how can i keep track of my homework

Top 7 Homework Planner Apps for Students

Whether you are attending classes, completing your assignments, studying for a quiz, project work, extra-curricular activities, or squeezing some time for friends and family. You’d agree that organizing and planning goes a long way. That’s why a homework organizer or a homework planner app can be a lifesaver to keep track of all your assignments, tests, submission deadlines, and exams. I did the research and shortlisted the perfect homework planner apps for Android and iOS. Let’s check those out.

Read:  Best Notes App for Windows to Increase Productivity

Homework Planner Apps for Students

1. student planner- homework agenda & notes.

The first app on the list is a simple homework and notes management app. It keeps track of homework, assignments, projects, and to-do lists. The layout is minimal, all the tasks are neatly organized with a colored bookmark for easy identification. You can mark a task complete and remove it from the pending list.

Courses can be added easily and color-coded as well. The calendar shows any upcoming deadlines so you can prioritize accordingly. The tasks have a progress bar that you can adjust as you make progress which enables you to get a quick summary without actually opening every task.

You can also break your assignments in small chunks as subtasks that would make finishing a task much easier and the progress bar will fill automatically. It also allows you to attach media files to your assignments or projects for easy access to the important information in one place.

• Progress bar
• Deadline Reminders
• Calendar View
• No option to sync data to the cloud

Student Planner is a great app for all the students, it has all the necessary features like Deadline reminders, subtasks, progress bar, color-coded tasks, and courses. It can significantly increase your productivity when used regularly. You can get this app for free in the Play Store.

Install Student Planner- Homework Agenda ( Android )

2. Student Planner

Student Planner is another fast and simple homework management app which is wrapped by a beautiful and intuitive material designed UI. What Student Planner adds to the table is the inclusion of a schedule or time table which you can use to either store your class schedule or it might even be a study schedule for your exams.

You first start by adding your subject and the schedule then you can add an assignment or set a reminder. The due assignments are arranged as separate cards and can be swiped away once done with.

•  Simple and easy to get started with
•  Fast and small in size
•  Beautiful Minimal UI
•  Option for Schedule
• No sync/backup
• Timetable implementation not perfect

I would recommend this app to anyone who is looking for a simple homework management app with timetable support and a minimal UI.

Install Student Planner ( Android )

Egenda is simple. Open the app, add all the classes or subjects to the app, and once that is set up, you have the option of adding a new Homework, Quiz, Project, or Test and choose the respective subject deadlines. The app also arranges the due work in cards that can be swiped away when done. But what I love the most about this app is that the fact it allows you to go subject-wise and view all your upcoming tests, projects, or pending assignments which is a huge convenience for planning your schedule ahead of time instead of the previous day.

Unfortunately, the app doesn’t have a timetable option, but in its latest update, it added a  Calendar View  where you can see your whole month at a glance with your assignments, tests, and projects.

•  Subject-wise sorting
•  Calendar View
• No timetable support

Egenda provides some great tools for Homework and Test planning and I am sure anyone would find them extremely convenient and useful. But keeping its single con in mind, go for this app if you are not too keen on having a schedule or timetable.

Install  Egenda  ( Android  |  iOS )

4. ChalkBoard

The next app on our list is ChalkBoard, which I found out to be a pretty smart homework planner app. Chalkboard strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and features.

Although the setup process is a little longer than the previous three apps, as you have to feed meticulous details about the classes, teacher, and schedule. It is worth the effort.

On the home screen, you are shown upcoming classes, events tab, and upcoming tests. ChalkBoard fetches the dates for every subject from the Timetable for your future classes. Little features like these make the app stand out from the rest and give an overall great experience. You can also view classes and assignments subject wise.

• Proper Timetable
• Ability to add teachers for subjects
• View tomorrow’s classes as well as assignments/tests/quizzes
• Smart features
• Little longer to set up
• No calendar view

If you are looking for a homework planner as well as a school planner, Chalkboard is the app as it strikes a great ground with almost all the features one might need while not being too bulky.

Install ChalkBoard ( Android )

5. School Planner

School Planner is a full-fledged planning application designed for students to manage their career as a student. Along with your homework and timetables, School Planner offers you to keep track of your grades and attendance, add contacts for teachers, add recorded lectures, and even multiple planners.

The app supports backing up of all your data via Google Drive, Calendar View along with a weekly report, attaching snapshots to your assignment reminders, student accounts from ClassViva, and a lot more. In spite of so many features, the app doesn’t feel slow at all and delivers a powerful performance with its beautiful design.

• Full-fledged student companion
• Feature-packed and free
• Supports sync and backup
• Widget Support
• Tedious setup procedure
• Big in size
• Complex, not so smooth learning curve

While it is not for someone who is looking for a fast and easy way into homework management, School Planner is a great student companion app and serious students will surely get the most out of hit.

Install School Planner ( Android )

6. My Study Life

My Study Life comes with its own web app and syncs with the Android app, essentially making your data accessible from any device as long as it has a browser.

It implements a goal-centric circular tracker that shows your progress. The Calendar view combines your timetable, deadlines, and shows all your classes and assignments, projects in a single place.

• Refreshingly new UI
• Access from anywhere through its web app
• Sync and Backup
• Lengthy setup process

If you study from your computer or laptop, My Study Life makes it easy to access your homework planner on your phone from your computer, while not compromising on features and being completely free. What more can you ask for?

Install My Study Life ( Android  |  iOS )

7. iStudiez Pro

Like School Planner, iStudiez Pro includes grading and subject wise organization of tasks. iStudiez Pro takes it further with the integration of Google Calendar that allows you to directly get all your holidays, exam schedule, routine from Google Calendar itself.

It also offers separate apps on all platforms including iOS, Mac, and Windows. All the apps sync seamlessly between themselves, so studying on your computer consulting your planner won’t be an issue.

