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How To Organize Assignments So You Never Miss A Due Date Again

If you aren’t a pro at organizing your assignments for school, I guarantee you will be after this! One of the first things a student should do before school starts is to make sure that they have a reliable way to organize their assignments. This is why I’m going to teach you how to organize assignments so you never miss a due date again!

Putting all of your assignments for the semester in at least ONE place will actively remind you of your due dates so you don’t ever forget them. I will go through some of the most popular methods to organize your assignments as well as let you know which method I prefer the best.

How To Organize Your Assignments As A Student

The three major ways you can organize your assignments include using a school planner app, using a physical planner, and using Google Calendar. All of these methods have their benefits and drawbacks, but they all have been proven to work and I know you will find the perfect method for you.

myHomework App

One of my favorite apps for college students is myHomework ! It is the ultimate app for organizing your assignments. You all do not understand how life-changing this one app was when I discovered it during my freshman year! Because of myHomework, I never missed an assignment due date. The best part is that it’s extremely easy to use! Check out the tutorial video below.

how to organize with myhomework:

• Download the app from your app store
• Create a free account
• Color code each class
• Put in what times you will take that class
• What type of assignment it is
• Priority level (how important/urgent it is to get it done)
• Reminders (so you don’t forget to actually do it)
• Attach any additional files (instructions, deadline timeline, etc.)
• And completing an assignment is as easy as swiping to the left and poof💨 it’s gone!

This is by far my favorite method because after you set everything, you’re done! Unlike a physical planner where you have to constantly refer to what you wrote, with this app, you can get automated notifications and reminders for each assignment. Spend a day before the semester begins to take a couple of hours to import all of your assignments. Seriously focus on customizing exactly how you want (reminders, priority level, etc). Once you’re done, you will have a complete look at every single assignment you will need to complete and any additional information right at your fingertips. It’s simple, straightforward, and reliable.

Why it works:

• Built-in structure for organizing classes and assignments
• See monthly, weekly, and daily views of assignments that you need to complete
• Your data can sync across multiple platforms
• Supports time-block and period-based schedules
• It’s 100% free

Related Article ⇾ The Best Essential iPhone Apps For Students

Planner Method

Another way to make sure you keep track of your assignments is to have a physical planner. This is the old-school way that still gets the job done. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there are new planners with different and cool features popping up constantly. There’s a reason why… Planners work when you make them work! The steps for this method are very similar to the steps you would use with the myHomework app.

• Go through each syllabus and write the classes you will be taking (in the notes section of your planner)
• I would also highlight them in a particular color and write the days and times that you will take these classes
• Write down every single assignment that you will have to turn in throughout the semester on its due date
• Add in every quiz and test day as well as the day you will have to take them

Now the next thing you need to do is create reminders. As far as reminding you when things are due, there are many options:

• You can write reminders in your planner. If you have all of your due dates in your monthly view (as I instructed and recommended above), you can then use the daily or weekly view to insert reminders weekly of assignments/quizzes/projects/tests coming up.
• If you have all of your due dates in your planner, you can couple this method with using your phone for reminders. Using apps such as Google Calendar or the regular Calendar app can help you get instant reminders to work on assignments and study for tests.

I will have a post all about the best college planners soon! I have tried countless planners. So, I can’t wait to share what has worked a lot for me and how it can help you as well. So stay tuned by signing up for my email list to know when that post will be live!

• You’re more likely to remember things when you write them down
• Complete freedom in organizing and being creative with your planning
• You don’t have to worry about not having wifi

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is a God-send. I prefer this method right now in my daily life because it helps me stay organized and informed of my schedule at ALL times!! I have a complete tutorial on how I set up and organize my Google Calendar so I will have that linked below. But I want to give some great tips in this article as well for organizing your classes and assignments!

Related Article ⇾ How To Time-Block Your Life For Success

Google Calendar has an incredible feature that allows you to create different calendars. For example, I have a calendar that’s strictly for work-related things, I have one for getting random things done, which is appropriately named “Getting Sh*t Done”, and even a calendar strictly for family things. I can also subscribe family members to the “family” one so we all know what is going on.

Color coding helps keep everything more organized as well. Different colors mean different calendars. Choosing brighter colors can be for the more important calendars such as work and appointments and dimmer colors can be for more routine things.

How to apply this method to your classes:

• This allows you to color-code your classes to differentiate every class and their assignments
• This blends every class together, but you will be able to determine what’s school-related and what is not related to school in your schedule
• This helps you see a clear difference between when you have classes when things are due, and when you will work on the things that are due (study time)
• Complete organization of classes and assignments

Final Things To Consider

Choose what works for you. I like to give different options because I know everyone is different. What works for me might not work for you. So try one way of organizing your assignments. If it doesn’t work out, no biggie, just move on to a new method. The goal is to keep trying until you find that magic formula that helps you stay on top of your school life.

Don’t wait to import your assignments. This is a major pro tip. There was a time one of my professors added a random assignment that we had to complete that semester and I forgot to put it in the myHomework app, so I missed it 🥴 lol… This is why I encourage you to always put things in your planner when your teacher announces any extra assignments or extra credit opportunities that may not have been on the syllabus – right when it’s announced . Otherwise, you will most likely forget. Also, check out my post about how you can get every assignment, even new/random ones automatically imported into your Google Calendar if your school uses Canvas.

Related Article ⇾ How To Sync Your Canvas Calendar To Your Google Calendar

Lastly, make sure you insert reminders for every assignment. In the case that you do forget about a due date, you have enough time to complete it because you placed a reminder for that assignment. Whether you’re super busy or not, we constantly forget things throughout the day and it’s important to have that sort of virtual “personal assistant” to remind us of things. So use your phone to your advantage and make sure you keep track of your due dates.

Many classes, especially in college, won’t allow you to turn in anything late. Which makes organizing your assignments and due dates that much more important!

If you have any other ways that you organize your assignments and due dates, please leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you organize your class dates. I hope you’ve found some awesome ways how to organize assignments in a way that works for you!

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This is great advice! I’m looking into these tools, I think they will help a lot. Thank you 🙂

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How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

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6 ways to establish a productive homework routine

Assistant Professor of College Learning Strategies and Instruction, Syracuse University

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Janine L. Nieroda-Madden does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Homework. Whether you’re a fifth-grader or a freshman in college, the mere thought of homework can be overwhelming. And actually doing homework can be quite difficult. But homework doesn’t have to be something a student dreads.

As a former high school English teacher and researcher who specializes in what it takes to make it through college – and a co-author of a forthcoming revised edition of a book about academic success – I’ve studied homework since 2010. Here are six ways I believe homework can be made more manageable and valuable, whether you’re in elementary school, high school or graduate school.

1. Set priorities

Establish a list of priorities based on the class syllabus or assignment list. This can be helpful for tackling difficult tasks, creating motivation and activating your sense of control and independence when it comes to learning. The priority list helps maintain goals and gives you a sense satisfaction to cross things off the list as they are completed.

2. Tackle difficult tasks first

Start with your most difficult assignments first in order to make the most of your energy level and to focus at the beginning of a work session. You can attend to the easier or less time-consuming assignments at the end of a work session.

3. Break tasks down to smaller steps

You may not know how to start a major task, which could trigger procrastination or feelings of defeat. To guard against this, break major tasks into three or four smaller steps. Within one homework session, you can feel a greater sense of accomplishment by completing each small step toward the larger whole. In some cases, you might be able to spread these tasks over the course of a week.

4. Create evidence of learning

You will get more out of the time you spend reading, reviewing notes or otherwise “studying” if you create something in the process. For example, creating flash cards, a graphic organizer, chart, or notes with bullet points can help you become an active learner rather than a passive one. Organize the tools you create with the homework assignment by date and topic so that you can review those items to prepare for quizzes, tests or projects.

5. Build a network of support

If certain homework problems could not be solved and you’re stuck in a rut, figure out what’s confusing you and write or record your thoughts. Jot questions down and be as specific as possible in order to seek out additional support from teachers or tutors. The more you can identify sources of confusion, the more you can proactively reach out to your support network – teachers, tutors and others – in order to get additional help.

6. Revisit goals and set new ones

At the start of each homework session, establish goals for completion of your tasks or assignments. Revisit the goals at the end of the session and acknowledge a sense of completion. This goal-setting process builds confidence over time and helps you realize their potential even when faced with difficulties. A productive homework routine will help you realize that learning is an ongoing journey. The journey may be difficult but getting organized will make it as stress-free as possible.

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How to Focus on Homework and Actually Get Things Done: 12 Hacks for Busy Students

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Chances are, you’ve had some days when you felt overwhelmed after a long day at school. You couldn’t imagine doing anything other than plopping down in front of the television, let alone finding out how to focus on your homework. 

How can you overcome the resistance and get it done? How do you get your mind to include this task in your day as well?

With just a few adjustments, you will be able to expand your capacity to concentrate.

Why Can’t I Focus on My Homework?

Countless factors constantly fight for your attention : social media, people, overthinking, and anxiety. All of this can make you feel as though you have little control over your mind. 

If you want to start to focus better on your homework, you’ll need to set your mind up for success. Remove all distractions .

Here are two key principles that can help you be more successful in your studies:

1. Identify the distractions in your surroundings

What are the things in your daily life that take your mind away from your studies? Clearly identifying these distractions can help you understand both the problem and what causes it.

Among our environmental distractions, digital distractions are one of the worst kinds, and according to a number of studies , their effect is on the rise in the classroom.

If you’re looking to gain more concentration and, thus, form better study habits, question your online behavior first and foremost.

2. Limit the use of technology to find focus

What’s the role of social media in your daily life? Have you ever sat down to calculate how social media distracts you from doing the things you should be doing?

When you are wondering how to focus on homework long after you’ve put your phone away, you’re still thinking about the last posts you saw on Instagram. The sound of new notifications can be enough to reroute our attention from the task at hand.

And then comes the information overload, the fear of missing out, and the all-too-common signs of addictive behavior. Technology is affecting your mind more than ever, and it’s taking your focus away.

How to Focus on Homework: 12 Things You Can Do to Be More Indistractible

Here are 12 tips on how to stay focused while completing your homework, taught by superbrain coach Jim Kwik and habit transformation expert Nir Eyal .

• Make a routine
• Set up a study-friendly environment
• Avoid heavy meals
• Organize your study notes
• Tell others to stay away
• Listen to study music
• Set deadlines
• Take brain breaks
• Use discomfort as motivation for productivity
• Use time blocking
• Let go of thoughts that distract you
• Reimagine your task

Let’s look at each study hack in more detail.

1. Make a routine

Routines help you be productive without exerting as much effort. When you have homework to do, a study routine can be the reason you actually sit down, set enough time aside, concentrate, and stay focused until you complete the project.

