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Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Free Websites for Question-and-Answer Homework Help Online

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Online classes are convenient, but they usually don’t offer the support of a traditional university. If you find yourself wishing you had a tutor to guide you through a difficult math problem or essay question, free websites offer you the ability to ask questions and get answers online. 

Yahoo! Answers

Yahoo! Answers lets users ask questions and receive answers from fellow users. Topics include arts and the humanities, science, and mathematics, and education and reference. Users who provide answers receive points based on their responses. Almost all questions receive a quick answer. Many responders seem to be young, so be prepared for quips along with helpful responses. 

Hippo Campus

HippoCampus delivers videos, animations, and simulations on general education subjects to middle-school and high-school teachers. Students can use the site for homework and exam preparation. Users don't need to register or log in. HippoCampus is powered by The NROC Project, a nonprofit, member-driven group focused on new models of digital content development, distribution, and use.

Answerology

Answerology users can answer each other's questions and form “Question Groups” that track the questions on a homework topic. Questions and answers tend to be more social than academic but would be useful in essays. 

Ask a Librarian

This Library of Congress service lets students ask questions and receive emailed responses from librarians. The site asks users to avoid sending homework questions, though it can be used for research issues. Answers are typically sent within five business days. Some topics offer online chat. A virtual reference shelf also is provided.

Free Math Help

This site, launched in 2002, typically sees more than a million visitors a month during the school year. Everything on the site is free , supported by advertising, though some links take you to fee-based sites.

Ask Philosophers

Hosted by the University of Amherst , this site allows users to ask philosophical questions and receive responses from philosophers. Answers are posted within a few days. The website warns submissions won't be posted if they're unintelligible, vague, clearly scientific, concern a personal problem, or have other issues. You can search to see if your question has already been answered.

Ask a Linguist​

Questions are answered on the website by linguistics students and faculty at Indiana University's Linguistics Department . Responses focus on language and language analysis regarding issues with substantial linguistic content or content of wide interest within the discipline.

Ask a Geologist

Email questions about earth sciences to this site, and United States Geological Survey scientists will respond if your homework question is among the 88 percent answered. Include the word "Question" in the subject line. USGS scientists have responded since 1994 but won't answer test questions, write reports, answer questions with direct financial impacts, recommend products or companies, or identify rocks from photos. 

Go Ask Alice!

Questions to the site, hosted by Columbia University’s health department , are answered by health care professionals, information and research specialists, and writers. Team members have advanced degrees in fields such as public health, health education, medicine, and counseling. The site came online in 1994; 20 years later, more than 4 million people were visiting monthly.

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30 Best Self-Exploration Questions, Journal Prompts, & Tools

Self-exploration helps us make sense of who we are, where we are, and how we fit into the situation in which we find ourselves (Bench et al., 2015).

Knowing ourselves is often difficult. We either lack the motivation to make the effort or fail to access the thoughts and feelings that offer valuable insight into our existence (Wilson & Dunn, 2004).

This article introduces several tools, questions, and activities to help individuals and clients on their quest for self-knowledge.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Self-Compassion Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you increase the compassion and kindness you show yourself and give you the tools to help your clients, students, or employees show more compassion to themselves.

This Article Contains

What is self-exploration in psychology, the self-exploration process: 4 examples, 21 questions for exploring the self, 4 best journaling techniques and prompts, 5 self-exploration activities and exercises, 2 worksheets for your counseling sessions, most fascinating books on the topic, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

The quest for self-knowledge has been a long one. The roots of self-exploration can be found in the Ancient Greeks, the meditative Eastern philosophies of Taoism and Buddhism, and modern psychology (Iacovou & Weixel-Dixon, 2015).

Self-exploration, self-knowledge , and self-discovery are closely related concepts within psychology that point to our need to evaluate and make sense of our “self” and our relationship to others and our environment (Bench et al., 2015).

Modern psychologists describe such self-awareness as metacognition — the ability to think about our thinking and turn our thoughts on ourselves. Self-exploration is the process of getting to know our mind, and it is something that is an intrinsic part of the human experience (Fleming, 2021).