• Google Calendar Integration
• Cross-Platform
• Cumulative Price

If Google Calendar integration and cross-platform support is a must for you, iStudiez Pro is definitely the app you want.

Install iStudiez Pro ( Android   |  iOS )

So this was our roundup of the best homework planner apps for Android. We genuinely think that there is an app for every need and we hope that you found a Homework Planner that suits your need whether you are a high school student or a college senior. So which one was your favorite or did we forget to add yours? Let us know in the comments below.

Also Read:  Take a Picture of Handwriting And Convert to Text – Android Apps

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Never forget a class or assignment again.

Unlock your potential and manage your classes, tasks and exams with mystudylife- the world's #1 student planner and school organizer app..

School planner and organizer

The MyStudyLife planner app supports rotation schedules, as well as traditional weekly schedules. MSL allows you to enter your school subjects, organize your workload, and enter information about your classes – all so you can effortlessly keep on track of your school calendar.

Homework planner and task tracker

Become a master of task management by tracking every single task with our online planner – no matter how big or small.

Stay on top of your workload by receiving notifications of upcoming classes, assignments or exams, as well as incomplete tasks, on all your devices.

“Featuring a clean interface, MyStudyLife offers a comprehensive palette of schedules, timetables and personalized notifications that sync across multiple devices.”

” My Study Life is a calendar app designed specifically for students. As well as showing you your weekly timetable– with support for rotations – you can add exams, essay deadlines and reminders, and keep a list of all the tasks you need to complete. It also works on the web, so you can log in and check your schedule from any device.”

“MyStudyLife is a great study planner app that makes it simple for students to add assignments, classes, and tests to a standard weekly schedule.”

“I cannot recommend this platform enough. My Study Life is the perfect online planner to keep track of your classes and assignments. I like to use both the website and the mobile app so I can use it on my phone and computer! I do not go a single day without using this platform–go check it out!!”

“Staying organized is a critical part of being a disciplined student, and the MyStudyLife app is an excellent organizer.”

The ultimate study app

The MyStudyLife student planner helps you keep track of all your classes, tasks, assignments and exams – anywhere, on any device.

Whether you’re in middle school, high school or college MyStudyLife’s online school agenda will organize your school life for you for less stress, more productivity, and ultimately, better grades.  

Take control of your day with MyStudyLife

Stay on top of your studies. Organize tasks, set reminders, and get better grades, one day at a time.

We get it- student life can be busy. Start each day with the confidence that nothing important will be forgotten, so that you can stay focused and get more done.

Track your class schedule on your phone or computer, online or offline, so that you always know where you’re meant to be.

Shift your focus back to your goals, knowing that MyStudyLife has your back with timely reminders that make success the main event of your day

Say goodbye to last minute stress with MyStudyLife’s homework planner to make procrastination a thing of the past.

Coming soon!

MyStudyLife has lots of exciting changes and features in the works. Stay tuned!

Stay on track on all of your devices.

All your tasks are automatically synced across all your devices, instantly.

Trusted by millions of students around the world.

School can be hard. MyStudyLife makes it easier.

Our easy-to-use online study planner app is available on the App Store, the Google Play Store and can be used on desktop. This means that you can use MyStudyLife anywhere and on any device.

Discover more on the MyStudyLife blog

See how MyStudyLife can help organize your life.

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Best Homework Planner Apps

Productivity is the main goal of homework planner apps. With these best homework apps, students can keep track of homework and will learn valuable time-management and organizational skills on a daily basis. 

A homework planner app is a digital student planner that lets you easily track your classes, homework, tests and projects. It can sometimes be difficult to plan time to revise or get homework finished. How many times have you found yourself still staring at your textbook around midnight (or later!) even when you started your homework hours earlier? Homework apps helps students to stay organized with their homework, send homework reminders and keep track of homework all the time.

Even when you’ve made a plan, keeping yourself organised and motivated can be tough. But planning ahead and organising your work can help you feel more in control and able to get things done. These homework planner apps can help you keep organized and keep track of test dates, quizzes, homework assignments, and final exams. 

Here are the best homework planner apps that helps students manage their homework schedule, reminders and improve time management skills.

1. myHomework Student Planner

(Android, iPhone, iPad)

myHomework Student Planner is a simple, free homework planner for students. Students use the app to enter individual homework assignments and track deadlines by class or calendar date. It allows you to keep track of your classes, homework, tests, and assignments. This homework app, while still simplistic, offers support for your class schedule, homework schedule, receive homework reminders, and view upcoming assignments. While the reference to homework might make you think this is more for school students, it’s actually a perfect app for all levels, from high school to university.

For elementary-age students, parents and teachers will need to set up the classes and adjust specific settings to personalize kids' schedule and then monitor for accuracy. Middle school, High school, and College students may find this to be a helpful app to organize assignments, projects and plan studying schedules. 

Featured in major magazines with the like of USA Today, Yahoo News, and Time Magazine, MyHomework is one of the best homework planner apps with a simple user interface. You can find the myHomework app on the iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows 8, Kindle Fire and the Web.

Devices: iOS, Android, Windows, Web

Cost: Free with ads

If we missed any of the Best Homework Planner Apps, tell us about them !

2. Show My Homework

Show My Homework is a popular homework organizer and reminder app that will help you to stay on top of your homework for all classes in one place. You can also set reminders to do homework tasks so that you won’t miss it before the deadline. 

This homework organizer app is part of a school-wide service that can make the setting, administering and monitoring of homework much easier. Schools subscribe to the service that can then be accessed on mobile devices and computers by staff, students, and parents. Schools using this homework app overcome the problems with homework journals. It is no longer possible for a child to lose the record of all of their set homework. Seeing the homework tasks might prompt an idea for parents to make children's learning more enjoyable. 