This process doesn’t need to be complicated: just tell yourself that you will sit at your desk at home once you’re back from school. Put your phone on silent, make an outline of the work that needs to get done, and simply begin with what’s most important.

2. Set up a study-friendly environment

A place for everything and everything in its place. That applies to studying, too.

Lying in bed with your notebook is considered a distraction, as is being in the living room with your laptop while others are doing their activities.

You need an isolated place when you decide to focus on your homework. Make it feel comfortable, keep it organized, keep it clean, and consider putting up some motivational posters or positive affirmations .

3. Avoid heavy meals

It’s not advisable to have a big meal beforehand. Big meals can ruin your focus and make you feel sluggish and lazy because it takes a big amount of time and energy for your body to digest. A snack is okay.

There are also some foods , though, that are just plain bad for your productivity. For example, soda, candy, and fried foods are all full of sugar and have no nutritional value. They make your insulin spike up, but then it crashes very fast, which makes you feel depleted of energy.

4. Organize your study notes

Prioritize your work. Keep lists and place the most important items on top. Then work on the items that you should get done first.

It helps to outline what you need to do, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. Use colors to highlight the essentials . 

This makes it all look much simpler and you’re more likely to actually get started. The brain loves organization and it won’t be so likely to procrastinate when it knows you have a structure set in place.

5. Tell others to stay away

Don’t be afraid to let others know that you’re studying and require some time and space to get your work done. Decide on fixed hours for studying and tell your friends and family members that you won’t be available during that time of the day.

If others respect your study time, you’ll be more inclined to respect it as well. 

6. Listen to study music

There are many tracks out there designed to help your mind focus. Whether you use binaural beats or just instrumental music, the right sounds can really help to tune your brain into a productive frequency.

This meditation is also great to listen to; it puts your mind in a clear, concise, and ready-to-take-on-the-world mode:

7. Set deadlines

Even if your teacher has already given you deadlines for each assignment, set new ones yourself at earlier dates.

This helps you build discipline, learn how to focus on studying, and prioritize every day.

8. Take brain breaks

Frequent breaks actually increase your productivity and focus. You’ll see that after each study session, the brain needs to be engaged with something different —  you need to activate other parts of your brain before going back to your studies so that you can reach top performance.

You can also use the Superbrain Yoga Technique. In the Superbrain Quest, Jim talks about implementing it during your breaks. It goes as follows:

• Massage the left lobe of your ear with your right hand, and the right one with your left hand
• Inhale and squat down
• Exhale and come back up while continuing massaging your opposite ear with the opposite hand
• Keep going for a few minutes

As your body moves, your brain grooves. — Jim Kwik, trainer of Mindvalley’s Superbrain Quest

9. Use discomfort as motivation for productivity

The brain is wired to protect us from danger, and our ancestors needed this function of the psyche to survive. Discomfort is associated with danger, and whenever they felt it, they knew it was time to run away or protect themselves in one way or another.

In today’s world, danger isn’t so imminent. However, discomfort is, and the brain still works to protect us in the same way. 

So why not use it to your advantage?

Once you have this mindset shift, you can see the discomfort that comes with doing your homework as fuel for moving forward, from pain to pleasure. So instead of procrastinating and avoiding the discomfort, just use it as motivation to get things done.

And maybe you can even save yourself a fun activity to do later in the day, so you have something to look forward to.

10. Use time blocking

You can use time blocking and set a specific amount of time for parts of your homework that needs to be done. For example, you block 30 minutes of reading, then another 30 minutes of writing down highlights from the text. 

This method will give you more structure and support you when you need to focus on school work, as you will have a dedicated structured time to do so.

11. Let go of thoughts that distract you

When you need more concentration, but your thoughts keep getting in the way, here’s a fun visualization exercise you can use:

• Before you start working on your homework, close down your eyes and imagine a flowing river in front of you. 
• Now, place every thought on a leaf and let it run down the river while watching it move away from you. 

Do this repeatedly for 5-10 minutes and see how your mind becomes clearer, more productive, and more inspired.

12. Reimagine your task

How can you make the process of doing your homework more fun? Is there any way you can think of to make it more exciting and engaging?

As you introduce play and fun into any task, your capacity to stay focused will increase. So just try out different methods to engage more in your homework. 

For example, what if you made a trivia quest about your history lesson homework? Or what about riddles to make you remember all the characters from the novel you have to read? 

Once you play around with these kinds of games, you might find that focusing on your homework isn’t as boring as you thought it would be.

Unleash the Power of Your Focus

Discovering how to focus on your homework can go beyond schoolwork and actually support you in many other activities you want to do. Concentration is one of the best skills to nurture for your growth.

If you need a little guidance at the beginning of your focusing journey, Mindvalley has it in store for you. 

By unlocking your FREE Mindvalley access , you can check out sample classes from quests that help you develop better focus and study habits, such as Becoming Focused and Indistractable by Nir Eyal and Superbrain by Jim Kwik. You can also immerse yourself in beautiful sounds and guided meditations designed to improve concentration and help you enter the flow state.

The earlier you start, the greater your journey of self-discovery will be. Welcome in.

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Join the foremost expert in memory improvement and brain performance, Jim Kwik, in a free masterclass that will dive into the one skill you will ever need — learning how to learn Enroll for free

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Jim Kwik is a brain coach and a world expert in speed reading, memory improvement, and optimal brain performance.

Known as the “boy with the broken brain” due to a childhood injury, Jim discovered strategies to dramatically enhance his mental performance.

He is now committed, through programs like Mindvalley’s Superbrain and Speed Reading Quest , to helping people improve their memory, learn to speed-read, increase their decision-making skills, and turn on their superbrain.

He has also shared his techniques with Hollywood actors, Fortune 500 companies, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Richard Branson to reach their highest level of mental performance. He is also one of the most sought-after trainers for top organizations like Harvard University, Nike, Virgin, and GE.

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How to Easily Stay Organized and Productive in College

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I used to be a terribly disorganized person.

Even as late as high school, my backpack was a mess of crumpled papers, broken pens, and cracker crumbs. It didn’t hurt my academic performance, but it certainly hurt my sanity.

When I got to college, however, I had the good fortune of discovering this website. This led me to become more serious about organization, particularly when it came to my calendar and digital materials. I’m still no Marie Kondo, but these days I would consider myself “more organized than average.”

In this guide, I’m going to take you through the entire process of getting yourself organized in college. As you’ll see, getting organized is the easy part, so I’ll also address the thing that really matters: how to stay organized throughout the semester.

So open up your favorite calendar app , pull out your notebooks, and let’s get organized!

Why You MUST Stay Organized in College (It’s Not Why You Might Think)

“Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them.” — David Allen, Getting Things Done

I knew a lot of really smart people in college who barely got any sleep , mainlined caffeine , and seemed to exist in a constant state of low-grade panic.

You might assume this is because they were taking a heavy course load and were just overcommitted. While that was part of the problem in some cases, more often than not the reason for these people’s hectic lifestyle was that they were severely disorganized .

They were still able to perform well because they were smart, paid attention in class, and could study effectively when they needed to. But their overall quality of life was less than it could have been.

This is the number one reason to get organized: it will drastically reduce your stress levels .

And when you’re less stressed, you’ll feel better and perform better on assignments. You’ll also have more time for the things you enjoy doing, and you’ll just be a more pleasant person to be around.

Note that getting organized will not automatically improve your GPA . You still have to study the material, go to class, take good notes , do the homework assignments, and get help from a professor or tutor when necessary.

But if you’re organized, you’ll also have more time to do the above things…instead of operating in panic mode and feeling like you never have the extra time to study difficult concepts.

P.S. – This guide is really detailed and will definitely get you up and running. However, if you want to see  exactly  how to set up each system we’re about to cover, you might want to take our founder Thomas’ productivity masterclass:

With a proper productivity system, nothing ever slips through the cracks. In just one hour, you'll learn how to set up your to-do list, calendar, note-taking system, file management, and more — the smart way.

How to Get Organized: 5 Key Areas of Focus

Okay, so now that you understand the value of organization, let’s take a look at the key areas that every student needs to organize. If you can get the following aspects of your life organized, then you’ll be off to a strong start for the semester.

And even if you’re reading this halfway through the semester, this advice will still apply — it just may require a bit more work to implement since you’re in the midst of your classes.

1. Your Calendar

If I had to give just one piece of productivity advice for everyone to implement, it would be “use a calendar.” It’s quite shocking to me how disorganized many professionals are, and the issue generally stems from not using (and maintaining) a calendar.

Calendars free up so much space in your head. Instead of having to remember appointments, classes, or due dates using post-it notes or scraps of paper in your wallet, you can have everything organized in a convenient, visual format. And if you use a digital calendar, you can automatically get reminders of important events before they sneak up on you.

What you use for your calendar doesn’t matter. We’re big fans of Google Calendar here at College Info Geek, but you can also use any number of other calendar apps. You can even go old-school with a paper planner, as long as you look at it regularly enough.

Once you’ve chosen a calendar, the next step is to make a big brain dump of every important event for the semester. Here are some key things to include:

• Your class times
• Important due dates from your syllabi (exams, term papers, etc.)
• Exercise times (you do have a workout schedule , right?)
• Meetings with professors/tutors
• Club/extracurricular meeting times
• Dorm/apartment move-in/move-out dates
• Your work schedule (if you have a part-time job )
• Payment due dates (credit card, rent, any other important expenses)

An Example from My Real College Calendar

Once you have a list of all this stuff, it’s time to put it on your calendar.

Here’s an example of a typical week from my calendar during my senior year of college:

As you can see, I have all my classes blocked out. Not only did this make sure that I would never forget a class, but it also ensured that I would never schedule a meeting or other event during class time.

Note: If you’re using a digital calendar, I highly recommend you set your classes to repeat. This way, you’ll never forget when a class happens. Here’s how to create recurring events in Google Calendar.

You’ll also notice I have meetings, rehearsals, time for freelance work, and plenty of blank spots. I didn’t schedule my study time, as I was pretty good about getting that work done, but you could also include study blocks for particular classes if you want.

Of course, your calendar is just part of the equation.

How do you keep track of all the things you need to do on a daily basis?

How do you keep track of homework, tasks around your living space, and other goals you want to accomplish?

For this, you need a to-do list…

2. Your To-Do List/Task Manager

While having a calendar is the bare minimum for being organized, having a to-do list will really take things to the next level.

At first, you might wonder if a to-do list is even necessary at all. After all, can’t you just put all the things you have to do on your calendar?

While this method can work, it tends to fall apart if you have more than a couple things to do each day.

