Student can't concentrate on heavy homework load

DEAR AMY: I am in junior high school. I am enrolled in advanced math and science courses. I enjoy these classes, and I have lots of friends. I am swamped with homework every night, and my friends hardly get any homework. It's stressful and annoying. I find it hard to concentrate on getting my homework done. It normally should take me two hours at most, but because I am not good at concentrating, I usually work right up to my curfew. I just don't have the willpower to sit down and actually do homework. What should I do? I need a solution.

--Stressed Student

DEAR STRESSED: Providing you don't have a serious attention disorder, you should be able to sort this out by learning some basic organization and study skills and by eliminating distractions.

One trick you can try is to write a list of tasks on a white board.

As you complete something, you get to erase it from the list. When you finish all your work, your board will be completely blank.

If you continue to struggle, you and your parents might decide that it would be best to step back from one of your accelerated courses this semester to give you a chance to catch up and keep up.

DEAR AMY: I'm responding to the letter from a young woman who was whining because her boyfriend was an hour late for a home-cooked meal. He was inconsiderate, but the woman is no prize, either. He had called at 7 to say he was running late. He finally got there at 8, and she had already eaten. How long did she wait before she started to eat without him - a half-hour? I think she pulled a cheap stunt.

--A Reader

DEAR READER: He was inconsiderate, and she was passive-aggressive. Not exactly a match made in heaven.