Devices:  iOS, Android, Windows, Web

Cost:  Free with in-app purchases

3. iStudiez Pro

iStudiez Pro helps students to keep track of their homework and assignments. Whatever is the way you are used to manage your homework, you will find it all in iStudiez Pro. Whether you want to organize your assignments by date or by course or by priority or sort them into pending and completed, you have all options at your hand.

Their assignments can be seen in the Week pane of the app for easier planning of their working load. Students can check when their assignments are due and how much time they have before they should turn them in. Today View feature lets you see just the assignments and events planned for the next 24 hours, so you can take each day one step at a time. iStudiez Pro even sends you notifications and reminders for upcoming classes and assignments. It is one of the most effective homework planner app which help students to manage their homework and keep a track of their grades. 

Devices:  iOS, Android

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4. My Study Life - School Planner

My Study Life is one of the best homework planner for students, teachers and lecturers designed to make your study life easier to manage. My Study Life - School Planner takes a student's class list, assignments, test dates, and to-do list items and organizes them all into one very easy-to-use app. 

My Study Life allows you to store your classes, homework and exams in the cloud making it available on any device, wherever you are. It also offers a calendar view that shows your classes and assignments simultaneously.

If they can make it a habit, students will love staying on top of assignments and test dates with this handy, pocket-sized personal assistant. If students use My Study Life - School Planner with consistency, it has the potential to build time-management skills. 

Cost:  Free

5. Class Timetable

Class Timetable is one of the simplest yet best homework planner apps that allows you to keep track of homework and assignments. Class Timetable is a beautiful, simple way to view your schedule, featuring a calendar display and multi-week support. Class Timetable is color coded and supports a color coded week view when you rotate your device to landscape view. Class Timetable is available on the App Store and supports iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

Devices:  iOS

6. The Homework App

(iPhone, iPad)

This free homework planner app allows you to add, view and complete all of your homework in a very easy way with an in-app calendar which shows you your tasks on a daily, monthly & yearly basis and sends you notifications & reminders. 

The Homework App allows you to break your homework up into subtasks. For a basic assignment, this might not seem like a big deal. But when you’re working on a project that takes weeks and maybe even has graded milestones, this is an appreciated feature.

Its premium subscription options which are available for 1 month, 6 months and 12 months, allow you to use the app without ads, add subtasks to manage your tasks with multiple steps, color code your homework, take and attach photos, add details about your instructor and even get help for your homework. 

Cost:  Free with in-app purchases

Chegg Study is among the best homework apps free to use across the globe. This best student homework app helps students get personalized support for every course-from school homework to exams. The app is used by millions of students to study their courses inside out. Additionally, the app offers an extensive library of millions of fully explained solutions for various subjects including Math, Business, Science, Engineering, and more. 

They have over 60 million fully solved homework questions and you can learn about problems, solutions, and concepts with the help of new video walkthroughs. Another best thing about this app is you can submit a photo of any homework question to Chegg study experts. They will provide you with answers in as little as 30 mins. 

Todait is a useful study planner app that allow you to set a timer for a study session or any other project you’re working on. It  lets you schedule specific tasks based on criteria like a specific number of problems to solve, a certain range of pages you have to read, or a number of terms to memorize. You can make schedules based on days, weeks and months etc. Todait also allows you to set the alarms, track the progress and get the real time feedback from the app.

A homework planner called Todoist is a limited homework reminder app focused on the most wanted functions. It is possible to mix the mobile application with a Web browser plugin to obtain a complete package of features. Students can improve their organization and time management with an intuitive homework planner that helps students organize their homework and exams. The application is compatible with almost everything: from Android to Mac & Windows.

Devices:  iOS, Android, Windows, Mac

10. Slader - Homework Answers

Slader Math Homework Answers is a textbook answer-sharing app and site used by middle school, high school, and college students. Slader lets you set reminders of when homework is due and get homework help in things like math and english. Users post answers -- including answer keys, handwritten notes, and equations -- from commonly used textbooks. Subjects include math, science, history, English, world languages, and "other," which includes IB, economics, geography, and more. 

Answers to multiple subjects -- math, science, English, foreign language, and more -- but it's unlikely kids will learn much as they use it. If kids use the explanations or step-by-step process to practice and learn, then it may have more value. 

The above list are just some of the homework planner apps that make it incredibly easy to keep track of assignments, classes, homework, tests, and more. Everyone has their own methodology for tracking such dates and it’s really up to you to find the best homework app that fits your needs. 

Which homework app does your student use? Did we miss one? You can also read our best homework helper apps  if you need assistance with your homework.

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How to keep track of homework assignments

Katie Azevedo December 29, 2016 good habits , homework , productivity , study skills , time management

The first step to getting a good grade on an assignment is to … wait for it … do the assignment!

Simple, right?

Maybe, but only if you remember to do the assignment. For some students, knowing how to keep track of assignments and their due dates is a huge challenge. Here, I’m going to explain how to keep track of assignments and projects, and give you some tips for staying organized. A cool angle to this is that what I’m going to be talking about is completely applicable outside of school. So if you’re not a student, but you still have due dates and project deadlines – pretty much like any human – then this system is for you, too.

1.  Find a planner system and use it multiple times every day.

The KEY step for keeping track of homework, which I’ll get to next , is to write everything down. But before that happens, you need a place to write it all. You have three options here. 1) paper 2) digital 3) a combination of both. Personally, I use a combination of both. While I am a pen and paper person at heart, I do use Google calendar in addition to my paper calendar. I have a family and a business to run, so I need the digital aspect to be able to share calendars with other people. For my paper calendar I use the Staples Arc system . It’s cheap, simple, and super customizable.