Plus, mixing your calendar and to-do list ignores the fact that each tool is better for different organizational tasks:

• Your calendar is for keeping track of events . That is, things that occur at a specific day and/or time that generally require you to physically be somewhere.
• Your to-do list, on the other hand, is for keeping track of tasks . Tasks are things you need to accomplish (sometimes on a specific day), but they generally don’t require you to be in a specific place or keep an appointment of some kind.

I realize the difference between events and tasks can sometimes be murky, so here are a few examples:

• A meeting with a professor
• A class you have to attend
• A music ensemble rehearsal
• Drafting an essay to bring to a meeting with a professor
• Completing a problem set for a class
• Learning how to play a piece of music for a rehearsal

How to Set Up a To-Do List

Now that you understand the difference, how do you actually set up a to-do list?

Again, you have a variety of options, and what you choose will depend if you want to use a digital or physical system.

On the digital side, we recommend Todoist . It’s free, intuitive, and easy to set up.

If you want a physical method, the bullet journal system is a great option. You can even create a hybrid digital-physical system, as Thomas discusses in this video:

But ultimately, it doesn’t matter what system you use. You could use a whiteboard or a blank notebook if you want. What matters is that you keep an updated list of the tasks you need to accomplish, as well as, you know, actually doing said tasks.

To make your to-do list, you should first create a brain dump of everything that you need to do on a regular basis. Here are some tasks that most college students need to do:

• Homework assignments
• Cleaning your dorm/apartment
• Preparing meals
• Club tasks (particularly if you’re an officer)
• Anything you’re learning outside of class

Next, you’ll need to put all of these tasks into your to-do list system. If you’re using a digital system, you can set certain tasks to recur (think “take out the trash” or “complete calculus problems for the day”). And then, as you think of new tasks, you can add them to your system.

Here’s an example of what my to-do list looked like in college:

3. Your Notes

Taking good notes is key for comprehending and retaining any lectures or presentations that your professors give.

But taking notes on its own isn’t enough — to get the most value out of your notes, you need to keep them organized.

For some people, this could be as simple as having a different notebook for each class and referring back to it when you need to study for an exam.

While this can work, it’s not ideal. This is particularly true when you’re studying for a midterm or final and need to refer to weeks of notes.

To keep your notes extra organized, we recommend using a digital system such as Evernote . With Evernote, you can create a different digital “Notebook” for each class and type your notes there.

If you prefer to take notes by hand (which some studies indicate can help you better process information ), then you can also digitize your notes afterwards. To make this simple, just do it after all your classes are done for the day, before you start your homework.

When you use this system, you’ll be able to review material much more easily. You can even search for key terms and Evernote will help you find them in your notes, saving you the trouble of flipping back through a physical notebook.

4. Your Class Materials and Files (Digital and Physical)

In addition to your notes, each of your classes will likely have a syllabus, handouts, and presentations that you need to keep track of. You’ll also likely have assignments that the professor (or their grader) has returned to you, which can be valuable materials to review when you’re studying for an exam.

It’s key to keep all of these materials organized. Sure, you can probably get the syllabus, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations online. But that’s one extra step you have to go through when it comes time to study. Plus, you never know when the internet or school website might be down.

To be safe, I recommend you keep all of your class materials organized either in a physical three-ring binder or in some kind of digital system.

You could put all of the material in Evernote along with your notes, or you could have dedicated Google Drive folders for each class (other cloud sync apps like Dropbox and OneDrive work here as well, but Drive offers the best value for students unless you specifically need Microsoft Office).

Here’s an example of the Google Drive file system I used for my classes during the first semester of my junior year:

For extra redundancy, you could also keep folders on your computer with these materials in case the internet is down and you can’t access them.

Want more info on how to keep your files organized? Check out this guide Thomas created .

5. Your Backpack

We couldn’t talk about organization in college without discussing something that almost every student has: a backpack .

Even with an increasingly digital world, you still need to carry around your computer. And many classes will still have physical textbooks that you need to bring, as well as assignments that you have to complete on paper.

Your backpack (or briefcase or purse or whatever you use) is key for keeping all of these materials organized and at the ready.

Organizing your backpack isn’t hard — the key step is to remember to fill your backpack with the things you need for the day.

After all, there’s nothing worse than showing up in class, only to get that sinking feeling in your stomach as you realize that you don’t have the book or paper you need.

In some cases, not having the right materials could even hurt your participation grade, so organizing your backpack is something you must not overlook.

To make sure you bring everything to class, pack your bag the night before . This was the advice my mom gave me when I was in elementary school, and it still applied in college.

Packing the night before ensures that you don’t forget anything due to being in a hurry. And it also allows you a night of sleep to recall something you forgot.

If you’re really having trouble remembering to bring everything you need to class, you can add a task to your to-do list that says something like “Pack bag for [day of the week] classes.” Under this task, write a list of the things that you need to bring. This way, you can check off the items as you’re packing.

Here’s an example of what this would look like in Todoist:

Curious what should be in your backpack for college? Check out this list .

How to Stay Organized with Weekly Productivity Planning and Reviews

If you went through all the steps in the previous section, you should now have a system for keeping all aspects of your life organized. However, creating the organizational system is actually the easy part.

The challenge comes from keeping things organized. So in this section, I’ll show you two crucial habits that will help you maintain your organizational system:

• Weekly planning
• Weekly review

These two habits are complementary, and they take 30 minutes a week at most. Yet they can have a massive effect on whether or not you actually stay organized:

1. Review Your Previous Week

So you put your organizational system into place, and you now feel more motivated than ever.

However, what you’ll quickly realize is that real life isn’t as neat and precise as your beautiful to-do list and calendar.

Inevitably, unexpected things will come up that will prevent you from completing certain tasks or even attending certain events.

It’s tempting to get frustrated when things don’t go as planned, but it’s more effective to accept that this will happen and correct your system accordingly.

One of the best ways for dealing with unexpected changes or challenges to your organization is to create a weekly productivity review habit.

This 3-step process only takes a few minutes:

1. Compare what you planned to accomplish with what you actually accomplished.

We start each week with the best intentions, but then life happens.

You planned to spend an hour each day practicing integral calculus, but you only did that 3 days out of the week.

You signed up for a Thursday evening yoga class, but then you ended up having too much homework to attend.

You get the idea. The point is to look at the gap between what you planned and what actually happened.

2. Use this information to make changes to your system.

Recognizing the gap between your plans and accomplishments means nothing if you don’t use that information to inform your future plans.

Once you’ve identified what you didn’t accomplish, you need to examine why. Then, you can adjust what you plan for the coming week.

For instance, if you didn’t get in your hour of integral calculus practice each day, what prevented you?

You might realize that it was because you were studying in the student center and kept getting distracted by friends passing by. Recognizing this, you could plan to do your studying in the library basement, a place with no distractions except some dusty geological survey maps.

As you make this process a habit , you’ll get better about planning realistic goals and schedules. Which brings us to the next habit…

2. Plan Your Upcoming Week

Once you’ve reviewed the previous week, it’s time to plan for the week to come.

If you’re adjusting what you do based on the previous week, then you’re already on the right track. But in addition to reviewing the previous week, I recommend the following weekly planning steps:

1. Clean up your task management system and calendar.

During the course of the week, there will be tasks on your to-do list that you either forget to check off or just don’t do. Your calendar may also end up with stray events that are no longer relevant, or with things that you need to reschedule for the coming week.

When you’re planning the week to come, first make sure to clean out all the existing junk in your organizational systems.

Find new, realistic due dates for tasks you didn’t get to last week, and make note of any rescheduled events on your calendar. This could also extend to organizing any binders you have for class, securing loose papers, and digitizing any notes you haven’t gotten around to.

2. Plan for the week to come.

Once you’ve cleaned out everything from the previous week, you can turn your attention to the upcoming week.

To start, make a list of any upcoming tasks you can think of. I recommend looking at the syllabus for each of your classes, as well as any online systems that your professors use to post assignments. Then, transfer your tasks into your to-do list system.

Next, take a look at your calendar. See what events are coming for the week, and add anything that isn’t currently on your calendar. Check your syllabus for impending due dates, and review your work schedule to make sure it’s accurate.

Finally, make sure that your backpack is organized and packed for the following day. This will help you avoid forgetting an assignment or book you need to bring to class.

This weekly review and planning process may sound time-consuming when you read through it, but in reality, it should take no more than thirty minutes.

And if you do it every week, you’ll find that it takes you less and less time as you become more organized . To make sure that you go through the process each week, block off time for it on your calendar (man that just got meta).

Staying Organized Sets You Up for Success

This ended up being a massive guide, so here are the key takeaways for easy reference:

• Use Google Calendar (or another calendar app) to keep your events organized.
• Organize your task with a to-do list system such as Todoist .
• Digitize your notes for easier review.
• Keep your physical and digital class materials organized using a three-ring binder and Google Drive .
• Keep your backpack clean and stocked with the materials you need to bring to class.
• Take 30 minutes each week to review the previous week and plan the week to come.

And above all, don’t let your organizational system get in the way of what really matters: accomplishing the things you want to do .

The right organizational system will help you do the things you want without getting too stressed. But at the end of the day, you still have to sit down and do the work.

So go out there this semester and do something epic!

Need help staying organized while taking online classes? Check out this guide .

How to Make Homework Fun

• Post author By admin
• September 6, 2023

Discover engaging strategies for how to make homework fun. Explore personalized study spaces, gamification, collaboration, and more to make learning enjoyable.

Hey there, homework warriors! Let’s face it, homework often gets a bad rap for being a total buzzkill. The mere thought of it can make us want to escape to a world of video games, socializing, or anything but those looming assignments. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way!

In this article, we’re about to embark on a journey to uncover the secret sauce of making homework downright fun. That’s right, we’re flipping the script and turning the dreaded “H-word” into an exciting adventure.

So, if you’re ready to banish the boredom and inject some pizzazz into your study sessions, keep reading. We’ve got 15 game-changing tips coming your way to transform homework from a chore into a choice activity!

Table of Contents

How to Make Homework Fun?

Have a close look at how to make homework fun:-

Design a Homework Haven

Transforming a corner of your room into a cozy study nook is all about creating an inviting space that inspires productivity. Consider adding a:

Comfy Chair

Choose a chair with good lumbar support and a cushioned seat for long study sessions.

Soft Cushions

Scatter a few soft cushions on your chair or on the floor to make the nook extra inviting.

Motivational Posters

Hang up posters with motivational quotes or images that resonate with your goals. For instance, a poster featuring a quote like “You’ve Got This!” can provide daily encouragement.

Set a Homework Schedule

Creating a daily study schedule tailored to your rhythm can significantly boost your productivity. Here’s how to go about it:

Identify Your Peak Hours

Pay attention to when you feel most alert and focused during the day. Are you a morning person, or does your energy peak in the evening?

Designate Prime Study Time

Once you’ve identified your prime hours, set aside that time for your most challenging subjects or tasks. For example, if you’re a night owl, designate 8 PM to 10 PM as your prime study time.

