what to do after finishing homework

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5 things to do when you’re done with your classwork.

School. Seen as boring, this everyday activity is filled with hours of tedious work with little to no respite. But now and then, you find yourself with no classwork assigned; maybe you finished the work quickly, or there was a substitute teacher that day. Whatever the case, you might find yourself with nothing to do, and if your teacher doesn’t allow phones in class, you might even be bored. Being bored in class is never fun, especially not after finishing your work, the very thing that should be boring you. Due to this issue, I present a list of 5 (hopefully) helpful things to do when you are bored in class:

1) Work on any homework from other classes.

Just because you’re done with your work for one class doesn’t mean you don’t have other homework for other classes. Plus, if you do any assignments you have during class, you’ll have much more time to do whatever you want when you’re at home, rather than spending countless hours on assignments due the next day.

2) Study for any upcoming tests/exams

Tests can be a big part of your grade, which makes studying for them incredibly important. Even if you have plenty of time at home, it can almost always be beneficial to spend a little extra time preparing for an upcoming exam. And just because you don’t have a quiz soon doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be studying.

3) Practice the language you are learning

Languages can be very difficult to learn, and take lots of practice. There are many different ways you can practice for this class, from studying or reading and writing. Other options could be using Duolingo, which Renee Modina thought was a good resource to practice a language that you are learning . Practicing a new language can be very important, so this could be a great thing to do if you have the time.

4) Read a book

While reading during school may seem incredibly boring, and something a teacher would say, it can be incredibly rewarding to finish a long and enjoyable book. Plus, reading is something that can be done just about anywhere and is more beneficial than many other ways to spend your time. And if you don’t know what to read, check out this article by Ivy Klein on “ 6 classic books that’ll make you fall in love with reading ”.

5) Read an article on ERScream.com

If you’re reading this, maybe you already know how much of a good idea this is, but if you don’t, the Eagle’s Scream is a great place to learn about school events, read an opinion on the best food places in town, and to find otherwise fun and miscellaneous articles on many topics that might pique your interest. With articles published all the time, you’re certain to find an enjoyable read when visiting the Eagle’s Scream.

Hopefully, after reading this article you’ve found something that you can do with your free time in school. While many of the previously mentioned activities may seem obvious, they can be something you don’t think of at the time, even though it might be incredibly productive to spend some time doing them.

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45 Activities for Students Who Have Finished Their Schoolwork

• Curriculum & Skills

December 20, 2022 by Allison Brubaker

Your student has worked hard all year in their online school classes, staying motivated and engaged. If your student is advancing or moving ahead quickly, they might finish their classwork for the day early.   

If they’ve completed their assigned lessons ahead of schedule, it might be tempting to take the rest of the day off. However, state laws require online school students to attend classes for a specific amount of time. This means that when their classwork is complete, students must do additional educational activities related to their core courses .   

If your elementary or middle school student completes their work early, they may not know what to do in class when done with work. Here’s a list of 45 teacher-approved learning activities for students in elementary and middle school to keep your student engaged in learning throughout the school day.  

Educational Activities for Middle Schoolers and Elementary School Students

The following list of learning activities for middle schoolers and elementary schoolers is categorized by:   

• all subjects 
• language arts  
• math, science  
• social studies  

You can supplement these activities with additional enrichment projects that are outside of the core curriculum. These are also great ideas to supplement any at-home learning curriculum ! 

All Subjects

• For any tests or quizzes where your student scored below 70 percent, review the corresponding lessons and complete additional learning activities related to the questions they missed. 
• Go back and view teacher comments on tests, quizzes, and homework, and work on any skills that the teacher said needed improvement. 
• Take a field trip to a local museum and ask your student to write about what they learned or observed. 
• Subscribe to the free Macaroni Kids website and receive a weekly email of kid-friendly events and activities in your area. 

Language Arts Activities

• Read a book based on a movie and then watch the movie, or vice versa. Ask your student to write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the book and movie. A few good choices: James and the Giant Peach, Shiloh, Call of the Wild, Because of Winn-Dixie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and The Lightning Thief. 
• Read a biography together and then have your student write their autobiography, a family member’s biography, or a memoir about a special time.
• Have your student research a topic of their choice and write a research paper. Have them practice taking notes and writing a bibliography or citing sources correctly. 
• Read a novel with your student and ask them to write an alternate ending or a book review. 
• Have your student write a play, then ask them to read or act out the play for the family. 
• Write or type words on paper, cut them out, and mix up the words. See how many sentences your student can create using these words. 
• Read a book together and ask your student to summarize each chapter, and then summarize the entire book.
• Review the year’s spelling and sight-word lists. Make sure your student can spell and define each word and use each word in a sentence.
• Have your student write about their dream vacation plans. 
• Ask your student to write a letter of advice for a future Connections Academy® student that explains what to expect or how to be successful in virtual school. 
• Have your student write a letter to the school’s principal describing their favorite things about online school.  Write about goals for next year, for high school, or for after graduation. Help your student include steps for achieving their goals, setting deadlines, and creating a plan for measuring success. 
• Choose a silly topic, like Jell-O or slime, and have your student write a story about it using as many descriptive words and as much figurative language as possible.
• Challenge your student to practice keyboarding skills and gain speed and accuracy in typing. 