I advise you to pick a system based on what’s convenient and easy, and not on what is cool. There are a gazillion list apps out there with fancy features — some of you may have heard of Evernote , the king of task management apps — but the goal is to keep it simple and use a system that you don’t have to stress about. If it’s too complicated, you won’t want to be bothered to even take it out when you need it. Whatever you pick, be sure it includes a monthly calendar and a daily calendar/agenda. Here’s why:

A monthly calendar allows you to see, at a glance, what assignments and appointments are coming up over the next few days or weeks or months. It’s key for long-term planning.

A daily calendar/agenda allows you to see and plan for what’s coming up tomorrow and in the very near future.

Whether you go for a dated calendar or an undated one (one you have to date yourself) is up to you. What size is up to you. (I use a half-sized one and a full-sized one!) Here’s a picture:

The cover and paper inside your planner is up to you. Whether you color-code your entries is up to you. (I do!) Make it something you’re excited to use, while keeping it simple.

It’s important to use your system multiple times a day because the more you use it, the more you trust it. And the more you trust it, the more it will work.

I’ve heard so many students say “I’ve tried using an assignment notebook and calendar, but it doesn’t work.” But when I ask them if they write everything down, they say no. And that’s why. So you’ve got to commit to your system. Use it multiple times every day. Get in the habit of checking it every morning or every night before bed so you know what’s on your agenda.

2.  Write everything down. And the operative word here is EVERYTHING.

I have a theory that I’ve lived by for the longest time: Our brains weren’t made for storing information, but are instead made for creating and processing information. (Lol … it turns out that I’m not a genius and that I didn’t invent this theory.) Several scientific studies actually support the idea that to a degree we have a maximum brain capacity. And if we use up all that capacity for storing information and trying to remember everything … then there will be no brain energy left to create, think and process. So by writing things down, we get them out of our heads, which frees up space for us to be smarter and more creative.

Plus, there is just no way on earth that we can remember every little detail of what’s due when, as well as the time and date of your next doctor’s appointment. If something comes up and you’re not sure whether to write it down, write it down!

Here’s what you should be keeping track of:

• Daily homework assignments (short-term)
• Project due dates (long-term)
• Upcoming tests/quizzes
• Books that have to be read by a certain point
• Appointments (doctor, dentist, guidance counselor, coach, etc.)
• Things you’re supposed to remember to do (ie: talk to math teacher)
• After-school activities, sports (even if you have practice every day from 2:30-5, block out that time on your calendar)
• Weekend activities

Here’s another important tip: write assignments down the moment their assigned, and write appointments down the moment their scheduled. Do NOT tell yourself that you’ll remember to write it down later. Doesn’t work! Plus – that defeats the purpose: you don’t want to use your brain to remember . If you don’t have your paper agenda with you when something comes up, then set a reminder in your phone to write it down later, or write the assignment down on a sticky note and put it somewhere you won’t forget. Then, transfer the information into your planner the moment you get home.

3.  Set up reminders.

Let’s say you have a project due in one week, so you write down “biology project due” on your calendar on the date it’s due. Sound good? No! No, because you don’t want to end up checking your calendar on the project’s due date and realizing “Oh crap! It’s due today!” So the hack for remembering to do the assignments you write down is this: remind yourself along the way.

You can do this several ways, depending on your system. If you’re using digital, like a phone, use the default reminder app to remind yourself of the project at least a few days before it’s due. You can even set up several reminders throughout the week. If you’re using a good old paper calendar, then in addition to writing down “project due” on the actual due date, write in several reminders to work on the project on the days leading up to the due date.

A reminder system also helps you manage your time for long-term assignments because it encourages you to work a little bit each day towards the larger goal.

4.  Keep your planner/calendar accurate and up-to-date.

Your homework management system is only going to work if it’s accurate. So you’ve got to be sure that you update your calendar and your agenda as things change. So if your teacher gives an extension or changes the due date of a project, or if your band concert or meeting is rescheduled, make those edits in your calendar. (Try to keep it neat if you’re using a paper system, so that might mean using whiteout. Messy on paper equals messy in the head.) And remember the rule: make these changes immediately if possible.

If you end up using a combination of a digital system and a paper system, make sure you sync the two systems daily. I have run into the problem where I’ve added an appointment in my phone, but then forgot to add it to my paper calendar, and then I totally forgot about it. Oops! So I make it a habit to review both calendars/agendas every night to make sure they both contain the same information.

How to keep track of homework assignments: Extra tip

There are going to be times when you fall off the bandwagon and let your system slip. You might go a few days or even a week without writing things down – either because you forget or you keep telling yourself that you’ll do it later. But don’t give up on your system. Just pick up where you left off and get back to writing down every little detail. Whenever you wander away from your system, bring yourself back to it, and don’t judge yourself.

Also, these moments can be learning opportunities! Whenever you stop using your agenda or calendar, ask yourself why? Why did you stop? What part of the system wasn’t working? If the system was easy enough to use, you wouldn’t have stopped. Is your notebook so big that it’s annoying to bring with you? Then get a smaller one. Are you not writing assignments down because you don’t have enough space in the “Daily Agenda” part of your notebook? Then get a notebook that gives you more room to write down your daily tasks. Did you think you were a techie, but find the app stuff too complicated? Or vice versa? Then switch systems. Modify as you go. You won’t come up with the perfect system right away, but you will instead figure out what works for you as you go. Be open to change.

So those are my 4 strategies for how to keep track of homework assignments. If you have some strategies of your own, then please share them in the comments below!

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The 10 Best Study Planning Apps for All Students

These study planner apps for Android and iPhone help you get organized in school by tracking your assignments, tests, and other coursework.

As a student, you're responsible for keeping track of test dates, quizzes, homework assignments, and final exams. On top of that, maybe you partake in after-school activities and sports. This makes it even harder for you to keep track of due dates and tests.

If you feel that you're sinking into a pile of assignments, you need to add some organization to your life. These are some of the best study planner apps for Android and iOS that can help you set times to study and remind you of upcoming exams, so you're not caught off-guard.