Set Goals and Rewards

Setting goals and rewards can turn studying into a thrilling game. Here’s how to make it work:

Task-Based Rewards

Break your study session into smaller tasks. For instance, if you have a 2-hour study session, set a timer for every 30 minutes. When you complete a task within the allotted time, reward yourself with a mini-break or a quick treat.

Dance Breaks

After accomplishing a particularly tough assignment or study session, treat yourself to a five-minute dance break to your favorite upbeat song.

Group Study Sessions

Studying with friends can make homework a social and interactive experience. Here’s how to organize a productive group study session:

Choose Study Buddies

Invite friends who are equally committed to studying. Avoid distractions and focus on collaborative learning.

During breaks, enjoy some snacks and refreshments together. It’s an excellent opportunity to bond and recharge.

Gamify Your Homework

Turning your assignments into a game can make them engaging and competitive. Here’s an example:

Math Challenges

For every correct math problem you solve, award yourself points. Set a target, like 100 points. Once you reach that goal, treat yourself to a favorite dessert or activity.

Use Technology Wisely

Leveraging educational apps and websites can make learning enjoyable. Consider:

Learning Languages

Apps like Duolingo and Babbel gamify language learning with interactive lessons and quizzes.

Science Simulations

Websites like PhET Interactive Simulations offer fun science experiments and simulations.

Listen to Music

Creating a playlist for different study moods can set the tone for productive work:

Upbeat Playlist

Compile lively tunes for subjects like math or science to keep your energy high.

Chillout Playlist

Use calming melodies for reading assignments or essay writing to stay focused.

Change Your Study Materials

Enhance your study materials with colors and visual appeal:

Colorful Notes

When taking notes, use different colored pens for headings, key points, and examples. Highlight important concepts with bright markers.

Create a Homework Playlist

Crafting a motivational playlist can boost your enthusiasm for study sessions:

Personalized Mix

Include songs that motivate you. Whether it’s energetic rock, inspiring pop, or calming instrumental, curate a playlist that resonates with you.

Relate Homework to Real Life

Connecting assignments to real-life situations can make them more meaningful. For example:

Applying Math

If you’re learning about percentages, practice by calculating discounts while shopping online. It’s a practical application of what you’re studying.

Ask for Help When Needed

Don’t hesitate to seek assistance when you’re stuck:

Online Tutors

Utilize online tutoring services like Khan Academy or Chegg when you need clarification on complex topics.

Celebrate Your Achievements

Reward yourself for completing challenging assignments:

Mini Rewards

After finishing a tough essay or solving a set of difficult problems, treat yourself to a favorite snack or a short episode of your favorite TV show.

Use Colorful Visual Aids

Visual aids can make complex topics easier to understand:

Timeline for History

Create a timeline of historical events using colorful markers and sticky notes. It helps you visualize the sequence of historical occurrences.

Stay Organized

Organization is key for effective studying:

Digital Planner

Use digital tools like Google Calendar or Todoist to keep track of assignments and due dates. Set reminders to stay on top of your tasks.

By incorporating these detailed strategies and examples, you can transform your homework routine into an enjoyable and productive experience tailored to your preferences and learning style.

These examples demonstrate practical ways to infuse fun and engagement into your homework routine, making the learning process more enjoyable and productive.

What are ways to make homework fun?

• Create a Comfortable Space: Design a cozy study spot with your favorite things.
• Set a Schedule: Stick to a regular study routine that suits you.
• Break Tasks Down: Divide homework into smaller, manageable chunks.
• Reward Yourself: Treat yourself after completing tasks or goals.
• Study with Friends: Make it social by studying with buddies.
• Use Apps: Try fun and educational apps for learning.
• Listen to Music: Create a motivating study playlist.
• Make It Visual: Use colors and visuals to make notes pop.
• Connect to Real Life: Relate homework to everyday situations.
• Stay Organized: Use planners to stay on top of assignments.

These simple tips can make homework less daunting and more enjoyable.

How do I make my homework less boring?

Want to jazz up your homework and banish the boredom? Here’s the lowdown:

Create Your Happy Place

Start by transforming your study spot into a haven of fun. Add some quirky decorations, fairy lights, or even a cozy blanket fort – whatever makes you smile.

Slice and Dice

Homework can feel like a mountain, right? Well, cut it into bite-sized chunks. Tackling one piece at a time feels way less overwhelming.

Goals with a Side of Rewards

Set yourself mini-goals and sprinkle rewards on top. Finish that math problem? Treat yourself to a victory dance or a mini snack party.

Study Squad

Invite a friend for a study date. You can help each other out and share some giggles during breaks.

Homework Gamified

Turn your homework into a game. Assign points or rewards for completing tasks. Hit a certain score, and it’s time to indulge in your favorite treat.

Dive into educational apps or websites. Learning becomes a blast when it’s interactive and entertaining.

Musical Motivation

Craft a playlist with your favorite tunes. Pop on some energetic beats for those math equations, or soothing melodies for reading assignments.

Colorful Creativity

Don’t just take notes, make them a work of art with colorful pens and highlighters. Visuals can make studying way more interesting.

Real-World Homework

Connect your assignments to real life. If you’re tackling percentages, apply them to calculate discounts while shopping online.

Stay Organized and Sane

Keep your homework organized using planners or digital tools. No more last-minute panics about forgotten deadlines.

With these tricks up your sleeve, homework will become a breeze, and you might even have some fun along the way!

How do I make myself enjoy homework?

Making yourself enjoy homework can be a challenge, but it’s possible with a few mindset shifts and strategies:

Find Purpose

Understand why you’re doing the homework. Connect it to your long-term goals and how it benefits you. Knowing the “why” can make it more meaningful.

Positive Mindset

Approach homework with a positive attitude. Focus on the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you complete it.

Set Realistic Goals

Break your homework into smaller tasks and set achievable goals. Completing each part can give you a sense of progress and satisfaction.

Create a Comfortable Space

Design a cozy and organized study area that you enjoy spending time in. A pleasant environment can make a big difference.

Mix up your subjects and tasks to avoid monotony. Switching between different assignments can keep things interesting.

Set a Schedule

Establish a study routine that suits your natural rhythm. Find the time of day when you’re most alert and use it for more challenging tasks.

Reward Yourself

Treat yourself after completing homework or reaching specific milestones. It can be as simple as a small snack, a short break, or doing something you love.

Stay Engaged

Try to actively engage with the material. Ask questions, discuss concepts with classmates, or relate it to real-life situations.

Study Groups

Consider joining or creating study groups with friends. Discussing topics and helping each other can make the process more enjoyable.

Celebrate Progress

Celebrate your achievements, even small ones. Recognize your efforts and improvements.

Mindfulness Techniques

Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques before starting homework to reduce stress and increase focus.

If you’re struggling with a particular subject, don’t hesitate to ask for help from teachers, classmates, or online resources.

Visual Aids

Use visual aids like diagrams, charts, or flashcards to make studying more engaging and easier to grasp.

Incorporate Interests

If possible, relate homework topics to your interests or hobbies. It can make the material more relatable and enjoyable.

Use planners or digital tools to keep track of assignments, due dates, and progress. Being organized can reduce stress.

Remember that enjoying homework might not happen overnight, but by implementing these strategies and maintaining a positive mindset, you can make the process more enjoyable and rewarding.

How can I make my high school homework fun?

Making high school homework fun requires creativity and a positive attitude. Here are some tips to make your high school homework more enjoyable:

Personalize Your Space

Create a study environment that reflects your personality and interests. Decorate your study area with posters, photos, or artwork that inspires you.

Set a Homework Routine

Establish a consistent homework routine that aligns with your energy levels. Determine the best time of day for you to focus and stick to it.

Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Divide your assignments into smaller, manageable tasks. Completing each step feels like an accomplishment and keeps you motivated.

Incorporate technology into your homework. Explore educational apps and websites that make learning interactive and engaging.

Study with Friends

Organize study groups with friends to tackle assignments together. You can explain concepts to each other and share different perspectives.

Gamify Your Learning

Turn your homework into a game. Set challenges, time limits, or point systems for completing tasks. Reward yourself when you meet your goals.

Create playlists for different subjects or moods. Upbeat music can boost your energy for math, while calming tunes can help you concentrate on reading assignments.

Experiment with different study materials. Use colorful pens, highlighters, or digital tools to make your notes visually appealing.

Real-Life Applications

Relate your homework to real-life situations whenever possible. For example, if you’re studying economics, analyze current events or business news .

Seek Support

Don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. Reach out to teachers, classmates, or online resources for clarification or guidance.

Celebrate Achievements

Celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Reward yourself with a treat, a short break, or an activity you enjoy after completing homework.

Use planners, to-do lists, or digital tools to stay organized and track assignments and deadlines.

Challenge Yourself

Set personal challenges to make homework more engaging. Aim to finish assignments faster or with higher accuracy than before.

Whenever possible, relate homework topics to your interests or future career goals. It can make the material more relatable and engaging.

Stay Positive

Maintain a positive attitude toward your homework. Focus on the sense of accomplishment and knowledge gained through your efforts.

By incorporating these strategies into your high school homework routine, you can make the experience more enjoyable and productive while achieving academic success.

In conclusion, making homework fun is not just a distant dream; it’s a practical approach that can transform the way you tackle your assignments.

By personalizing your study space, setting goals and rewards, collaborating with friends, and gamifying your learning, you can turn the once-dreaded homework into an engaging adventure.

Incorporating technology, music, colorful materials, and real-life connections adds an extra layer of enjoyment. Remember to celebrate your achievements along the way and stay organized to reduce stress.

With a positive mindset and these strategies in your arsenal, you can embark on your homework journey with enthusiasm, making it not only bearable but genuinely enjoyable.

So, let’s turn the page and dive into the exciting world of learning, one fun homework assignment at a time!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i really make homework fun.

Absolutely! With the right approach and mindset, homework can be an enjoyable part of your academic journey.

What if I can’t concentrate with music?

Not everyone finds music helpful. Experiment with different study environments to discover what suits you best.

How do I avoid procrastination?

Creating a schedule and setting achievable goals can help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.

What if I still find a particular subject boring?

Try to connect it to your interests or real-life situations to make it more engaging.

How can I make studying with friends productive?

Ensure that your study group remains focused on the task at hand and avoids distractions.

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10 school organization tips for students.

The average student spends about 17 hours a week preparing for classes, which involves completing homework, reading materials and studying for tests. This statistic doesn't even account for other events — like extracurriculars, athletics and family obligations — that also place time strains in your schedule.

