Every new term is a clean slate. You’re feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and oh-so ready to be back in the classroom and learning again (obviously). It doesn’t take long, however, for the pile of homework to grow and your grasp on organisation to slacken until you have fallen back into bad habits.

Dedicating some time to getting organised at the beginning of a new term can do wonders for your stress levels. Here are some of our strategies to prepare for a great term.

Print off a class timetable

When you are handed a class schedule at the beginning of the year, take it home and make multiple copies. Keep one in your school planner and then stick any more up in key places around the house. This might be on your bedroom wall, on your desk, in the kitchen or even near the front door. It is important to know what your schedule is looking like for the next day.

You will notice a trend as this article goes on – preparation sooner, rather than later, is always best.

Buy a term planner

Chances are a majority of people reading this already use a term planner, but for anyone out there who doesn’t…BUY ONE! Not to exaggerate, but they are a total organisational game changer.

Start by noting down key dates (assessments, excursions, sports carnivals) so that you are aware when each one is approaching. A term planner is ideal when it comes to being prepared, as it enables you to see everything coming up with a quick glance. Knowing that a key date is on the horizon will mean less last minute panicking.

You can also use it to create a study plan for the lead up to assessments, to write down homework or key parts of a lesson that you want to remember.

Create a homework planner

Of all the things to fall behind on, homework tends to be the number one. Creating a homework planner at the beginning of the term is a good way to keep on top of the workload. Using the planner we mentioned above is an easy way to keep track of your homework. If you prefer using technology for organisation, a Sticky Note on your desktop or even a simple Word/OneNote/Google Docs/Evernote document are great methods too.

Stationery

Who doesn’t love a trip to Officeworks?!

Colour-coding your notebooks and folders for each subject keeps your schoolwork clear and structured. You can even extend the colour-coding to clarifying in your homework planner what subjects have homework and when it will be due.

Create an afternoon routine

If you are prone to after-school procrastination (which can often lead to disorganisation), create a routine that you can follow each afternoon. You can build this schedule around any after school activities that you already have.

Dedicate some time every afternoon to homework or assignments to avoid it piling up right before the due date. This also allows you to think about how you work. You might find that you are the most focused right after you get home from school, or perhaps you like to de-compress for an hour before you get back into the schoolwork. Either way, thinking about how you work and creating a routine that you can stick to throughout the term is great.

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