Chipper is one of the most popular and best study planners for students. Using Chipper can greatly improve your time-management skills.

This study planning app comes equipped with several tools dedicated to students . Simply add all the courses that you're currently taking, and organize them by time and date in the built-in schedule.

Chipper also allows you to add tests, homework due dates, papers, labs, and quizzes to your calendar to help you stay on top of your coursework. On top of that, you can set reminders that Chipper will send as notifications, so you never miss a deadline. And when you're ready to study, open the Study tab to set a timer for your session.

That means you don't need to download a Pomodoro timer app for such. But if you do, here are the best Pomodoro timer apps .

This app rewards you with earnings in the form of imaginary cash as you complete tasks. You don't actually receive any of these earnings in real life, but it's a good incentive to keep you moving forward.

Download: Chipper for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

2. Classify

Use Classify to build an easy-to-read schedule for your homework assignments, projects, quizzes, and other activities. Because it has a clear and simple interface and a lot of useful features, it is a unique study tracker app.

Classify helps you organize your school life by adding everything important in one place. It also provides templates for tasks, homework assignments, and events. For example, you can attach a PDF when you add an assignment, and you can set priorities for tasks.

Simply add this semester's courses, along with assignments and their due dates. Classify will let you know when your assignments are due and give you helpful reminders about upcoming deadlines, making it a great study planner app for students. Additionally, it has a Pomodoro functionality built-in if you fancy using the Pomodoro technique .

Download: Classify for iOS | Android (Free)

3. My Study Life

My Study Life is yet another great study planner app you should try today. With My Study Life, you can easily add tasks, classes, and exams to a weekly schedule template for students. When you add your classes, you can input detailed information about them such as the room number, module, time, and even the teacher.

If you struggle to remember holidays or class rotations, you can input that information in My Study Life as well. Your dashboard displays all your upcoming assignments, exams, and classes. This way, you'll never forget about that assignment that's due tomorrow.

Download: My Study Life for iOS | Android (Free)

4. Power Planner

Power Planner is a clean and simple study schedule app that's perfect for middle school, high school, and even college students.

As one of the most useful apps for every student , it helps you remember class times, keep track of tests, and can assist you with staying on top of your assignments.

Power Planner integrates with Google Calendar to make your life even easier. Better yet, you can also estimate your GPA by inputting assignment and test grades.

However, if you want to add more than one semester and five grades per class, you'll have to spend a few dollars on the premium version.

Download: Power Planner for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

5. Lessons School Planner

Lessons School Planner is a study tracking app that is built with simplicity in mind ensuring your energy is focused on increasing productivity and getting work done instead of organization. It can be likened to a simple to-do list tool but for students. When you download the app, you can start by creating a custom lesson plan, or importing one if you have it already on another device.

The app has lessons added already, but you can customize them depending on your needs. It makes organization easier by using a number system to organize lessons.

Tapping on a subject on your daily lesson plan allows you to add activities related to it, like an upcoming assignment submission deadline, exam, test, project, presentation, and more. These activities can then be viewed on a dedicated page. The app also allows you to set reminders for your tasks, ensuring that you don't miss out on anything important.

Download: Lessons for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

6. Study Bunny: Focus Timer

Study Bunny is a less conventional study tracker app, but it makes studying a lot more fun. For starters, it introduces you to an adorable cartoon bunny that acts as your study partner.

You can use the app to time study sessions, create awesome to-do lists , make flashcards, and keep track of your progress.

When you start studying, you'll earn coins that you can use to treat the bunny. You can buy items to feed and customize your pal, which will help motivate you to finish a long study session.

Download: Study Bunny: Focus Timer for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

Vaia (formerly StudySmarter) is a helpful study-planning app that lets you collaborate with other students from around the world.

To help you save time, the app allows for shareable flashcards. This means that you can search for and use flashcards that other users have already made which makes learning easier. As a study planner app for students, Vaia is also featured in our list of the best flash card apps .

In addition to that handy feature, Vaia lets you upload and annotate documents, as well as create study groups with students from other universities. And when you want to check your progress, you can use the app's built-in charts to visualize your study time and see if you're meeting your weekly goals.

Download: Vaia for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

8. myHomework Student Planner

The myHomework Student Planner app is a straightforward way to keep tabs on your studies. To get started, you simply have to input your class schedule and any upcoming assignments.

myHomework Student Planner will then generate a color-coded class schedule, as well as a calendar that organizes your upcoming classes, assignments, and tests. Besides that, it also creates a clean list of homework assignments, which makes it much easier to remember important due dates.

Download: myHomework Student Planner for iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

9. Smart Timetable

To get started on Smart Timetable, add your classes as events with how often you want to study for them. When it's time to hunker down, Smart Timetable will send a notification to your phone as a reminder.

The app allows you to input additional information about each class including the type, building and room number, and instructor, and you can even upload class notes. Each day the app's home page has the day's classes, and you can swipe left to view upcoming classes in the follow-up days.

There's also a task tab where you can add your upcoming assignments and tick them off once you're done.

Download: Smart Timetable for Android (Free, subscription available)

10. School Planner

The School Planner app has a ton of versatility when it comes to schedule options. You can input your classes into the app by using the available easy-to-use default templates.

Templates include everything you need to stay on top of your classes, including day, time, teacher, subject, frequency, and room. You also have the ability to add any upcoming events, whether it's a simple reminder, an upcoming exam, or a homework submission deadline.

All the upcoming tasks will show up on the app's home page in a sleek Overview page with a snapshot of any upcoming events in the next seven days, what's on your schedule today, tomorrow, and a detailed outlook of the upcoming week. School Planner's interface and organization make it one of the best study scheduling apps around.

The experience isn't limited to class times and assignments; you can also add grades, teachers, recordings, and days you were absent. Hit the hamburger icon in the top left to get an idea of how much the app offers.

