5 Tips for Managing Assignments
By the time students get into middle school and high school, they are switching classes and receiving homework and projects from multiple teachers. These teachers are not necessarily conferring with one another to balance the workload or deadlines. It is up to students to prioritize and learn to manage their time. Here are a few ways to stay organized and make sure the work is getting done.
· Write everything down.
Use a planner and write down every homework assignment, project, and test so that nothing is overlooked. Don’t rely simply on your memory to recall everything. If it is not due the next day, include a due date as well. It can be helpful to use different colors for different types of assignments or for different subjects.
· Work from easiest to hardest or hardest to easiest.
Decide what order you want to work through tasks. Are you most focused and energized right after school? In that case, it may be beneficial to start with the most difficult assignments while the information is still fresh in your mind, and you can concentrate. Or, you may choose to get the easiest assignments out of the way first, then work through more challenging ones after you’ve had time to eat dinner and recharge.
· Prioritize assignments.
Look at deadlines and decide what has to be done first versus what can wait. What assignments are worth the most points or will be part of the next day’s lesson? What will take you the most time to complete? Figure out a schedule that works best for you and uses your time most effectively.
Try creating a checklist or visual so that you can see what comes next and cross things off as you go. This can help you to stay on track and keep pushing through.
· Work ahead when possible.
If you have a day where you finish your homework more quickly or don’t have much homework at all, try working ahead on projects that are due later in the week or month. Break them down into smaller chunks and work on a little bit each day so you’re not waiting until the last minute to try to do everything.
· Ask for help.
Don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with an assignment that you don’t understand. Call a classmate and see if they can help you get started. Or take a break and come back to it later. If it is not something that is due the next day, write down any questions you have or anything you find confusing so that you can ask your teacher.
Working with a tutor can also be beneficial. They can help you learn strategies for approaching different types of problems or improving your note taking skills so that you have the information you need to complete the task or to ask questions before you leave class. They can also reinforce key knowledge and concepts you may not have understood the first time by explaining them in a different way.
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