According to psychology, the process of self-exploration has many benefits, including the following (Dweck, 2017; Fleming, 2021; Bench et al., 2015; Iacovou & Weixel-Dixon, 2015; Niemiec & McGrath, 2019; Brown, 2015):

• Improved awareness of our thoughts, beliefs, values, and behaviors
• Better understanding of our inner landscape , helping us identify and use our strengths
• Heightened self-awareness that facilitates personal growth as we confront our limitations, fears, and unresolved issues
• Enhanced decision-making, when we become clearer and surer of our values, priorities, and aspirations, helping us set goals that create our desired transformations
• Improved relationships, allowing us to connect and maintain bonds that meet our needs, desires, and communication styles
• Becoming better at managing stress and coping with challenges, allowing us to recognize and prepare for what triggers us and identify learnings from the difficulties overcome
• Being less judgmental, which by knowing and accepting our strengths and weaknesses, enhances our self-esteem and overall psychological wellbeing, allowing us to be more accepting of others
• Discovering our authentic selves and being vulnerable while able to pursue more fulfilling lives and a deeper connection with ourselves

Self-knowledge — the product of self-exploration — increases confidence in who we are, allowing us to make decisions more easily while being adaptive and ready for change (Fleming, 2021).

Instead, self-knowledge and self-awareness can be gained by combining several different approaches.

Here are four of our favorites.

Mindfulness

Mindful self-compassion can be a powerful and transformative process of self-exploration.

By cultivating a nonevaluative, nonjudgmental awareness of our experiences, we can observe the continuous stream of mental phenomena as they arise (Shapiro, 2020).

This metacognitive monitoring involves curiosity, acceptance, and openness. Rather than analyzing or interpreting, we simply observe our thoughts and emotions as they emerge without getting caught up in rumination or elaboration. Mindfulness allows for deep self-exploration and a heightened understanding of oneself (Khazan, 2019; Fleming, 2021).

Developing intuition

Intuition offers another approach to self-exploration and increasing self-knowledge (Fleming, 2021).

By honing our intuition — when we arrive at knowledge without relying on reason or inference — we engage in the process of self-exploration, where we tap into our inner wisdom and innate “knowing” (Epstein, 2010).

In doing so, we cultivate a deeper understanding of our instincts and allow them to guide our decision-making and behavior.

Intuition is a potent path to self-knowledge and improved performance in the workplace and beyond. Studies show that intuition, as a form of self-exploration in business (Maidique, 2014) and medical professions (Nalliah, 2016), can boost decision-making and creativity.

Engaging in introspection

“A common metaphor for introspection is that it is like an archaeological dig, whereby people attempt to excavate their hidden mental states” (Wilson & Dunn, 2004, p. 504). And it can be a valuable tool for self-exploration.

Self-exploration often involves shifting the focus away from analyzing the reasons behind an attitude and our emotional states and instead examining the nature of how we feel.

By redirecting our introspection , we can increase the accessibility of our feelings and boost our predictive power for future behavior (Wilson & Dunn, 2004).

Writing as a form of introspection can be a robust process for engaging in self-exploration.

We can promote mental and physical wellbeing by dedicating a short amount of time (15 to 30 minutes) to writing about emotional issues over several days. This practice helps us gain self-understanding, reduce rumination, and alleviate intrusive thoughts and worries.

Visualization

Visualization is a process of self-exploration that involves imagining future scenarios and observing how we feel, think, and behave. It can be used individually or as part of a therapy session (Thomas, 2016).

By visualizing possible future situations, we can uncover implicit and explicit motives behind our behaviors. Also, by revealing our thoughts and feelings, we can better manage our stress and enhance feelings of self-belief and self-confidence.

This technique allows us to tap into the feelings associated with unconscious motives and attitudes, providing valuable insights into ourselves (Hall et al., 2006).

Download 3 Free Self-Compassion Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you to help others create a kinder and more nurturing relationship with themselves.

