In the age of the internet, it is increasingly difficult to write homework assignments in a way that encourages students to struggle with a problem on their own without seeking answers from other sources. This is especially true in lower-level courses, where students often start with the attitude of "I can't do this." In this article, I describe some techniques I use to encourage students to solve problems on their own and to look for applications of mathematics in the world around them. In particular, I will describe two homework techniques that I apply in my contemporary mathematics course aimed at non-STEM majors: self-graded homework and blogging. These techniques provide two different opportunities for students to manifest their understanding in a low-pressure environment that encourages student success.