Knowing how to organize your schoolwork is essential to gain as much as you can from your education. By learning different organization hacks for school now, you can help prevent things from piling up and becoming overwhelming. Plus, practicing tips for staying organized in school now will help you get ahead in your high school and future college education. Below, we've gathered 10 of the best school organization tips for students of all ages.

1. Get Into a Routine

Creating a routine can help you stay consistent day-to-day and week-to-week. Write down your general weekly schedule on a whiteboard or calendar, then establish time blocks that you will spend doing your homework. This schedule can help focus your time and stay on task.

Remember your routine may change if a last-minute obligation comes up. You can update your schedule to plan ahead and adjust accordingly.

2. Set Rules for Yourself

Setting rules for yourself can help you understand what you need to complete each day and not feel rushed to complete an assignment. Some rules you could make to keep yourself on track might be:

·      Complete all projects two days before the due date.

·      Start studying for tests one week in advance.

·      Finish essays three days before they're due.

3. Write Everything Down

Write down everything — homework assignments, test dates, essay topics and even little details like how to turn in your paper. That way, you don't have to remember it, and you can use your writing as a way to double-check what you need to complete.

4. Set Your Own Deadline

Create a new deadline at least two days ahead of the actual class deadline. Plan ahead and complete the assignments according to your early due dates rather than the ones your instructor assigns.

Deciding on an early due date will reduce your stress as you will not be working on the assignment last minute. It also allows for extra time in case the task takes longer than expected or you have an unforeseen issue.

5. Don't Multitask

Multitasking seems like it would be beneficial because you could get more done in less time. However, studies show multitaskers spend 50 percent more time trying to accomplish a task.

Focus on one assignment at a time, and only turn your attention to the next task when you've completed the first.

6. Use Tools to Stay Organized

You can find a vast array of school supplies dedicated to keeping your materials organized. They can keep everything you need for your classes and assignments together so that nothing gets lost or misplaced.

Consider using these tools in particular:

·      Planner: Write down schedule and assignments as you're given them.

·      Multi-pocket backpack: Use the various pockets to organize your items so that you know exactly where to find them.

·      Pencil pouch: Keep your writing utensils together to avoid digging through your backpack before each class or losing supplies.

·      Folder: Keep all papers for a class in one central location. Use a different folder for each course to find items more easily.

·      Notebook: Get a notebook for each class to keep all relevant information together.

7. Use a Planner

A planner can be one of the most useful tools for organizing your school work because you can visually see everything on your schedule.

Write down all homework, projects and test due dates with one color and sports practices, extracurricular meetings and family obligations with another. This way, you can remember everything you need to do. When you get to class, put your planner on your desk so that you can immediately write down anything the teacher mentions.

A variety of digital options are also great possibilities.

Planners come in various formats, so find one that works best for you. Most retail stores sell them, or you can print template pages online.

8. Take Organized Notes

Notes will only be useful if you record them with a method you can understand later. These might include:

·      Cornell method: Record only key points and questions rather than all the instructor's examples. Then, summarize the main ideas at the bottom of each page.

·      Mind map method: Draw bubbles and lines and label them with key points to connect similar ideas.

9. Color-Code and Label Everything

Color-coding your materials is a visual cue that allows you to easily see what belongs together. For example, buy a blue folder and notebook for math, a red folder and notebook for science and so on.

Placing labels on these items can help your organization by giving everything a designated place. In a folder, you could use the left pocket for previous assignments and the right for new ones, for instance.

10. Break Down Big Tasks Into Smaller Ones

Looking at everything you need to do for a big task, like writing an essay, can seem overwhelming and discouraging. By breaking it down into easily manageable parts, you can work on parts of the assignment each day and not feel rushed.

A breakdown for writing an essay could look like this:

·      Pick your essay topic.

·      Read three articles on the topic.

·      Write your thesis statement.

·      Write your first main point.

·      Write your second main point.

·      Write your third main point.

·      Proofread the essay.

·      Finish formatting.

·      Turn it in.

Further Your Child's Education at Wilbraham & Monson Academy

Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a place you can turn to enrich your child's organizational and relational skills as much as their academic ones. We're proud to teach and house students from more than 30 countries around the world — you'll find no shortage of innovative minds that come together to create an unforgettable learning experience.

If you think a supportive boarding school environment would be a perfect fit for your child, request more information or complete our contact form today!

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6 Homework Apps to Help Keep You Organized

Managing everything you have to do as a student can seem like a full-time job. With so many classes, activities, club meetings, and homework assignments thrown at you every day, it can be very overwhelming to keep track of it all.

Luckily, there are some great homework apps you can install on your phone or tablet that can help you know what classes you have coming up each day and stay on top of all of your assignments.

Here are six of our favorites. We hope these help you stay organized all year long!

Although the myHomework app supports traditional school schedules as well as block schedules, it does not support alternating block schedules, so if you have an A/B schedule, this is probably not the app for you.

• My Study Life This app is a full-fledged homework management app with its own web application, which is awesome because you can check your assignments from your computer or your phone. Plus, the calendar view shows all of your classes and assignments at the same time, and it shows you incomplete tasks that are due soon so you know what to work on first. The design is unique, too, with circles showing what percentage of a task is completed and how much more you have to go. Available for: iPhone, Android, Windows 8, Windows Phone and the web. Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Cost: Free

Another cool feature is that you can organize all of your assignments by date, course or priority, and you can sort them by pending and completed as well. Other bonus features include the ability to add contact info for all of your teachers and the ability to enter your grades so you can track how your GPA is doing.

Unfortunately, none of the apps listed above will actually do your homework for you — that part’s still up to you — but at least they’ll make it more likely that you’ll get it finished on-time and stress-free.

The organization was established over 50 years ago and works “to change the trajectory of high-potential Black youth by providing unique programming in the classroom and beyond.” Their scholars complete a four-year fellowship that includes academic enrichment, leadership development, career exposure, mentoring and college access.

Students must maintain a grade point average near 3.0 to remain in good standing with the organization — a bar the organization sets knowing full well that access to scholarships and grants for college will be the only way that most of its students can afford to go. Not all students meet this threshold despite mentoring from caring adults and strong support from administrative staff. Thus additional academic supports are needed.

Over many years, EE provided programs to help get students back on track if they started to flounder and to establish academic habits that put them on a trajectory for success. We started by offering weekly group tutoring events at the organization’s facility that not only helped students with homework completion and exam prep but also provided lessons on learning strategies, goal setting, and self-advocacy. However, traveling to the facility after school was a burden for some scholars, so EE tutors also met students at libraries and other public locations to provide support in specific subject areas where students requested help. Year after year we met with administrators and added additional resources: a summer school study skills workshop for freshmen and final exam prep workshops for all grade levels. Our unique array of programs allowed the organization to support their scholars at every stage of their academic journey.

The mission of the organization is to fight for economic mobility among highly motivated, first-generation college students by providing mentoring and intensive career development. The agency was founded on the belief that socioeconomic status should not be a barrier to college persistence and career success. 

Their staff found that many of their participants were struggling with writing assignments of all sorts in college. From essays in English class to writing cover letters for potential summer internships, many students were not effective writers. The organization provided various career development workshops throughout the academic year, but they lacked a writer’s workshop to specifically address this area of weakness. 

We met with program managers and the executive director to discuss their students’ needs and what type of program would be beneficial. The Writer’s Practice Workshop was an ideal fit for them. The course allowed students to understand that everyone is a writer even if they don’t think of themselves as such. Over the course of four sessions students assessed their own writing process; discussed the tools of a good writer’s practice; considered the audience, purpose, and the needs of any piece; and produced writing on topics that were important to them. Students left the workshop with a greater understanding of how to start assignments and follow steps to revise, edit, and polish for best results, giving them confidence in their writing. 

The organization’s mission is to provide opportunities for underserved youth to achieve academic and personal success via financial, educational and personal support during their high school years. They provide tuition assistance to attend a high-quality school along with the guidance and commitment of caring, adult mentors. They aim to serve an often overlooked segment: academically “average” students from the city’s most challenging and underserved neighborhoods.

Program staff wanted to help their students prepare for final exams and train mentors to more effectively support students in their exam prep efforts. Volunteer mentors were available to give support, but the organization lacked a consistent approach on how best to help students and make them better learners.

EE met with program administrators and board members to plan and implement a Final Exams Workshop in the lead-up to final exams. The 3-hour workshop was attended by students and their mentors on a Saturday morning. The curriculum helped students create DIY study guides for any class, plan a study schedule, prioritize final exams by difficulty and need, assess and discuss their strengths and weaknesses in regards to learning strategies, and share with peers their successes or concerns. We also facilitated a conversation between mentors and mentees as to how they could best support their students in the coming weeks. Students and mentors left the workshop with a blueprint for attacking finals week in the most efficient way — a plan they could use for high school and college.

The organization supported immigrants and their families by connecting women from over 60 countries who share a dedication to the pursuit of global understanding and universal human rights. As part of their philanthropic arm, the organization supported a local elementary school they had identified as highly diverse with a large number of immigrant students. Before engaging EE, the organization relied mostly on volunteers to provide reading support to students during school hours. 

After discussions with the organization and the school principal, teachers, families, and other stakeholders, we developed a school year calendar of after school programs that would help students develop the skills needed to succeed in elementary school and beyond. We provided courses for grades 5-8 in the spring and fall, greatly expanding the enrichment opportunities the NFP was able to provide. In doing so, we developed a close relationship with the school administration and their teaching staff, who saw the positive impact the program was having on their students. Additionally, the NFP was able to expand their mission to areas where they saw a great need: improving study skills, raising test scores, and increasing access to high school opportunities for immigrant youth. 

A scholarship foundation funded by a suburban country club was disappointed with the caliber of student who typically applied for their college scholarship offerings. Knowing that the skills needed for success in college must be cultivated from an early age, they wanted to establish a summer enrichment program for students entering 9th and 10th grade that would serve as an early intervention and better position the pool of applicants when the time came a few years later to apply for the college scholarships.

We collaborated with the foundation to identify areas of strength and weakness in their applicant pool and listened to their personal beliefs about what it takes to succeed in college. With that understanding, we customized a version of the Summer Learners’ Workshop that lays the foundation for college-level skills and caters to the learning styles and academic backgrounds of the particular students at this organization.

The resulting program has gained a reputation as one of the top summer enrichment experiences in that community with parents routinely reporting that the results exceeded their expectations. The program is now attended by an even wider array of students than those who were first targeted by the foundation.

A charter school network was seeking to implement a test prep program across eight campuses to prepare their 8th grade students for the Chicago Public Schools selective enrollment entrance exam. The high school admissions process is highly competitive, and it was the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic when students were learning from home. The schools did not have expert knowledge about the contents of the test, and finding staff at their schools to cover a program outside of school hours would be challenging. Administrators knew how competitive the admissions process was and that even their strongest students were not guaranteed a spot. For equity, they wanted to offer the course to all of their students – even those who were very unlikely to be admitted to a selective enrollment school. 