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Questions offer a powerful approach to self-exploration.

The following worksheets offer different perspectives and can be combined or used separately to help clients develop a more profound knowledge of the self.

The Proust Questionnaire

The Proust Questionnaire was once a fun parlor game, but now the 35 questions within this exercise also provide an excellent opportunity for self-exploration.

A sample of 10 questions is given below:

• What is your idea of perfect happiness?
• What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
• What is your current state of mind?
• On what occasion do you lie?
• What or who is the greatest love of your life?
• When and where were you happiest?
• Which talent would you most like to have?
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
• What is your greatest regret?
• What do you most value in your friends?

The following questions in the Who Am I? worksheet help us explore ourselves internally and offer a chance to introspect on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in more depth.

They include:

• How would your closest friend or family member describe you in one paragraph?
• If one of your coworkers were to tell a story about you, what do you think they would say?
• If your life partner were describing your biography, what kinds of things would they mention?
• If you were writing to your past self, what would you choose to include about who you are now?
• Imagine you’re talking to your future self. What would you say about what makes you you ?

Reflective questions for personal academic performance

This reflection exercise includes questions to challenge what students have been learning.

They prompt reflection and increase the potential for forming a deep conceptual understanding of the subject.

• What have you been learning about [today, this week, or this term]?
• Why do you think these objectives and this subject are important?
• What were you most proud of regarding your thinking or learning today?
• What did you struggle with today, and how did you deal with it?
• What about your thinking, learning, or work today brought you the most satisfaction? Why?
• What made you curious today?

The following four worksheets and related prompts can help encourage and support individuals as they capture how they feel and think.

• Daily Mood Tracker We often go about our day without a thought for our mood. Are we anxious, tired, happy, sad, or upset?

Use this daily mood tracker to bring attention to how we feel throughout the day, noticing highs and lows.

• Gratitude Journal Many of us spend considerably more time focusing on the adverse events and situations in our lives rather than the positive ones.

Several times a week, use this gratitude journal to spend a few minutes listing all the things you are grateful for and the learnings that arise from overcoming challenges.

Self-knowledge regarding positive emotions and our “wins” throughout the day can improve our mood and overall wellbeing.

• Self-Esteem Journal for Adults Self-reflection surrounding the impact of meaningful events can boost self-knowledge and promote feelings of self-esteem.

Use this worksheet to identify what you enjoyed and feel proud of today.

• Two-Week Sleep Journal Many of us may experience occasional or chronic sleep disruption without being aware.

Use this worksheet to identify the following:

How long do you sleep? Was your sleep interrupted? How difficult was it to fall asleep?

Knowing the information surrounding your sleep patterns can help you identify what may put your rest at risk.

Individual and group activities can be created to involve children and adults in self-exploration, yielding deeper self-knowledge.

2 Activities for children

• Self-Awareness for Children Developing self-awareness can help children form social connections and ensure their needs are considered.

Use this worksheet to ask children self-awareness questions.

What are you feeling right now? Why do you think you are feeling this way? What are you thinking right now? What is causing you to think this way?

• Self-Awareness Checkup for Kids It can be helpful for children to learn about their strengths in a nonthreatening way to develop self-confidence and self-belief.

The Self-Awareness Checkup is a great way to do this. Ask them to reflect on the following:

What areas are you strong in? What areas do you struggle with? What are your favorite things about school? What is your least favorite thing about school?

3 Activities for adults

• About Me Worksheet The following prompts in the About Me Worksheet are not intended for daily use but may be performed regularly throughout the year.

They help the individual focus on some positive self-knowledge, including:

I was really happy when … I am very proud of … My family was very happy with me when I … Something that makes me unique is …

• 3-Step Mindfulness Exercise Mindfulness is a positive and healthy state to promote self-exploration and self-reflection and increase self-knowledge (Shapiro, 2020).

Use this straightforward three-step guide to cultivate a mindful state that you can carry with you throughout the day to promote greater self-reflection and self-knowledge.