Math Activities

• Play Yahtzee. This is a fun game that requires adding points throughout the game, giving students an opportunity to practice math skills.
• Finish any remaining workbook pages from their online school math class.
• Challenge your student to play the card game War and see who can multiply the two cards laid down faster. Think you’re too advanced? Lay down three cards each and see who is quicker. Aces = 1 point, face cards = 10 points.
• Create a grocery list and estimate the total bill. Have your student compare prices to see which product is a better deal. Calculate the percentage or price difference of items on sale. Practice counting money by giving them a total price, amount paid, and have the student count back change.
• Cook and have your student measure the ingredients using measuring cups, teaspoons, and tablespoons. Have them practice doubling a recipe. Use fractions to express how much people have eaten or how much is left.  Use fruit to model math problems by grouping different fruits to represent quantities.
• Teach your student how to calculate how many miles per gallon the family car gets, and how many gallons of gas it takes to get from point A to point B. 
• Have your student calculate the distance your car has traveled in a day or week. Figure out the best unit to measure this distance—feet, inches, yards, miles, or kilometers. Convert the distance to each of these units of measure.
• Choose a destination and have your child find the shortest route to it. Then, draw a map with a key and measurements. 
• Use a ruler or tape measure to measure various objects around the house or estimate the capacity of various objects. Make it a scavenger hunt to add fun!
• Have your student create a book of illustrations with geometry concepts covered this year. 
• Ask your student to create word problems or study guides to help their online school classmates. 

Science Activities

• Have your student research what the scientific method is and describe it in written form (noting the steps and what they’re about). Then, conduct an experiment using this information. 
• Look for science experiment ideas online . Perform experiments together, emphasizing the scientific process.
• Watch a science education video from the library as a family. Then, have your student summarize what they watched.  Help your student create a science journal. They can use it to record scientific terms and write down any observations seen at the park, in your house, etc.
• Have your student observe an animal in nature and write a report on their observations and research. For example, your student could research various birds, including what their calls sound like, where they live, and what they eat. Have your student draw pictures, record the sounds they make, and create a list of facts about each bird. 
• Keep track of the weather for a week and make graphs from the data. 
• Plant a garden with your child and make a schedule for them to check on the plants and watch them grow. Involve your child in harvesting the fruits, vegetables, or herbs. 

Social Studies Activities

• Help your student create a timeline of important historical or news events in their lifetime. 
• Ask your child to choose a state or country that they’ve never visited. Have them research and map out the area with points of interest, major cities, and notable landmarks. 
• Pick a time period or event in history and have your student write a journal entry about what life was like back then. Encourage them to draw pictures of clothing, inventions, and everyday life. 
• Research your family history and create a family tree . 
• Play the game The Oregon Trail, a classic educational computer game that can be nostalgic for parents as well.  Have your child write a letter to a government official about a topic that’s important to them. Help them look up the contact information and mail in their letter.
• Research a country of your student’s choice and make or order a meal related to the country. This research should also include the culture’s clothing, music, traditions, and arts and crafts. 
• Visit the U.S. government’s website to learn about the United States. Research the different states, flags, the history of the U.S. government, branches of government, and more! 

The above list of 45 activities for students will give your child plenty to choose from when they’re done with their assigned schoolwork. These activities can also be done over the summer months to encourage your child to keep learning while school is out. 

For more learning activities to supplement your student’s homeschool curriculum, check out these fun and educational learning game sites for elementary and middle school kids.  

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What choices do you have after finishing school?

Congratulations! You’ve finished high school.

But what’s next? For many school leavers, the period right after finishing school can be daunting.

After all, as recent graduates, you’ve just spent the last twelve years following the same routine.

From completing homework every night, studying every day and sitting in classrooms from nine to three you have finally come to the end of school and are about to transition into the workforce. Nowadays, there are so many options to consider when you leave school. This guide was made to lay out all of your options on the table to help you choose what’s right for you.

1. Further education

A lot of students choose to continue studying in a field they are interested in.

Luckily for us, there are now thousands of courses great and small to choose from.

You can choose to do a degree at university, a diploma at TAFE or maybe an online certificate.

Depending on your interests and if you have a career path in mind, you might be required to complete secondary studies.

2. Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to get real-life experience in an industry of your choosing.

Most tradesmanships require you to complete an apprenticeship.

If you’re considering becoming a plumber, carpenter, hairdresser, chef, etc. You should look into the apprenticeships on offer.

3. Employment

When you finish school you can also enter the workforce and start working casually, part-time or full-time.

Many young people find this is a good way to transition into adulthood, giving you greater responsibility and allowing you to have some financial independence.

However, it is recommended that you consider career development opportunities within your chosen career so that you can continue learning and developing.

4. Internships/ work experience/volunteering

Taking on internships, work experience or volunteering can help you trial certain jobs and industries to see if they’re the right fit for you.

