Homework is a universal feature of modern education. In principle, it serves to provide students with practice using the skills they learn via lectures and textbooks, as well as a method to demonstrate competence. In practice, there are a multitude of ways to incorporate homework into a course, depending on the level, goals, and content of the course. A well designed course will use homework to help its students master the content in an efficient, timely method.

Prior to entering college, most students encounter a relatively narrow range of assignment types; this typically includes short essays ranging from creative writing to analysis of literature or history, artistic projects, lists of simple mathematical and physics problems and short research projects, Some people may encounter other forms of homework. For example. those in technical college prep schools may have experience with more in depth research or science projects, coding projects, or practice using statistical tools on a data set.

For most students the work assigned in college tends to vary significantly from what they are used to from high school. The problems are harder, take longer, and often extend the material taught in class, rather than simply reviewing it. For many, this can result in a sort of shock. Students who used to get every question correct can suddenly struggle to complete problems, and others may not even know where to begin. This is ultimately because of an important shift in how academics function between high school and college: the expectations have changed, and so should your approach.

I’ll break down the reasons for the differences, as well as how new college students can adjust to the demands presented by their coursework.

The Role of Homework

Let’s begin with the role that homework plays in education. Homework is perhaps the most versatile component of a standard education. It has 3 primary functions: it allows students to practice and develop the skills introduced during lecture, it allows instructors to determine their students’ level of understanding, and it allows students to develop new skills by expanding on the content beyond what is covered during lectures.

The first two roles, practice and skill evaluation, will be familiar to students since homework up through high school primarily fills these two roles. That isn’t to say that there is no difference at the collegiate level. Coursework often tends to lean more heavily towards practicing and developing skills, particularly in large classes. The logistics required to grade upwards of a hundred assignment somewhat inhibits instructors ability to use their results to determine the misunderstandings students. Because of this, the successful student will need to take a more critical stance of their work, identifying their own gaps in understanding and seeking clarification.

The third role, developing skills beyond what is introduced during lectures, is significantly more prominent at the college level. It is very common to see problems that are significantly more complex than the examples reviewed during the lectures. Occasionally you may be asked to solve problems related to content not covered in lecture at all, with the expectation you can review the course textbook to learn what you need to solve the problem. While this can be difficult to adjust to, these problems better reflect the reality of problems you will face if you choose to work in a technical field. You will need to develop problem solving strategies for problems that you do not immediately know how to solve.

Addressing the New Variety of Assignments

The other challenge new college students typically face is the ever increasing variety in the types of assignments they receive. The typical engineering student, for example, will have a variety of homework assignments in math and physics, reports and readings for humanities and general education courses, and both group and individual engineering or design projects, all in their first year. This is to say nothing of the dozens of different formats each of these assignments may come and the many different ways each course manages assignments.

The sheer variety of assignments can easily be overwhelming. Keeping up with them demands that you stay organized. Keep track of assignments, deadlines, and exam dates.

How to Conquer College Homework

While there is no easy, fool-proof way to ace your college coursework, here are a few concrete steps you can take to take control of your academics.

• Stay Organized: Find a consistent method to keep track of all your assignments, exam dates, and other commitments. This can be an online calendar, a paper planner, or (my personal choice) maintaining updated course syllabi in an accessible location.
• Manage Your Time: Whether you are a serial procrastinator or not, review your assignments early and create a game plan to get them done. No matter how effectively you work near the deadline, no one can complete 4 assignments in one night. That aside, you will always get more out of your assignments if you start early and get help along the way.
• Work in Groups: Finding people to work on assignments with is an excellent strategy. It makes it easier to start early and can help you overcome challenging problems and achieve a deeper understanding of the content.
• Seek Out Help: Perhaps the biggest difference between high school and college is the accessibility of individual help. It is expected that assignments will challenge you, and that you can look for help when you need it. Whether it’s your professor’s or TA’s office hours, your campus tutoring center, or a private tutor, getting help with the most challenging problems will help you master them faster than stumbling around in the dark and hoping you find the right answer.

Regardless of your experience, entering college can be a large transition. It helps to think critically about the various challenges you are facing and make plans to overcome them. This blog is a part of a series deconstructing the various parts of higher education, with the goal of helping students master their academics. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for analysis of topics such as exams, group projects, lab courses, and more. Let me know in the comments if you have any topics you would like to see covered, and I’ll see you next time!

-Julie