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HomeSteady | The ultimate guide for all your household needs.

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Trying to fit all of your stuff in a locker can be a challenge. Most are compact and have space for only the essentials: a coat, books and a backpack. Usually lockers have only one shelf on which to store personal items such as a purse or lunch. Remedy this by building an inexpensive shelf from plywood. Depending on the shelf's height and locker size, you will need a piece of plywood at least 36 inches by 15 inches. You can place items on top and underneath this homemade shelf.

1. Measure the opening and the depth of the locker. Determine how high off the base of the locker you want the shelf to sit. Deduct 1/2 inch off the locker opening and the depth measurements to ensure the assembled shelf will fit in the locker.

2. Place the plywood on the saw horse. Draw an outline of the top shelf on the plywood using the measurements from Step 1. Put the outline on a corner to minimize the number of cuts and to not waste wood, which you will need for the legs. Cut along the outline.

3. Draw two shelf legs side by side on the plywood using the depth and height measurements, minus 1/2 inch (the thickness of the plywood). Cut along the outlines.

4. Glue each leg to the underside of the shelf top so the piece looks like a little table.

5. Hammer three finishing nails through the shelf top into each leg: one in the middle and the other two one inch from each end.

6. Sand and paint or stain the shelf if you want to give it a more polished look.

Tip

Using a table saw or a circular saw is much quicker than a hand saw and lead to a straighter edge. Make a saw horse by putting two big sturdy boxes approximately a foot apart. Hardware stores often have wood scrap bins where you can find a piece of plywood big enough to complete this project instead of buying a large sheet.

Warning

Wear protective eyewear when operating power tools.

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Trying to fit all of your stuff in a locker can be a challenge. Most are compact and have space for only the essentials: a coat, books and a backpack. Usually lockers have only one shelf on which to store personal items such as a purse or lunch.

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-AJ Barber

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Homework Hacks: 8 Tips to Get It Done Faster - OFY Education blog

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Homework is no fun, especially if you’ve got a full schedule. We’ve got some helpful homework hacks for you that will make it faster and less painful.

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Studying doesn't have to be hard. In fact, there are plenty of simple methods that exist that simplify the entire process. It's true: not all methods work for every person, but, with a little bit of trial-and-error, you can find the methods that work for you and stick with them like your life depends on it. Or, at least, like your grades do. While nothing replaces good old fashioned hard work, every little bit helps when it comes to increasing your efficiency in college (because we know it can be overwhelming at times). The following study hacks make student life simpler by helping to increase productivity levels, boost focus, help concentration and eliminate distractions. The act of chewing gum is actually a brain booster. And, since there aren't severe side effects (like there can be with caffeine) chomping on your favorite flavor is a great study aid. Why? Scientists aren't exactly certain why chewing gum helps you focus, but they think it's based on the act of chewing waking us up and keeping us focused. The only down side is that it doesn't last. It will help, but for shorter periods of time, so save this hack for the harder parts of your material.
Control your focus.
Sometimes, you're your own worst enemy. You can literally block yourself from getting distracted by websites, email or anything else computer-related with the apps like, SelfControl (for Mac), Cold Turkey (for PC). There are also similar options for Android users.
Download study apps.
You're probably aware that there are more student apps than you could ever need or want - choose one or two that suit your study needs and utilize them. If you feel they aren't working for you, try out a different type. Yep, you read that correctly - we made a list that included one of the basic human needs on it. Because we know that some students need to be reminded to eat. Eat healthy, nutritious (and, hopefully, delicious) meals. This is kind of a given seeing as your brain needs food to function.
Search online.
Search outside study resources via the web. Google your subject - there are often great resources from other colleges that may have practice quizzes, for example. If you enter "site:edu [your subject] exam" into Google, you will be able to access exams at different colleges with questions pertaining to your subject for study practice. Or, YouTube may have someone explaining topics you're studying in layman's terms. There are endless channels offering free tutorials, like CrashCourse, Khan Academy, Brightstorm, Bozeman Science - just to name a few. A quick search will likely lead you to a wealth of resources!
Jazz up your notes.
Add visual prompts and colors to your notes to help you recall important details, both of which can aid in your memory recall. This idea stems from mind mapping concepts, which are basically thought diagrams, said to be much more effective in terms of learning than text-based notes.

