By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. What homework should I do first? This is the first question I often hear when a student feels overwhelmed with assignments. It’s also the first thought that pops into my own head when my to-do list runs onto page 17 of …
Productivity hack: “Set the table” to nail your to-do list
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. There are so many time-management and productivity hacks that people swear by, and it’s my goal to help you find a few that work well for you. We all learn and work differently — so it’s best to try a bunch, …
How to stop procrastinating
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. We all procrastinate. And we all want to stop procrastinating. So why is it so hard? Before we learn how to stop procrastinating, we have to understand why we procrastinate. There are scientific (psychological) reasons that we keep putting our projects off. There are …
Hack the morning routine: 4 tricks for nailing it before school
Some people awake each morning like majestic, radiant, wing-flapping unicorns. Others just fall out of bed like broken gargoyles. Despite the fact that I fall get out of bed every morning before 6 am, I am most certainly the latter of the two types of …
5 best school habits of smart students
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. What’s the difference between an A+ student, a C student and an F (oh dear!) student? The obvious answer is that students with higher grades score better on homework and exams than do students pulling off Cs and lower. But have …
How to study anything: 10 steps
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Whether you’re studying for a simple Spanish vocab quiz, or an end-of-the-year AP US History exam, you need a solid study plan. Below, I outline 10 steps that can teach you how to study anything. They’ve worked for me, and they’ve worked …
How to make a study guide
Study guides and schedules rock. If you’re lucky enough, you might already know how to make a study guide and this video/blog will just help you refine what you already know. If you’re incredibly lucky enough, your teacher might provide you with one before a …
How to find time to get your homework done
High school can be one of the busiest times of your entire education. You’re not only juggling classes, but also everything else that comes along with the age: sports and other extracurriculars, social activities, standardized tests, college searches, etc. And it’s not as if you …
How to Use the Pomodoro Technique for School: Time Management Hack
Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Before I get into how to use the Pomodoro Technique for homework (best time-management hack EVER), here’s a little background info: True story: I sometimes still have nightmares about forgetting my Spanish homework, being unprepared for a math test, and forgetting my locker …