The school year has just started meaning more assignments, and more stressful testing to deal with. But the one thing that brings student’s grades down for no good reason is homework. there’s always something we’d rather be doing: playing sports, seeing friends, or catching up on the latest season of The Summer I Turned Pretty. If you’re stuck on what to do about your mountains of homework, here are some tricks to keep things under control.

Doing Homework at Lunch

While not everyone wants to do work on their free periods, it can help you a lot in the long run. Why not get homework out of the way so you won’t have to do it after school or late at night. Do whatever you want back at home; Rest easy knowing you did your homework before.

Invest in a Homework folder

If you have a spare folder that you don’t use, you can use it as a special folder to put homework away as soon as it’s assigned. Having a physical place to keep the work makes it easier to see and therefore easier to know how much you have to do.*This may not work if your teachers keep a ton of work online. 

Check Google Classroom Religiously

This one is simple, you can easily go on your Chromebook and check your classroom to see if you have anything assigned. Some teachers will even remind you of homework in the stream. Checking daily is a simple way to stay on top of your grades and anything missing.

Use an Agenda or Notebook

You can use an agenda book or a notebook to write down what work you have to do. When a teacher announces there’s homework, quickly scribble it down. The physical act of writing it also makes you more likely to remember. Make sure to check the agenda later. If you’re likely to forget, set reminders on your phone for after class to tell you to look at the agenda.

Clear Your Calendar

This one is the hardest step. Giving up certain extra activities can be hard, especially if you’ve invested time or money into them. But why not block out a time where you are completely free, like on the weekends, maybe even a Friday where you don’t have anything to do. It’s understandable if you’d rather fill your free time up with gaming or on your phone, but it’ll be better to do your homework first then get half credit or no credit at all.

In Too Deep? Ask For Help

If you can’t follow any of the advice I laid out, then it’s better for you to speak to a teacher, depending on how busy your schedule is. They can help you by speaking to your coaches or setting up a time for you to do your homework, like every morning before class starts in their office.

School is always hard, we’re all at different levels and that’s okay, I hope these steps can help anyone be able to do their homework without ever forgetting or not being able to.