Designate a room, a desk, or even a seat at your kitchen table as your regular workspace. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but you should have one place you regularly work at and it should be big enough to let you use everything you need to get your homework done. Make sure that it isn't cluttered or crowded with things you don't use for homework. Make homework part of your routine by scheduling a specific time to get started every day. If you have an irregular schedule, set a weekly schedule in advance as soon as you know what your other obligations are. Set aside time for each subject during your regular study hours. Make sure you give yourself enough time to finish each subject, but not enough time to procrastinate or waste time! Most people will need at least an hour for each subject. Don't let yourself get distracted by having to hunt for a missing textbook or folder every day. Make a routine of storing all your supplies together, so you always know where they are. You can put them on a special shelf for cupboard, or just leave them in your backpack. Going from procrastinating all day to working all the time isn't realistic! Help yourself get into a homework routine by giving yourself regular breaks. If you're only doing homework for a couple of hours, give yourself a five-minute break every hour. If you're working on a bigger project, add in an hour break every three hours. Use the time to eat, check your phone, or say hi to your friends. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you when to get back to work!

Summary: Set up a regular workspace. Get started at the same time every day. Create a homework schedule. Store all your study supplies in the same place. Schedule regular breaks.


You don't need to become best friends, but don't be cold (the children might feel you are a threat to their mother and act out against you). Don't be afraid to ask your man about his relationship with her. What they did, but more so, why they broke up? Sometimes figuring out her quirks will help you communicate better with her. Try coordinating transportation to school during the week — maybe she can't pick them up on Thursdays, so you can offer to do it — or offering to help plan a birthday party with her. If you're helping plan an event like a birthday party, keep in mind that you are not running the show — just be there to offer your assistance. Ask if you can pick up the cake, get balloons, assist with decorating, or if there are any specific things she'd like you to do to help. Don't turn it into a power struggle. Make a point not to meet his children until you've been dating for a while and have a very strong agreement that you will have a future together. Meet in a neutral location and take the time to really get to know his children well. Don't forget that every relationship is different and his children may appreciate knowing the person that their parent is dating. You might decide to meet his children in a place where you can undertake a group activity, such as an arcade, a bowling alley, or a trampoline gym. This depends upon the ages of his children and their interests. Try to find a group activity that everyone can participate in to diffuse tension and ease discomfort. Tell his kids that you are really nervous about meeting them because you love their father. Let them know that you don't ever want to give them the impression that you are there to replace their mother. Finish the conversation by telling them that you're looking forward to getting to know them better and be open to their questions.  You might lead in with something like, “Hi, my name is _____. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you because I enjoy spending time with your dad and he always has so many nice things to say about you. Just the other day, he told me how proud he was of you for getting an A on your spelling test.” You might also say, “I want us to be friends if that’s okay with you. I know that you already have a mom and aunts and uncles and other family members who love you, so I thought that perhaps, we could be friends.” Finally, you might say, “I’m really looking forward to spending more time with you so that we can get to know each other better. How does that sound to you?” Don't be upset about this or take this to heart. You are a stranger to them. Children have thoughts and feelings all their own and at times they may act impulsively. Be sure that you think before you act, offer to get to know them in their own time, and take things in stride. Manage rejection gracefully and talk to the child with respect.

Summary: Have a cordial relationship with the child's mother. Decide when to meet his children. Have an honest conversation with his children. Realize that his children may dislike you initially.


Double-click the Excel document that you want to edit. Doing so opens it in Excel. In order to include all of the cells in the longest column, you'll need to know to which row the column extends. For example, if you have three columns and the longest one has values from row 1 through row 20, your formula will need to include rows 1 through 20 for each column you want to add even if this includes blank cells. If you're adding the A column and the B column, for example, your beginning column is the A column and your ending column is the B column. Click the cell in which you want to display the sum of your columns. Type =SUM( ) into the cell. In the parentheses, type in the beginning column's top cell number, type a colon, and type in the ending column's letter along with the longest column's ending row. For example, if you're adding columns A, B, and C, and your longest column stretches to row 20, you would enter the following: =SUM(A1:C20) Doing so will display the sum of all of the columns in your selected cell.
Summary: Open your Excel document. Determine which of your columns is the longest. Determine your beginning and ending columns. Select a blank cell. Enter the "SUM" command. Enter the cell range. Press ↵ Enter.