Download: School Planner for Android (Free, in-app purchases available)

Stay on Track With the Best Study Planner Apps for Students

Who needs a messy assignment book when you have a study planner app? Instead of jotting down due dates on your calendar, take them with you on your smartphone.

Moreover, having an app at your fingertips can serve as a reminder to start studying or to complete an important assignment. Better yet, it's much easier to read and visualize when you use a template in an app.

6 Homework Apps to Help Keep You Organized

Managing everything you have to do as a student can seem like a full-time job. With so many classes, activities, club meetings, and homework assignments thrown at you every day, it can be very overwhelming to keep track of it all.

Luckily, there are some great homework apps you can install on your phone or tablet that can help you know what classes you have coming up each day and stay on top of all of your assignments.

Here are six of our favorites. We hope these help you stay organized all year long!

Although the myHomework app supports traditional school schedules as well as block schedules, it does not support alternating block schedules, so if you have an A/B schedule, this is probably not the app for you.

• My Study Life This app is a full-fledged homework management app with its own web application, which is awesome because you can check your assignments from your computer or your phone. Plus, the calendar view shows all of your classes and assignments at the same time, and it shows you incomplete tasks that are due soon so you know what to work on first. The design is unique, too, with circles showing what percentage of a task is completed and how much more you have to go. Available for: iPhone, Android, Windows 8, Windows Phone and the web. Requires iOS 8.0 or later. Cost: Free

Another cool feature is that you can organize all of your assignments by date, course or priority, and you can sort them by pending and completed as well. Other bonus features include the ability to add contact info for all of your teachers and the ability to enter your grades so you can track how your GPA is doing.

Unfortunately, none of the apps listed above will actually do your homework for you — that part’s still up to you — but at least they’ll make it more likely that you’ll get it finished on-time and stress-free.

The organization was established over 50 years ago and works “to change the trajectory of high-potential Black youth by providing unique programming in the classroom and beyond.” Their scholars complete a four-year fellowship that includes academic enrichment, leadership development, career exposure, mentoring and college access.

Students must maintain a grade point average near 3.0 to remain in good standing with the organization — a bar the organization sets knowing full well that access to scholarships and grants for college will be the only way that most of its students can afford to go. Not all students meet this threshold despite mentoring from caring adults and strong support from administrative staff. Thus additional academic supports are needed.

Over many years, EE provided programs to help get students back on track if they started to flounder and to establish academic habits that put them on a trajectory for success. We started by offering weekly group tutoring events at the organization’s facility that not only helped students with homework completion and exam prep but also provided lessons on learning strategies, goal setting, and self-advocacy. However, traveling to the facility after school was a burden for some scholars, so EE tutors also met students at libraries and other public locations to provide support in specific subject areas where students requested help. Year after year we met with administrators and added additional resources: a summer school study skills workshop for freshmen and final exam prep workshops for all grade levels. Our unique array of programs allowed the organization to support their scholars at every stage of their academic journey.

The mission of the organization is to fight for economic mobility among highly motivated, first-generation college students by providing mentoring and intensive career development. The agency was founded on the belief that socioeconomic status should not be a barrier to college persistence and career success. 

Their staff found that many of their participants were struggling with writing assignments of all sorts in college. From essays in English class to writing cover letters for potential summer internships, many students were not effective writers. The organization provided various career development workshops throughout the academic year, but they lacked a writer’s workshop to specifically address this area of weakness. 

We met with program managers and the executive director to discuss their students’ needs and what type of program would be beneficial. The Writer’s Practice Workshop was an ideal fit for them. The course allowed students to understand that everyone is a writer even if they don’t think of themselves as such. Over the course of four sessions students assessed their own writing process; discussed the tools of a good writer’s practice; considered the audience, purpose, and the needs of any piece; and produced writing on topics that were important to them. Students left the workshop with a greater understanding of how to start assignments and follow steps to revise, edit, and polish for best results, giving them confidence in their writing. 

The organization’s mission is to provide opportunities for underserved youth to achieve academic and personal success via financial, educational and personal support during their high school years. They provide tuition assistance to attend a high-quality school along with the guidance and commitment of caring, adult mentors. They aim to serve an often overlooked segment: academically “average” students from the city’s most challenging and underserved neighborhoods.

Program staff wanted to help their students prepare for final exams and train mentors to more effectively support students in their exam prep efforts. Volunteer mentors were available to give support, but the organization lacked a consistent approach on how best to help students and make them better learners.

EE met with program administrators and board members to plan and implement a Final Exams Workshop in the lead-up to final exams. The 3-hour workshop was attended by students and their mentors on a Saturday morning. The curriculum helped students create DIY study guides for any class, plan a study schedule, prioritize final exams by difficulty and need, assess and discuss their strengths and weaknesses in regards to learning strategies, and share with peers their successes or concerns. We also facilitated a conversation between mentors and mentees as to how they could best support their students in the coming weeks. Students and mentors left the workshop with a blueprint for attacking finals week in the most efficient way — a plan they could use for high school and college.

The organization supported immigrants and their families by connecting women from over 60 countries who share a dedication to the pursuit of global understanding and universal human rights. As part of their philanthropic arm, the organization supported a local elementary school they had identified as highly diverse with a large number of immigrant students. Before engaging EE, the organization relied mostly on volunteers to provide reading support to students during school hours. 

After discussions with the organization and the school principal, teachers, families, and other stakeholders, we developed a school year calendar of after school programs that would help students develop the skills needed to succeed in elementary school and beyond. We provided courses for grades 5-8 in the spring and fall, greatly expanding the enrichment opportunities the NFP was able to provide. In doing so, we developed a close relationship with the school administration and their teaching staff, who saw the positive impact the program was having on their students. Additionally, the NFP was able to expand their mission to areas where they saw a great need: improving study skills, raising test scores, and increasing access to high school opportunities for immigrant youth. 