Given the wide array of students, the EE team worked with individual school counselors to create ability groupings, determine a process for reporting attendance, progress, and behavior issues, and create a curriculum that would be effective in a remote learning model. We knew that remote engagement for an after school program would be a challenge, so we incorporated competitive team games, a leaderboard of accomplishments, and other incentives to encourage maximum participation. EE provided all management and instructional staffing to deliver the test prep course successfully while freeing up teachers and counselors at the charter school to focus on their daily workload. Students received a robust course focused on strategies, practice tests, and concept review that put them in the best position to maximize their potential on test day. 

A leading scholarship fund that provides financial assistance for highly qualified, low-income students knew that financial aid alone would be insufficient to ensure their students’ success at rigorous private and parochial high schools. Therefore, they sought an intensive summer program to prepare scholars for what lay ahead. 

EE worked with the organization to determine the biggest challenges scholars would face. We landed on a wide array of non-cognitive skills that are not necessarily taught in middle school: time management, organization, self-advocacy, focus, growth mindset, etc. Inspired by this challenge, we developed our Ideal Student Workshop, which would later become the basis for our Learners’ Workshop.

Over a decade later we are still delivering the program to students at this scholarship fund and others. The program works to develop the three dimensions of successful students: character, learning strategies and habits. We update the program yearly to keep up with changes in student needs and the educational landscape. Our fun and research-based curriculum continues to be a popular summer bridge for various organizations. 

A prominent sports-based youth development organization wanted to improve one of the core elements of their program: providing educational enrichment programs to their participants.

Their goal was to offer a continuum of services for 9th-12th graders that would support students in their schoolwork, provide a pathway to college, and create a culture of learning amongst players. EE was uniquely positioned to offer a variety of services to meet this need: private tutoring, study skills classes, writing courses, high school admissions test prep, SAT/ACT prep, and college readiness seminars. We listened to the players, parents, and other stakeholders to determine which programs were most effective, established expectations for participants, and decided on the best timing and format to deliver the courses.

Since 2017 we have successfully delivered these services allowing their administrative team to focus on their primary coaching responsibilities. Ultimately, the best praise we have received is that we have provided a wide circle of caring adults to support students academically and emotionally and that we have listened to their needs and adapted our offerings to suit their participants.

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Organization Strategies for Students

One of the best ways for students to reduce stress in college is to organize their time and workloads. In this article, you’ll find tips for your students to help them organize their time, declutter their physical and digital workspaces, sort through their email inboxes, and establish a clear and consistent note-taking system. 

By being organized, your students will have more time to go to class, do the homework, answer emails, and take good notes—rather than panicking about how they’ll get everything done.

The tips below are written addressing students directly.

Create a plan for the quarter

Why this works: The 10-week quarter goes by quickly, and it’s easy to fall behind if you don’t plan ahead. By anticipating the ebb and flow of your workload, you can reduce the amount of “cramming” you have to do in a single week—and reduce the anxiety that comes with it. For instance, if you know you’ll have multiple projects due in week 6, you can front-load some of that work earlier in the quarter. 

How to do this: At the beginning of the quarter, make note of important deadlines and exam dates using the Quarter-at-a-Glance sheet . Remember: almost everyone falls behind at some point, so don’t panic if this happens. Instead, make a plan for when and how you will catch up using the weekly calendar below. You can also meet with an Academic Coach for help. 

Create a realistic weekly schedule

Why this works: Writing things down on a digital or paper calendar helps free up your attention for learning by eliminating the worry of having to remember them. Planning for a full week rather than one day at a time gives you more time to work with, so you can create a more realistic schedule for yourself. 

How to do this: Pick a calendaring tool that lets you plan by the hour. Include your classes and other fixed obligations like meetings, appointments, practices, and so on. Include when you’re going to eat, sleep, and exercise. Take 30 minutes each weekend to plan the upcoming week, looking at what work you need to do and scheduling time for specific assignments. 

Put all of your event details in one place 

Why this works: Having everything in one place saves time and reduces stress by not requiring you to check multiple sources for information or relevant links. This can be especially helpful during a remote quarter, when you’re required to use specific Zoom links to access your online classes. 

How to do this: Consider integrating your different calendars. For information on how to connect your Canvas calendar (complete with Zoom links) to another calendar, check out this game-changing tip for remote classes . To connect your Outlook calendar (which automatically inputs events from your Stanford email) to your Google Calendar, read our post on digital calendaring .

Browser Tabs

Close or minimize browser tabs you don’t need.

Why this works: Minimizing distractions is key to increasing your focus. Eliminating visual cues that are not directly related to what you’re working on makes it easier to concentrate on the task at hand. 

How to do this: Simply close the browser tab or window, or use the minimize button to hide it from view. You can also use the multiple desktops feature on a Mac or PC to organize your windows by course or topic. 

Organize the browser tabs you need so you can easily find them later

Why this works: Having large numbers of tabs open makes it much more difficult to find the right one. It can also impact your efficiency by slowing down your computer.

How to do this: If you have tabs open that you plan to access later, you can either bookmark the important ones (ideally organizing them into folders if you have many), or use a tool like OneTab to help you keep track of them. If you’re doing research, try using a research management tool like Mendeley, Zotero, or EndNote. You can learn more about these tools on the Stanford Libraries Website .

Digital Files

Store everything in one place.

Why this works: Saving all of your files in one place makes it faster and easier to find what you’re looking for. 

How to do this: Pick a platform you like and that you can access easily, and stick with it. For instance, all Stanford students are given access to Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. 

Create folders to organize your files

Why this works: Imagine if you had a big binder filled with important assignments and notes, but no binder tabs to help you organize it. Folders are the digital equivalent of a binder tab, helping you to locate the exact file you’re looking for.  

How to do this: Think about the types of digital files you generally use and what system you will use to organize them. For instance, you might create a folder for each of your courses, which you can further organize by quarter and academic school year.

Make it a habit to organize new files right away

Why this works: Having a system is all well and good, but it only works if you use it. Taking a few seconds to put a file in the proper place now saves many minutes of searching for that file later on.

How to do this: The moment you get or create a new file, decide what folder it fits into and save it there. If it doesn’t fit into any of the folders you created, determine if you need to create a new one.

Check in to make sure your system is still in working order

Why this works: Even the most organized people with the best intentions can sometimes get off track. Setting aside some time to go through your file system will help ensure it stays in order. It’s also a great opportunity to reflect on whether the system is still working for you. 

How to do this: At the end of every quarter, go through your file system. If anything is out of place, put it in the right spot. Reflect on what was helpful about the system and what wasn’t, so you can adjust accordingly for next quarter. 

Reduce the number of emails you receive 

Why this works: We’ve all had the feeling of being buried beneath an avalanche of emails. Rather than trying to get through them all, consider which emails you really need, and which ones you can do without. 

How to do this: Unsubscribe from email lists that no longer feel relevant to you. For any Stanford email lists you do decide to stay on, try turning on Digest Mode, which reduces the total number of emails you receive. You can update all of your email settings using the University IT Mailman Tools . 

Create email folders and filters

Why this works: Email filters allow you to automate the organization process, and folders make it easy to find your most important emails quickly.

How to do this: Take into account the kinds of emails you receive and how you might want to organize them. For example, you might create separate folders for different classes, organizations you’re a part of, or specific senders. (Pro Tip: Don’t overthink it. The idea is to develop an effective system, not a perfect one.) 

Block off time on your calendar for reading and responding to emails

Why this works: Do you ever sit down to work, only to be interrupted by an email notification? Turning off notifications is certainly helpful, but at the end of the day, you still have certain emails you need to answer. Blocking off a specific time for them ensures you get them done in the least disruptive way possible.

How to do this: Decide how much time you need to dedicate to emails, and when. For instance, you might block off a half hour every morning and an hour every night. Write it in your calendar. Try following this plan for a week to see how it goes, and make adjustments as needed. (Pro Tip: We recommend reserving the times of day you’re most alert for more demanding tasks.)

Find a note-taking system that works for you

Why this works: When it comes to taking notes, you have many styles and formats to choose from. A solid note-taking approach is one that will make it easier for you to retain important information and connect course concepts. 

How to do this: For guidance on how to take notes and specific methods to try, read our note-taking guide . Remember to consider what works best for you. For example, do you prefer the increased engagement and retention that comes from taking notes by hand, or is it more important that you have the ability to search for specific terms when reviewing your notes? How you take notes might also vary from one class to another.  

Try to be consistent in how you take notes for a single class

Why this works: Note-taking styles can vary from course to course, but varying your style too much for a single course requires you to reorient yourself each time you review your notes, which can slow you down. It can also make it harder to draw connections between different readings or lectures. 

How to do this: Once you find a method that works for you, try to stick with it. If you decide to use the Cornell method , for instance, continue to use it throughout the quarter. Once the quarter ends, you can evaluate your note-taking system to determine if there’s anything you want to change for next time. 

Store your notes in a place where you are likely to look often

Why this works: Research shows that reviewing your notes within 24 hours of taking them helps you retain 40% more information than if you wait a week or more. 

How to do this: Whether you take notes by hand or on a digital device, make sure to put them in a place where you can easily find them, and where you tend to look often. This will likely require you to create labels or folders for your notes. For digital notes, see our suggestions for organizing digital files . 

Physical Workspace

Create a workspace where you only go to study.

Why this works: Your brain picks up cues from your environment, so creating a neat, dedicated workspace will help you get into work mode. 

How to do this: Find a comfortable spot, preferably at a desk or table, where you’re unlikely to be interrupted. If possible, refrain from using this space for anything other than studying. Make sure you have access to all the resources you need to be productive, and remove anything from your desk (and your desktop) not related to the task at hand. For more suggestions, see how to design your workspace for focused productivity .

Organize the materials in your workspace

Why this works: A cluttered workspace can make it harder to focus, so it’s important to keep it tidy. Keeping similar items together, like writing utensils, also makes them much easier to find when you need them. 

How to do this: If you have access to a desk with drawers, consider putting your most used or most important items in the top drawer. If you don’t have access to this, keep your most important work items on a specific shelf or in a backpack. Ideally, everything should have a place. You can organize your things by item type (e.g., textbooks with other textbooks) or by course (e.g., all chemistry materials together).

Display a calendar on your wall

Why this works: A physical calendar posted where you’ll see it every day can be a great, tangible reminder of what you’ve accomplished and what’s coming up next. 

How to do this: Post your calendar in a space where you can easily see it. We recommend using the Quarter-at-a-Glance sheet to help you get a “big picture” view of your time. You can even cross off days as they pass for a little motivation boost. If a physical calendar isn’t an option for you, no problem. You can still download a digital version of the quarter-at-a-glance sheet, or use a different digital calendaring tool.