Internships, work experience and volunteering are also a great way to build up your resume while you figure out your future plans.

5. Serve in the military

The Australian Defence Force is always recruiting enthusiastic new members.

If you think the ADF is right for you, it also comes with significant benefits.

6. Gap year

Choosing to take a gap year and travel can be a very useful way to become more self-aware so you can come home and excel at your career.

You can even choose to study abroad so you can experience life in another country whilst progressing into your career.

7. Start a business

If you’re the entrepreneurial kind, why not start your own business?

Find a niche you’re passionate about and dedicate yourself to it.

Who knows? You could be the next Steve Jobs!

Choosing the path you want to take as a recent graduate is an important decision that will have significant effects on your future.

However, don’t stress if you’re still figuring that out – it’s not a race.

Take online quiz assessments, do further research and speak to your teachers and mentors, family and friends.

You’ll find the right path for you before you know it.

Find out more information for school leavers and graduates at CareersEvent.

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission

A Study Encourages You to Have Fun First and Finish Your Work Later

It seems like the natural order of things: first work, then fun. If you finish your dinner, you can have dessert; if you finish your homework, you can play your video games. It’s what parents teach children, and it’s how adults typically run their own lives, too — you have to get your work done sometime, after all, and, anyway, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy your chosen leisure activity if some unfinished project was still hanging over your head.

And yet the results of a recent set of experiments suggest that although people expect that they will enjoy goofing off more if they’ve finished their work first, that’s not exactly true. Fun stuff is just as fun even if you haven’t “earned” it. Ed O’Brien, a professor at the Chicago Booth School of Business, co-authored this new study, published in Psychological Science , and he wrote about his work this week for Harvard Business Review . Here’s how he explains one of the paper’s three experiments:

We built a makeshift “spa” in the laboratory — with a massage chair and footbath — for 259 ever-at-work University of Chicago students. Students could choose to come during the weeks right after their stressful midterm exam period or during the weeks right before midterms began. (We had essentially the same number of students show up at both time periods, and they were of similar age, gender, etc.) They predicted their enjoyment before visiting and rated their experience afterward.

And their results:

We found that while the students who visited the spa before midterms predicted that the experience would be less enjoyable due to looming midterms exams, they actually enjoyed themselves just as much as those who visited the spa after midterms.

O’Brien notes that there are limits to the interpretation of these results, and that “nobody is recommending having celebratory beers just before you run your 5k.” It also seems to me that of course there are times when fun stuff is more fun after you’ve finished your work; speaking from recent personal experience, I just completed a massive project, and the beer I had after turning it in was much more enjoyable than the beers I sneaked in before I was done. Still, the overall idea here is hard to argue with: Give yourself a break! A little rest will make you sharper when you get back to work, anyway . Not a bad message to get on a summer Friday.

• summer friday
• productivity
• science of us

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6 ways to stay on top of your school work & social life

When studying a program as demanding as the IB, it can be extremely difficult to get all your school work done and still have time to have fun with your friends, relax in your room or even to get enough sleep… And I won’t lie, one of the most common things I hear people say at school is, “I don’t have time for that!”

Although it does require good time management skills to stay on top of everything you have to do for school while making the most of your time at EF Academy, the good news is that it’s not impossible. And, after reading the following tips, you will definitely become a time-management-pro:

• Plan your studies

Make a schedule everyday before you start studying. For example, if you need to study math and history, you could allocate 1h30 to each subject rather than studying for as long as you can or until you are done. This will help you avoid procrastination since your time is limited and it will prevent you from having to study for a long, undetermined amount of time which could overwhelm you.

• Take notes during class or while studying

Notes are a student’s best friend. Take notes during class or while you are reading your textbook and you’ll see that it will be a lot quicker to revise afterwards and you will then have more free time.

• Do not leave everything until the last minute

This is probably the hardest tip on this list (I know how easy it is to procrastinate), but get your school work done ahead of the deadline because you never know when a teacher is going to give you a major project to do. And if that happens, you are going to end up accumulating a lot to do and won’t have any time for yourself.

• Write reminders 

This links to the previous tip because I personally tend to forget about things that I have to do and this helps me avoid last minute work. The solution I found is writing tasks down on a small white board, that I have displayed in my room, as soon as I remember them. This helps me since I’m really bad at using a planner. This could also work with smartphone reminders or with this iOs app that I found called “myHomework.”

• Set a fixed sleeping time

I admit I have problems going to sleep early myself, but I have been trying really hard to go to bed at 11:30pm every day. I think we all know how important sleeping is for your health… But personally, I feel a lot better and much more productive the next day if I have had a good night of rest. This helps me avoid having to go through what I previously learned in class, keeps me on top of my school work and saves me a lot of time as well.

• Allocate some time for having fun!

Friday and Saturday nights are not made for studying! So unless you  really  have to study, this is when you should be relaxing in your room, reading a book, watching Netflix or going out with friends. If Friday and Saturday nights don’t work for you, at least set out one night during the week where you can do whatever you feel like doing (even if that’s nothing at all).

Written by Ana Luiza, current student at EF Academy Oxford.

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