• Self-Awareness Worksheet for Adults In this worksheet , the individual is encouraged to consider “Who am I?” by reflecting on several questions, including:

What are my greatest skills or talents? Which of them gives me the greatest sense of pride or satisfaction? What other talent or skill do you wish to develop for yourself? What are your five greatest strengths?

And increasing self-knowledge in the client can bring clarity to their needs and hopes for treatment outcomes.

• Reflective Questions in Therapy This helpful worksheet includes questions for promoting deep self-knowledge, awareness of how they would like the future to look, and what has stopped them in the past.

Questions include:

What do I wish people understood about me better? What behaviors and beliefs do I want to let go of? Am I feeling supported by my family and friends? Do I feel I have grown and developed over the past year? What are my goals and dreams? Have my actions and decisions this past year reflected this?

• Reflections on Learning From My Past This worksheet reinforces learning with counseling sessions and considers new behaviors for adoption.

What happened, or what was the event? How did it make you feel? How did you handle it? How could you handle it differently? What might be the outcome? What did you learn about yourself?

There are several outstanding self-exploration, self-knowledge and self-awareness books .

We have chosen three of our favorites.

1. Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness – Stephen M. Fleming

Professor of cognitive neuroscience Stephen Fleming delves deeply into self-awareness and its importance for self-confidence and wellbeing.

He introduces many of our thinking errors and how they impact forming a deep understanding of ourselves.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman

New York Times bestseller and psychologist Daniel Kahneman explores the two systems that shape our thinking and how we can get to know ourselves.

The first system is fast, intuitive, and emotional, while the second is slower, rational, and more deliberate. Understanding the difference between the two is essential for knowing ourselves and how we make decisions, helping us make better choices.

3. Rewire Your Mind: Discover the Science and Practice of Mindfulness – Shauna Shapiro

Self-exploration can take time and requires us to pause our busy lives.

In her scientific study of mindfulness, Shauna Shapiro explores the theory and practices behind this powerful approach to grounding ourselves and finding stillness in our lives.

Along with the many free resources, more extensive versions of the following tools are available with a subscription to the Positive Psychology Toolkit© , but they are described briefly below:

• Finding Your Ikigai Finding life’s purpose can be difficult. Try out the following self-reflective questions to identify your ikigai:

What do you love? What does the world need? What can you get paid for? What are you good at?

Look for similar answers for each question and attempt to find a purpose that aligns with all of them.

• Self-reflection prompts Self-reflection is a powerful tool for self-exploration.

Use the prompts in this exercise to help make sure your life remains aligned with your purpose, goals, and values. Some examples include:

Has anything been bothering me? If so, why? For what am I currently proud of myself? What am I most grateful for this year? My perfect day looks like … The best advice I could give someone now is …

If you’re looking for more science-based ways to help others develop self-compassion, check out this collection of 17 validated self-compassion tools for practitioners. Use them to help others create a kinder and more nurturing relationship with the self.

World’s Largest Positive Psychology Resource

The Positive Psychology Toolkit© is a groundbreaking practitioner resource containing over 500 science-based exercises , activities, interventions, questionnaires, and assessments created by experts using the latest positive psychology research.

Updated monthly. 100% Science-based.

“The best positive psychology resource out there!” — Emiliya Zhivotovskaya , Flourishing Center CEO

We don’t always know ourselves as well as we think. Self-exploration offers a powerful tool for digging deeper into how we feel and think and the values that shape our lives.

While challenging, it has many benefits. Self-exploration can increase awareness of what we are thinking and how we are feeling, and support us in developing a clearer understanding of our strengths and how to use them more effectively.

Better self-awareness can also support us as we build and maintain relationships by learning to accept ourselves and others more readily.

We can also use deep self-knowledge to help us manage our stress more effectively and be able to overcome challenging times, recognizing what triggers our upset.

Ultimately, for ourselves as mental health professionals and our clients, the self-knowledge gained through self-exploration increases confidence in who we are, allowing us to make decisions more easily while being adaptive and ready for change.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Self-Compassion Exercises for free .

