Planning Your Time

Use your school journal diary or a calendar app on your phone to help you stay organised. Be sure to include your homework, any project work, tests, activities and hobbies. This will give you a clearer picture of the time you have to do your work.

It may help to have a weekly calendar in the kitchen or on the fridge, so everyone can see what you’re doing. Weekly family meetings are a great way of seeing what everyone’s plans are, and can help avoid any clashes.

To-do lists are great. Make a list each day of what you need to get done, starting with the most important things. As the day progresses you can tick the items off your list as you get them done – this can be really satisfying! If you don’t complete every item on your list, don’t get upset. Simply add it to the next day’s to-do list – do get it done as soon as you can though, as you won’t want to drag these things on for too long.

If you have a test to revise for or a project to get done, bring along some work wherever you go. You can use some free time at lunch to study, or read a book while on the bus. Instead of reaching for your phone to check messages, use your time wisely and catch up on homework. Just a few minutes here and there will quickly add up, freeing up your time for other things later.

If you find your to-do list is getting too long, it may be that you have too much on. It can be easy to get involved in more activities than you can manage, especially if your friends want you to join them. Remember, it’s okay to say “no.” Knowing your limits and sticking to them will go a long way in keeping your commitments manageable.

Don’t keep putting stuff off. If you do, you’ll soon run out of time to get everything done. By planning your work into manageable chunks and sticking to the plan, you’ll find yourself more on top of things – this will help you feel much more relaxed about your workload.