A scholarship foundation funded by a suburban country club was disappointed with the caliber of student who typically applied for their college scholarship offerings. Knowing that the skills needed for success in college must be cultivated from an early age, they wanted to establish a summer enrichment program for students entering 9th and 10th grade that would serve as an early intervention and better position the pool of applicants when the time came a few years later to apply for the college scholarships.

We collaborated with the foundation to identify areas of strength and weakness in their applicant pool and listened to their personal beliefs about what it takes to succeed in college. With that understanding, we customized a version of the Summer Learners’ Workshop that lays the foundation for college-level skills and caters to the learning styles and academic backgrounds of the particular students at this organization.

The resulting program has gained a reputation as one of the top summer enrichment experiences in that community with parents routinely reporting that the results exceeded their expectations. The program is now attended by an even wider array of students than those who were first targeted by the foundation.

A charter school network was seeking to implement a test prep program across eight campuses to prepare their 8th grade students for the Chicago Public Schools selective enrollment entrance exam. The high school admissions process is highly competitive, and it was the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic when students were learning from home. The schools did not have expert knowledge about the contents of the test, and finding staff at their schools to cover a program outside of school hours would be challenging. Administrators knew how competitive the admissions process was and that even their strongest students were not guaranteed a spot. For equity, they wanted to offer the course to all of their students – even those who were very unlikely to be admitted to a selective enrollment school. 

Given the wide array of students, the EE team worked with individual school counselors to create ability groupings, determine a process for reporting attendance, progress, and behavior issues, and create a curriculum that would be effective in a remote learning model. We knew that remote engagement for an after school program would be a challenge, so we incorporated competitive team games, a leaderboard of accomplishments, and other incentives to encourage maximum participation. EE provided all management and instructional staffing to deliver the test prep course successfully while freeing up teachers and counselors at the charter school to focus on their daily workload. Students received a robust course focused on strategies, practice tests, and concept review that put them in the best position to maximize their potential on test day. 

A leading scholarship fund that provides financial assistance for highly qualified, low-income students knew that financial aid alone would be insufficient to ensure their students’ success at rigorous private and parochial high schools. Therefore, they sought an intensive summer program to prepare scholars for what lay ahead. 

EE worked with the organization to determine the biggest challenges scholars would face. We landed on a wide array of non-cognitive skills that are not necessarily taught in middle school: time management, organization, self-advocacy, focus, growth mindset, etc. Inspired by this challenge, we developed our Ideal Student Workshop, which would later become the basis for our Learners’ Workshop.

Over a decade later we are still delivering the program to students at this scholarship fund and others. The program works to develop the three dimensions of successful students: character, learning strategies and habits. We update the program yearly to keep up with changes in student needs and the educational landscape. Our fun and research-based curriculum continues to be a popular summer bridge for various organizations. 

A prominent sports-based youth development organization wanted to improve one of the core elements of their program: providing educational enrichment programs to their participants.

Their goal was to offer a continuum of services for 9th-12th graders that would support students in their schoolwork, provide a pathway to college, and create a culture of learning amongst players. EE was uniquely positioned to offer a variety of services to meet this need: private tutoring, study skills classes, writing courses, high school admissions test prep, SAT/ACT prep, and college readiness seminars. We listened to the players, parents, and other stakeholders to determine which programs were most effective, established expectations for participants, and decided on the best timing and format to deliver the courses.

Since 2017 we have successfully delivered these services allowing their administrative team to focus on their primary coaching responsibilities. Ultimately, the best praise we have received is that we have provided a wide circle of caring adults to support students academically and emotionally and that we have listened to their needs and adapted our offerings to suit their participants.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Tips and Tools to Help Students Study, Take Notes, and Focus

With a new academic year rolling around, students of all ages will be looking for help and guidance with their work—and there are a wealth of options on mobile app stores and the web to help you succeed.

Here we've picked out some of the best apps and services across multiple categories, including time management, homework help, note-taking, and more. Put them together and you've got a comprehensive toolkit for making sure that this year is a good one.

No matter what your requirements, courses, or study habits are, there should be something here for you (or for the young student in your life). You might be surprised at just how much difference the right app can make.

Trello can adapt itself to whatever purpose you have in mind.

The main appeal of Trello is its versatility: You can adapt the simple card-based interface in whichever way you want—whether to keep track of individual homework assignments or to log multiple research strands in an essay—and the software will adapt accordingly.

You can assign categories and deadlines to cards, attach files to them, and drop in to-do lists. However you decide to use Trello, you're going to find it straightforward to get around the app with easy drag-and-drop operations and a ton of options and features.

Trello (freemium for web, Android, iOS)

Get help from Socratic with just about any topic.

Powered by Google's artificial intelligence engines, Socratic is here to answer any question on any topic, whether you need step-by-step math explanations, a quick overview of a historical event or work of literature, or details of a particular set of biological processes.

Reece Rogers

Boone Ashworth

Parker Hall

Adrienne So

All you need to do is ask a question (or even in the case of a math or geometry problem, take a photo). You might be surprised at the comprehensiveness of the answers that Socratic can give you, and the app comes with a variety of curated study guides as well.

Socratic (free for Android, iOS)

There isn't much that WolframAlpha doesn't know.

WolframAlpha is a search engine and knowledge library that makes Google look plain and dumbed down by comparison: It covers everything from mathematical equations to political geography, and it's a resource that you'll find yourself turning to again and again.

Using a finely tuned set of algorithms, the WolframAlpha engine can tell you the plots of novels, the histories of countries, the solutions to algebra problems, the compositions of materials, and much more—check out the examples it gives you for some tips.

WolframAlpha (freemium for web, Android, iOS)

Google Keep is one of the best note-taking apps around.