• Bench, S. W., Schlegel, R. J., Davis, W. E., & Vess, M. (2015). Thinking about change in the self and others: The role of self-discovery metaphors and the true self. Social Cognition , 33 (3), 169–185.
• Brown, B. (2015). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead . Avery.
• Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset . Robinson.
• Epstein, S. (2010). Demystifying intuition: What it is, what it does, and how it does it. Psychological Inquiry , 21 (4), 295–312.
• Fleming, S. (2021). Know thyself . Basic Books.
• Hall, E., Hall, C., Stradling, P., & Young, D. (2006). Guided imagery: Creative interventions in counselling and psychotherapy . Sage.
• Iacovou, S., & Weixel-Dixon, K. (2015). Existential therapy: 100 key points and techniques . Routledge.
• Khazan, I. Z. (2019). Biofeedback and mindfulness in everyday life: Practical solutions for improving your health and performance . W. W. Norton & Company.
• Maidique, M. (2014, July 23). Decoding intuition for more effective decision-making . Harvard Business Review. Retrieved June 21, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2011/08/decoding-intuition-for-more-ef.
• Nalliah, R. P. (2016). Clinical decision making – Choosing between intuition, experience, and scientific evidence. British Dental Journal , 221 (12), 752–754.
• Niemiec, R. M., & McGrath, R. E. (2019). The power of character strengths: Appreciate and ignite your positive personality . VIA Institute on Character.
• Shapiro, S. L. (2020). Rewire your mind: Discover the science + practice of mindfulness . Aster.
• Thomas, V. (2016). Using mental imagery in counselling and psychotherapy: A guide to more inclusive theory and practice . Routledge.
• Wilson, T. D., & Dunn, E. W. (2004). Self-knowledge: Its limits, value, and potential for improvement. Annual Review of Psychology , 55 (1).

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For immediate release | November 27, 2017

A comprehensive resource to help public libraries create and manage homework centers

CHICAGO — Despite the proliferation of online homework websites and tutoring services, public libraries still have an important role to play when it comes to supporting young people’s educational needs. Public libraries that take a proactive approach—by setting up organized homework centers—have the potential to become catalysts for better performance in school, improved self-esteem, and engaged learning. Whether readers are investigating the possibility of setting up a center from scratch or are eager to revamp an existing center, Cindy Mediavilla’s “ Creating & Managing the Full-Service Homework Center ,” published by ALA Editions, shows the way forward with:

• discussion of the philosophy behind a public library homework center and its many benefits, with useful talking points for getting stakeholders on board;
• examples of model programs from across the country;
• guidance on assessing the community’s educational priorities and utilizing outcome-based planning and evaluation methods;
• pragmatic advice on how to collaborate with schools and educators to coordinate goals;
• thorough consideration of such key issues as carving out a space, setting hours, scheduling staff, and selecting and procuring educational resources;
• handy tools for a successful homework center, including sample surveys, homework helper application forms and contracts, staff and volunteer job descriptions, and focus group questions;
• advice on equipment and technology considerations; and
• methodologies for evaluation and improvement.

Mediavilla authored “Creating the Full–Service Homework Center in Your Library,” (ALA, 2001), which has been called “the quintessential guide to the practicalities of setting up a formal homework help center to provide one–to–one homework assistance to student patrons” (Intner, “Homework Help from the Library,” ix). In the early 1990s she managed a homework center, called the Friendly Stop, for the Orange (CA) Public Library, and she has been studying after–school homework programs ever since. She has published several articles on the topic and has evaluated homework programs for the Long Beach and Los Angeles public libraries. She has made presentations on homework help programs at the conferences of several major library associations, and she has also conducted many workshops on the topic.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions and ALA Neal-Schuman publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or [email protected].

Related Links

"Creating & Managing the Full-Service Homework Center"

"The Student’s Survival Guide to Research"

"Homework Help from the Library: In Person and Online"

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