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How to better manage your homework time | Ask Kelly

Dear Kelly,

Last week I began classes, but I already feel like I’m overwhelmed with homework. I spent the bulk of the weekend doing the work, and I still have more to do. I know I need to work on managing my time better. Do you have any advice for me? What do you do?

This is an excellent question and one that I am so happy you are asking at the beginning of the semester. Juggling different classes and all of the coursework that comes with them can be very daunting, especially if you don’t plan ahead. This is something I learned the first week of my freshman year, when I spent that entire first weekend drinking pots of coffee while sitting for countless hours in front of my computer answering multiple discussion posts, taking three quizzes, writing a reflection paper, and reviewing an assigned article. I’ll never forget that weekend. I cried. I literally broke down and cried! I wondered why in the world I would have signed up to subject myself to that much stress. I kept saying, “What was I thinking?” No, I take that back. I kept yelling, “WHAT WAS I THINKING WHEN I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL?”

That weekend taught me something: To make sure I made the most of the time I had available. I remember sitting and talking with my husband, Garrick, and saying, “I wish I would’ve started on this work earlier. I could have even done some of the homework on days that I had class.” I had to be honest with myself. There was plenty of time during the week that I could have focused on homework, but since it was just blocks of time, I kept seeing the weekend as a more viable option. I didn’t realize how that would lead to an enormous amount of stress because I had so much to complete in just those two days.

I made the conscious decision to never paint myself into that corner again. I decided I had to get organized, and the very first thing that needed to happen was I needed to buy a calendar. I went to the store and purchased a large, wall-mounted, dry erase calendar, and I hung it in my office. Before I began, I decided on my “homework time.” This was the time each day that I knew I could devote to homework. Immediately, I began recording my class schedule on the calendar, along with some assignments and their due dates, but something didn’t seem right. It still looked jumbled to me. You see, I was writing everything down with the same colored pen, nothing stood out.

I went back to the store and bought a pack of different colored dry erase markers. When I came home, I assigned each class a different color, and then I began writing things down. I chose the color blue for the first class. I wrote down all of the nights I had class and underlined those to show that those were class nights, not assignments. Then, using the syllabus from that class, I began to place my assignments onto the calendar on their due dates.  

That’s when I stopped and reflected on the past weekend.

The problem I had wasn’t making sure assignments were turned in on time. It was giving myself plenty of time to get the assignments completed, without causing unneeded stress. So I began to plot the assignments not based on due dates but based on the time it took to complete them. I also made sure I had flex time to make any edits or adjustments to the assignments before I turned them in. I added study time onto the calendar to prepare for quizzes. For large assignments, like research papers, I wrote down the date that I wanted to have my research collected by, the date I wanted to have the outline written, the date that I wanted to write my rough draft, and so on. I broke things apart, so I would have time to complete each assignment or quiz and still have time for myself and my family.

I repeated this process for recording my other classes and coursework onto the calendar, as well, using different colors for each class. As assignments were completed, I would cross through them with a black marker. When I turned in the assignment, I would erase it off the board. Each and every day was scheduled, and I knew what I was working on each day. Yes, there were times when I had to make adjustments, but with the calendar and the way I had scheduled everything, it was easy to do.

This one simple task of writing everything down on the calendar completely changed the ballgame. My stress lifted. I knew what I had to do and when. I could plan events with friends and family and still have time for me. I knew my availability each and every day, and that was wonderful! If, for some reason, I finished an assignment early, I would use the extra time to get a jumpstart on a different assignment. I was always ahead of the game, and it felt amazing!

Now, I am in my senior year. The calendar has gone digital, since I did eventually wear out the one on the wall. I still color-code each of my classes, even going so far as to change the color-coding of the course in Canvas (do this by clicking on the three dots at the top of the course box on your dashboard).

Getting organized is one of the reasons why I believe I have been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA, even when I was juggling three jobs and a full load of classes.

I promise, if you make the conscious effort to organize your time, you will reap the benefits of not only completing all of your assignments before they are due but also doing so while maintaining your sanity.

As always, I wish you health, happiness and continued success throughout your journey.

Do you have a question about Mercer or coping with school in these challenging times? Each week Kelly Browning, an early childhood education/special education major and student ambassador at the Henry County Regional Academic Center, answers questions from the Mercer community. Email her at  [email protected]  or  fill out our online form  to submit your question anonymously.

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Two Ws and an H: Establishing a Homework Routine

Tired of disorganization when it comes to your child’s homework routine learn how answering “when where and how” can help create an after school routine that includes doing homework for the same time each day, steering clear of electronics, and more..

Back to school means back to homework. It may also mean arguments, tears, and frustration, because homework demands more discipline and consistency than many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (or any kids, for that matter!) can muster. But you can make it easier by creating a homework routine built around three key questions: When? Where? and How?

• Schedule homework for a set time each day. Base this after school routine on your child’s temperament. Perhaps he’s at his best right after school, or maybe after an hour of downtime. Avoid late evening, which for most children is meltdown time.
• Be consistent from day to day. If after-school activities make that impossible, post a daily plan or weekly calendar in your kitchen that includes homework start and finish times each day.
• Schedule enough time to complete assignments without rushing, based on your child’s grade level and history of completing assignments.
• Give advance notice of homework time. This is important, because kids with ADHD/ADD don’t easily shift from one activity to another — especially from fun time to work time. You might say, “You can play for 15 more minutes, then come in for homework.”

[ Free ADHD Resource: Solve Your Child’s Homework Problems ]

• Help your child select a homework place. Try the kitchen table, where she can spread out materials. Or perhaps your child would like to sit at a desk in the quiet den.
• Steer clear of proximity to electronics (TV, CD player). But if your child concentrates best with soft noise, try some gentle background music.
• Stay nearby (if possible).  Kids with ADHD concentrate better when they know you’re close by. If your child needs to use the bathroom, remind him to come right back afterward. After he leaves the bathroom, remind him to return to his work.
• Set up rules. Draft and print a sheet that specifies: homework start and finish times; place; when and how long breaks are; and that you will be nearby to help her understand assignments, get organized, offer support — but not do the homework for her. Avoid arguments — calmly refer her to the Homework Rules.

[ Free Sample Schedules for Reliable Family Routines ]

• Help him start. Make sure your child knows what the assignment is and how to proceed. Offer assistance that matches his learning style. For a verbal processor, read directions to him or have him read them out loud; for a visual learner, show him how to use highlighters and colored markers to outline key words and sentences.
• Keep him going. If your child tries to stop before he’s finished, encourage him to go on a bit longer, and remind him there’ll be a break soon.
• Give her a break. Kids with ADHD and LD may become fatigued due to distractibility, challenges to concentrating, frustration, and restlessness. Help your child recharge by scheduling frequent, short breaks.
• Check in at the finish. Review your child’s work to see if it is complete. If your child consistently takes more time than she should, speak to her teacher to see if he’s willing to adjust the amount of homework.
• Offer praise. Compliment your child when he stays on task, works with focus, is creative, and so on. Be specific. Say, for example, “I like the way you concentrated on that problem and stuck with it until you solved it.” Give him an acknowledging pat or a squeeze mid-homework, too.
• Give rewards. It’s OK to offer a “prize” to motivate. For a younger child, try extra playtime, a favorite snack or game, or a special read-aloud; for an older child, a favorite TV program, computer time, or phone time.
• Stick with it. A new homework routine is part of a daily schedule and requires solid commitment. It takes one to three months for a routine to become a habit — even longer for a person with ADHD. But the payoff is discipline, self-control, and success-building skills.

[ Read: 12 Schoolwork Shortcuts for Kids Who Hate Homework ]

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Homework challenges and strategies

By Amanda Morin

Expert reviewed by Jim Rein, MA

At a glance

Kids can struggle with homework for lots of reasons.

A common challenge is rushing through assignments.

Once you understand a homework challenge, it’s easier to find solutions.

Most kids struggle with homework from time to time. But kids who learn and think differently may struggle more than others. Understanding the homework challenges your child faces can help you reduce stress and avoid battles.

Here are some common homework challenges and tips to help.

The challenge: Rushing through homework

Kids with learning difficulties may rush because they’re trying to get through what’s hard for them as fast as possible. For kids with ADHD, trouble with focus and working memory may be the cause.

Rushing through homework can lead to messy or incorrect homework. It can also lead to kids missing key parts of the assignment. One thing to try is having your child do the easiest assignments first and then move to harder ones.

Get more tips for helping grade-schoolers and middle-schoolers slow down on homework.

The challenge: Taking notes

Note-taking isn’t an easy skill for some kids. They may struggle with the mechanical parts of writing or with organizing ideas on a page. Kids may also find it hard to read text and take notes at the same time.

Using the outline method may help. It divides notes into main ideas, subtopics, and details. 

Explore different note-taking strategies .

The challenge: Managing time and staying organized

Some kids struggle with keeping track of time and making a plan for getting all of their work done. That’s especially true of kids who have trouble with executive function.

Try creating a homework schedule and set a specific time and place for your child to get homework done. Use a timer to help your child stay on track and get a better sense of time.

Learn about trouble with planning .

The challenge: Studying effectively

Many kids need to be taught how to study effectively. But some may need concrete strategies.

One thing to try is creating a checklist of all the steps that go into studying. Have your child mark off each one. Lists can help kids monitor their work.

Explore more study strategies for grade-schoolers and teens .

The challenge: Recalling information

Some kids have trouble holding on to information so they can use it later. (This skill is called working memory. ) They may study for hours but remember nothing the next day. But there are different types of memory.

If your child has trouble with verbal memory, try using visual study aids like graphs, maps, or drawings.

Practice “muscle memory” exercises to help kids with working memory.

The challenge: Learning independently

It’s important for kids to learn how to do homework without help. Using a homework contract can help your child set realistic goals. Encourage “thinking out loud.”

Get tips for helping grade-schoolers do schoolwork on their own.

Sometimes, homework challenges don’t go away despite your best efforts. Look for signs that kids may have too much homework . And learn how to talk with teachers about concerns .

Key takeaways

Some kids have a hard time doing schoolwork on their own.

It can help to tailor homework strategies to a child’s specific challenges and strengths.

Sometimes, there’s too much homework for a child to handle. Talk to the teacher.

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How to Stay Organized at Work, School & Home: 30+ Tips

Updated 05/14/2024

Published 01/8/2020

Sam Tetrault, BA in English

Contributing writer

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When you’re not organized, everything becomes a greater challenge. Whether you’re looking for your favorite sweater, your passport, or your schoolwork, things seem to disappear. Staying organized is a skill that not only makes it easier to find things when you need them but also to stay on top of all aspects of your life. 