There are even mind mapping programs for those interested (but creativity, pens and paper, work just fine, too!
Memory aids.
Try using different memory aids like notecards, etc. These aids come in handy for memorization techniques. You may find it helpful to repetitively quiz yourself on the key aspects, facts or data you're trying to memorize.
Mnemonic Devices.
Circa grade and middle school, you'll likely recall learning the order of operations through mnemonic devices, (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally), the planets (My Very Earnest Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles), the great lakes (HOMES) and so on. If you didn't learn those exact variations, it was probably something similar. The point is, there's nothing stopping you from creating your own to help you remember the material for your advanced chemistry test. You can easily remember key concepts, sequences and whatever else you need to learn by creating your very own relatable story. Come up with something you know you can remember and stick with it. It will actually help!
Organize your materials, categorizing them by subject or chapter.
This will help you sort the material by subject matter, visualizing which aspects go together. Believe it or not, it actually helps you understand the scope of the topics you're learning and categorizing them allows you to see how everything fits together as a whole.
Rewrite your notes by hand.
Go old school and rewrite your notes by hand. Studies show that when you take the time to rewrite them by hand, you actually learn more effectively than when using your computer, tablet or laptop.
Listen to music.
Choosing the right type of music to listen to while studying can enhance your productivity, motivation and focus levels. Certain genres of music are actually recommended for studying - known as "music for the mind." Study music should enhance concentration, focus and allow you to work for longer periods. It should never be counterproductive or distracting - no matter what genre you decide on.
Make a cheat sheet you'll never use.
Though you'll obviously never use a cheat sheet during an actual exam or quiz, it can help to create one because in order to do so, you'll need to sift through all of your notes and materials to find the key items and rewrite them on your sheet. Doing so helps you recognize what you need to learn, and rewriting what you need to learn helps you remember it. Again, it's a basic human need that, unfortunately, needs to be stated. Get plenty of rest while studying (and before the test or quiz). Your body needs to sleep to think properly. A good night's rest is one of the most basic ways you can improve your score because it will help improve your ability to think logically. Sleep affects your cognitive function, thus, your test-taking abilities. Enough said!
Study early.
Start studying early, instead of your usual cramming session. Nobody ever sets out to cram because it's a great idea - they do it because of poor planning. Plan out your study routine ahead of time so that you're not trapped into a cram session, having to lose sleep (and, likely, not eating properly) as a result. Poor planning tends to cause the domino effect - other bad habits start to follow suit because of time constraints, convenience, necessity, etc. Now that you're aware this happens, avoid it like the plague.
Switch settings.
Vary your study settings - literally. Studies show having a dedicated study area no longer works in your favor. Avoiding a standard space actually benefits you because the mind makes subconscious pairing between your atmosphere and the material. This means, if you constantly in the same space, you would perform best taking the exam in that space. If you change up your space, your mind will associate all of the spaces you are studying in and adapt more easily to your test-taking surroundings. Teach someone else the material you're trying to learn. Teaching someone else is such an effective way for you to better understand the material, plus, you'll earn karma points for helping out a classmate who needs a little extra help! Teaching is the best test (before the actual test) to know whether or not you know the concepts. Why do you learn through teaching? If you're teaching someone the material and you find you cannot answer basic questions about it, then you know you need to go back to square one. It's a simple way to discover if you have a basic grasp of the concepts. Turn on the lights. Light helps your brain focus, affects visual clarity, psychological factors and the wrong types of lighting can contribute to off task behavior. The best type of lighting for maximum productivity (which you obviously want for studying) is soft and natural, though still as bright as possible so you can see clearly. If your lighting is too dim, it will affect focus and visual clarity. Lighting that is too bright (like fluorescent lighting, for example) can contribute to getting off task.

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Studying doesn't have to be hard. In fact, there are plenty of simple methods that exist that simplify the entire process. It's true: not all methods work for every person, but, with a little bit of trial-and-error, you can find the methods that work for you and stick with them like your life depends on it.

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No, it's not the holidays - It's back-to-school time! Sharpen your pencils, grab your notebooks, figure out your first-day-of-school outfit...Can you tell I love back-to-school time? There's something so promising and magical about a brand new school year.

And now's the time to start planning and organizing so that you can have the best school year ever.

Don't worry!

We've got you covered. Here are 29 life hacks to make this school year a good one!

Gather everything you'll need for homework in one location in order to cut down on distractions or procrastination (e.g. "I'll start studying; I just have to grab my calculator first!")

This next hack will come in handy next time you have to write a book report.

Keep ponytail holders on a carabiner rather than taking them off in every room throughout the house. This will make doing your hair before school much faster (because you won't have to go hunting down a ponytail holder every morning).

Use it in your planner or journal, too!

The more organization you do before classes actually start, the better you'll feel as the assignments begin to pile up.

Note-taking is the No. 1 most useful skill to master when it comes to schoolwork. Make sure you have a method that works for you. Remember: The main purpose of notes is to refer back to them later when you're studying for the exam!

This next hack may be a teeny bit extra, but I kind of love it anyway.

Actually study during study time.

It can be difficult to stay focused during a study sesh - that's why it's important to make sure you have everything you need and eliminate distractions ahead of time.

Bonus tip: Take notes while viewing the PowerPoint presentation! (And you already know what to do with those notes, right?) ;)

Next up: How to create the perfect study table.

I actually use this method pretty much every day with work, too!

Knowing that you have several hours of work to do can get overwhelming. Breaking that work into smaller chunks makes everything feel much more manageable and keeps you from getting too overwhelmed. (P.S. there are several apps for this!)

This next tip is one for those who want to add a little style to their lives.

Sure, it's not something that has to be done, but it's fun and a great way to express your style, plus you could organize it in a way that makes your school day easier. What's not to love?

You betcha!

While reading a book, use different colors of highlighters to make note of different kinds of information.

Next up: the key to NOT falling behind in your classes!

This one is super clever. Even if it doesn't work, hey - at least you've got gum, right?

Share this with a fellow student!

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29 Hacks That'll Make This School Year the Best One Ever

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No, it's not the holidays - It's back-to-school time! Sharpen your pencils, grab your notebooks, figure out your first-day-of-school outfit...Can you tell I love back-to-school time? There's something so promising and magical about a brand new school year. And now's the time to start planning and organizing so that you can have the best school year ever.