big sacrifice to dedicate an entire day to just school, but it will be worth it.

Summary

As much as possible, it is NOT a good idea to stay up late for the sake of your assignments. Instead, consider the alternatives above so that you can do a great job while getting sufficient rest.