If you include organization as part of this year’s New Year’s resolutions , it’s time to get started. Organizing isn’t a one-and-done chore. It’s an ongoing practice that takes a lot of patience and perseverance. To make this process a bit easier, follow our tips for how to stay organized at work, school, and home. 

Jump ahead to these sections:

Tips for staying organized in college and high school, tips for getting organized at work, tips for keeping everything organized at home.

In school, organization is one of the most important skills to develop. While it’s important to always study, do your homework, and pay attention in class, this is only one side of the story.

Without proper organization, you’re more likely to miss deadlines or waste time. 

1. Use a planner

Planners aren’t a waste of precious backpack real estate. Your planner can be a notebook, a paper calendar, or a digital tool. 

As long as you have a way to keep track of deadlines, homework assignments, and other important dates and times, you’re on the path to success. 

2. Write everything down

Speaking of planners, you have to actually get into the habit of using it. The reality is that most people don’t have a perfect memory. 

Write down all events, due dates, ideas, meetings, and so on. 

3. Set your own due dates

You don’t have to stick to the due dates set by your professor. While these are definitely important to pay attention to, you can also set your own deadlines. 

For instance, you might challenge yourself to complete all your assignments at least one day before they’re due. These earlier deadlines give you more flexibility. 

4. Stop multitasking

Multitasking is the enemy of organization. It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you can do it all, but science says otherwise. 

Neuroscientists agree that when you switch from task to task, you actually accomplish less. 

5. Declutter your workspace

Another way to stay organized involves taking charge of your workspace. Your notes, papers, brochures, and other things add up quickly. 

They take up valuable space in your binder, backpack, desk, and even your mind. Read our guide on downsizing and getting rid of junk if you need some extra help.

6. Don’t combine subjects

If you’re in the habit of using notebooks or binders, make sure you keep those organized as well. Use only one notebook or binder per subject. For instance, have a notebook for history and a separate one for English. 

Why separate everything? Having the ability to store everything simply and easily by class does wonders for your ability to find what you’re looking for later. When everything has a place, it’s much harder to lose things. 

7. Plan before you start working

Are you just about to dive into a study session? Take a few minutes to plan first. Taking 5 minutes to plan before your daily studying keeps you on schedule. 

You want to ensure you’re working on the most important tasks first, and that you’re not forgetting anything that might be coming up. 

8. Use the two-minute rule

If a task takes two minutes or less, do it immediately. The “two-minute rule” is a popular way to make sure your smaller tasks don’t pile up over time. 

It’s easy to put off answering that email, organizing your binder, or filing your homework properly. 

9. Clean after each study session

Once you’re done studying, don’t just close your books and head straight to Netflix. Take a few minutes to clear your desk and make sure it’s clean. 

Not only does a clean desk help you feel more motivated to study when your next session comes up, but it also keeps clutter from gathering in your workspace. 

10. Write all your questions down

Finally, when you’re studying, get in the habit of writing all of your questions down. Having questions pop up during your study session is normal, but you don’t want to forget about these passing thoughts. 

Keep this list easy to access, and store it in your school bag for the next day. From here, you’ll know exactly what you need to cover more carefully or what to ask your professor. 

If you want to succeed in the workspace, organization is a key part of this process. To stay organized at work, you’ll need to streamline both your actions and thoughts. 

11. Create clear goals

When was the last time you thought about your career goals? Creating long-term, actionable career goals gives you clarity not only in your day-to-day life but also in your future. 

Consider where you want to be in the next 5, 10, and 15 years, and break these into smaller goals. 

12. Time block your day

If you have a particularly busy day of work ahead, don’t fret. Try time blocking to square away the time you need to get everything done. 

These time blocks serve as deadlines for all those smaller tasks that often get in the way. 

13. Keep things within reach

Do you know how much time you waste each day looking for things? Whether it’s your favorite stack of sticky notes or your coffee cup, keep things within reach on your desk. 

When you have time, take inventory of everything you need on your desk to make sure it’s organized effectively. 

14. Eliminate desk clutter

Speaking of keeping things within reach, is your desk overwhelmed by non-essential items? 

While having your favorite photos, desk plant, and other knick-knacks might spruce up the place, recognize when enough is enough.

15. Do a digital detox

Clutter isn’t just physical. It’s also digital. Clear out your inbox, folders, and virtual workspace when you have the chance. 

If you stay on top of this, you’ll never be overwhelmed by things like piling up emails and lost files. Delete your unused Gmail and Microsoft accounts while you’re at it, too.

16. Cut down on meetings

While some meetings are unavoidable, many are actually big time sucks. Workplaces lose a lot of meeting time with setup time, banter, and other unnecessary tasks. 

When you go to meetings, come prepared with an itinerary and questions. 

17. Take more breaks

How do breaks help with organization? Simply put, your body needs them. The human mind is only able to focus for so long. 

Scheduling breaks into your daily workday makes smaller tasks easier to get through, and it also gives you a much-needed refresh. 

18. Make a workday routine

What’s your workday routine? Too many people lack a simple routine for their workday. They shuffle between their desks, meeting spaces, and coworker’s offices looking for direction. Instead, create your own routine that works with your habits in mind. 

This could mean you start the day checking your email, and you always take an afternoon break at 3 pm. No matter what routine works for you, stick with it. 

19. Have a central to-do list

We’ve all been guilty of having too many to-do lists. This is a productivity time waster. It’s a better idea to consolidate your to-do list into a central list, preferably a digital one. 

Color code your list and set deadlines to see everything in one place. 

20. Set alerts 

Missing a deadline is one of the worst things that could happen at work. To make sure you’re always on top of everything, set alerts online or on your phone. 

Most digital calendars send reminders before meetings, events, and other important things, so you’ll never be caught off guard again. 

Not only is home where your most important things and paperwork are stored, but it’s also where you go to unwind every day. If your home is cluttered and disorganized, it’s hard to truly relax. 

21. Downsize your things

When was the last time you tossed or donated things you don’t need? You don’t need to move homes to downsize your belongings. Learn how to downsize in your own place, whether you get rid of clothes or cut down on clutter. 

22. Group things together

When organizing your home, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff. To make things simpler, put like items together. 

If you’re organizing your documents, for example, place homeowner documents in one area, personal and health documents in another. 

23. Label containers

If you’ve ever tried to sift through unlabeled boxes, you know what a chore this is. Labeling boxes, containers, and bins with what’s inside is the best way to always stay on top of your things. 

This is especially important for stuff that’s stored away long-term, like holiday items. 

24. Put things away

The simplest part of organizing is also the hardest habit to learn. You’ll need to train yourself to put things back in their spot every time. If it’s easy to leave things out once you’re done with them, it’s equally as easy to put them away. 

25. Use all space

There are likely areas of your home that aren’t working effectively. From under the bed storage to shelving units, make sure you’re using all the available space in your house. 

This gives you more room to organize without things piling up. 

26. Protect your documents

Pay particularly close attention to your important documents when organizing your space. These are the last things you want to misplace. 

Storing important legal and financial records in a safe or document organizer is the best way to keep them secure. 

27. Try a new method

If you’re struggling to keep your home clean and organized, try something new. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. If you want something minimal, try Swedish death cleaning . If you’d rather consider the meaning behind your things, look for what “sparks joy.” 

28. Set goals

It’s overwhelming to tackle a huge organization project all at once. Don’t hesitate to set goals when it comes to organizing. For organizational projects, that means going room-by-room or even area by area. 

29. Rent a dumpster

If you need to dispose of a lot of things that aren’t recyclable or donatable, it might be a good idea to rent a dumpster.

These are more affordable than traveling to and from your local waste management facility, and you’ll avoid having trash pile up in your home. 

30. Create a tracking system

Finally, think of a way to track what you use over time. Most of the things in your home probably aren’t used regularly. Even if you’re not ready to part with them now, you might be open to it in the future. 

Track what you use over time to see what you’re ready to get rid of. This way, when you come back to organizing in a few weeks or months, you’ll have a clear picture of what to keep. 

Organize Your Entire Life

Staying organized is a great way to feel in control of your life. You don’t need any large changes to see real progress. Soon enough, you’ll feel equipped to take even the larger steps towards a more organized life. 

Along with organizing your life today, give some thought to the future. Start end-of-life planning to take care of the bigger questions that may eventually fall onto your loved ones. Again, every step forward counts. 

If you're looking for more organization inspiration, read our guide on the best books on organization for beginners .

• Hamilton, Jon. “Think You’re Multitasking? Think Again.” NPR. 2 October 2008. NPR.org . 

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How to Organize Your Binder for School

Last Updated: August 6, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes . Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 327,312 times.

Having a neat, organized binder will set you up for success throughout the school year. Check out the tips below to learn the best, most effective way to organize your binder for school. Say goodbye to messy loose papers and lost homework assignments for good!

Buy dividers.

Label the dividers.

• Label the spine of the binder too, so you can see what class or subject the binder is for when you stack it in your locker or on a bookshelf.

Organize your binder.

Keep a binder and divider for every class.

Put important materials in the front.

Include paper.

Color code by subject.

Keep everything important in your binder.

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

• Keep a planner in there so you can write your homework down and not forget. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
• Be nice to your binder. Don't toss it or damage it. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1
• Remember, your binder reflects your personality. Keep it organized if you want a good impression on others. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 1

Tips from our Readers

• Avoid using the pocket in the front of your binder. It may become the main place you store things, which will mess up any organizing you’ve tried to do. Consider closing it with tape.
• In the beginning of the year, put your class schedule in the plastic pocket on the front of your binder. That way you can check it easily.
• Go through your binder once a month and get rid of anything you no longer need.

• Even though your binder will be organized, a zip-up binder is highly recommended. Be careful. If you don't use a zip-up binder, your papers might fall out. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 2
• If you are the kind of person who rips paper make sure you don't need it Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 5

Things You'll Need

• Binder/folder
• Dividers or dividers with folders
• A large amount of lined paper in the back
• Planner or calendar (optional)
• Lots of papers to organize
• A table of contents (if desired)
• Plastic Sleeves (optional)

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• ↑ https://youtu.be/cbI8xK3hq4s?t=499
• ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQmCvsQKmXQ
• https://www.5minutesformom.com/95024/how-to-organize-school-binders/

About This Article

To organize your binder for school, keep materials for each class separate and always have extra supplies on hand. Use a divider for each class you take so you don't get your work mixed up. Use plastic or laminated paper dividers so they don’t tear throughout the year. Arrange your dividers in order of your classes. For example, if you have math first, put it first in your binder. Keep your class schedule at the front of your binder so you can easily check what class you have next. You should also keep some lined paper in the front or back of your binder to take notes on. Consider getting an insertable binder hole punch, which goes in your binder. This will be really useful if you need to file something but you can't find a regular hole punch. For more tips, including how to choose your binder for school, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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