How to Use a Homework Planner, part 1

Did you know organized students perform better and have more free time to pursue other interests? Getting organized, like learning a new subject, sport, or instrument, requires practice. Here are some tips for using a homework planner to stay on top of your work.

Basic Planner Skills: Success Through Organization

Head in the sand?

Do you attend the famous Ostrich School where the student motto is: “If I don’t write it down, it doesn’t exist, so I don’t have to do it?”

If so, it’s time to pull your head out of the sand, preferably before someone else does it for you, say right around report card time. Contrary to what some believe, writing assignments in a planner makes life easier, not harder. It can even reduce your anxiety about getting “all that work” done!

Consider the times you groaned about your overwhelming workload, only to discover the assignments were far easier than anticipated. By writing tasks in a planner, you can stop them from spiraling out of control inside your head, look the job in the eye, and clearly see what’s required.

Of course, you can always ignore what you write down, but chances are, by not hiding from your work, you’ll find the tasks less intimidating and more approachable than anticipated.

Two brains are better than one

Some students feel that writing an assignment in their planner is a waste of time, but even those with great memories are bound to forget something. The real time waster is racking your brain to remember a page number or locating a classmate with the information. Or, even worse, forgetting a task entirely!

You will save yourself wasted time and hassles by writing down homework, long-term assignments, and test dates right away. You can always work from memory, but be sure to go to your planner and check that all work is completed.

You can think of your planner as a second brain. Why clutter your main brain with mundane details like, “Complete page 74 #5-17 odd” when your planner is right there by your side? As you advance in school, assignments become more complex. The earlier you start practicing your planner skills, the easier it will be for you to manage your work down the road. And remember, planners aren’t just useful for school. You can also track music lessons, parties, and other “real-life” events.

In addition to managing daily assignments, planners help make sure you don’t lose sight of long-term assignments such as research papers or chapter tests. As soon as you learn about a future deadline, drop the start and end dates into your planner. Then spread the work over the remaining time by breaking it down into daily and weekly tasks. Dividing work into small, manageable chunks will help you stay focused, prevent rushing, and allow for unforeseen claims on your time.

Learn more. See part 2: Advanced Planner Skills: Making the Most of Your Time.