When it comes to note-taking apps, you've got a wealth of options to pick from, but Google Keep can hold its own against the best. It looks simple to begin with—and is very simple to use—but there are plenty of advanced features to make use of if you dig a bit deeper.

Whether you're tracking lessons or study assignments, you can associate times, dates, tags, and pictures to your notes, and you can even collaborate on notes with other people if you need to. There's also the option to quickly convert notes into documents in Google Docs.

Google Keep (free for web, Android, iOS)

Keep track of everything academic with myHomework Student Planner.

The name of this app tells you pretty much all you need to know about it: myHomework Student Planner gives you a well-designed, flexible, intuitive suite of tools to make sure you're always on top of everything you need to do academically throughout the year.

You can track classes, homework, larger assignments, and tests through the app, and everything syncs seamlessly across whatever devices you happen to be using. Some of the useful features here include deadline reminders and customizable theme options.

myHomework Student Planner (freemium for web, Android, iOS)

Headspace has meditations specifically for kids.

You may well have come across the Headspace meditation app, and Headspace for Kids is the part of the main app dedicated to younger people. It covers the fundamentals of meditation with scaled-down sessions specifically made for those who are still growing up.

These sessions cover breathing exercises, showing kindness to others, and staying focused. And of course, as kids get older they can move on to the adult sections. There is a monthly fee, but you can try it for free, and it gives you a big return on your investment.

Headspace for Kids ($13 a month with a free trial for Android, iOS)

Keep study sessions on track with Bear Focus Timer.

Staying concentrated and on task can make the difference between success and failure when it comes to study sessions, and Bear Focus Timer is one of the best apps around when it comes to making sure your mind doesn't wander when you need to be working.

You set a customized session time, and then Tom the bear will keep you on course with encouragements, reminders, and white noise if necessary. It's one of the more unusual focus apps out there, which is what makes it particularly effective in doing its job.

Bear Focus Timer ($2 for iOS)

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5 apps to keep track of homework assignments

The new school year is almost upon us, and there's no time like today to get ready.

Whether you are the student or it's someone else in your family, it's important to keep things organized and on track from day one.

While these apps can be useful for a wide age group, be sure and check with your local school district to ensure you're not breaking any rules by sending your child or teen to school with a smartphone.

1. Evernote Price: Free Download: Evernote for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad , Android , Window Phone 7 , BlackBerry , Palm Pre / Palm Pixi , Mac , Windows , web .

While it's not an actual planner or calendar app, if you take notes to stay organized, then Evernote is for you. Take photos, copy web pages, save PDF files or just take notes and organize them all into folders. Search for your notes via tags or keywords in the notes themselves. Evernote can even search for words located in pictures you've taken — a pretty cool feature.

You'll never lose another sticky note or forget a reading assignment when you jot it down in Evernote. Just pull up your notes on whatever device you have, wherever you are. Free accounts are allowed up to 60MB of upload (or synchronized) data per month, which can be upgraded for $5 per month or $45 per year.

2. FC Tasks Price : $5.99 Download : FC Tasks for iPhone .

FranklinCovey is one of the best-known names when it comes to pencil and paper (even digital stand-alone) day planners. You would expect this company to have a mobile app to help make our lives more organized, and you would be right.

The FC Tasks app is a great stand-alone mobile product for anyone who's used to using the FranklinCovey system of productivity and time management. You'll see the familiar ABC-123 ranking method for all the task lists, but that's only the beginning. With this app, you can create recurring tasks, create multimedia tasks, delegate tasks via email and more. This is a top-of-the-line app from a top-of-the-line company.

3. Remember the Milk Price: Free to download; requires Remember the Milk Pro for Android and BlackBerry users. Download: Remember the Milk for iPhone / iPad , Android , BlackBerry .

Remember the Milk is a great to-do list service. The basic service is available online and can be integrated with web apps such as Gmail, desktop apps such as Outlook and the mobile app platforms listed above. Set your tasks, prioritize and get email alerts when they are due. It's everything you want in a to-do list.

While the web app is great, taking Remember the Milk on the road is the key to making this app work for you. Browser add-ons and widgets for other apps such as Gmail make this service seamless with other apps that you're already using. Read more in our Remember the Milk review .

4. ToDoMatrix Price : Free Download : ToDoMatrix for iPhone , BlackBerry .

The free version of the ToDoMatrix app is limited to six folders and 30 tasks, which is probably enough for you if you're a casual user. If you're looking for something more than just a homework tracking app, you'll want to look at in-app upgrades to remove these limits.

What started as a productivity app designed for business-minded BlackBerry users has made the transition to mainstream with the debut of its iOS app. Organize tasks, set flexible reminders, delegate and view just what you want with multiple display options. Your data is encrypted and backed up wirelessly to the cloud. If you're a BlackBerry user, you probably already know about this one; if not, it's definitely worth checking out the free version to see if it meets your needs.

5. Google Calendar Price : Free Download : Google Calendar for web , iPhone Sync , Windows Mobile Sync , BlackBerry Sync .

We've saved the best for last, despite the non-app status of this service. We think you'll agree once you see how seamlessly this free service from Google integrates with literally all of your devices. Start out on the web app and set up your calendars. From there, you can sync your calendar to all of the major mobile operating systems out there.

Google Calendar doesn't miss a beat with Google's own Android OS , as would be expected. Once you set up your Android device, it's an automatic sync with the Google apps on your mobile device. If you're on another operating system, syncing the built-in calendars on these mobile devices to your Google Calendar account is simple. There are few limitations, flexible reminders, multiple calendars, share features and more.

Getting your time back It takes a little practice to see which planner or homework tracking app is going to work best for you. Don't wait until the last minute. Start now, before school kicks off, and try them all (or at least the free ones). Once you've settled on which app design works for you, don't look back. There's no point in second guessing your choice, and once school starts, you will want to feel confident in your ability to use your app to organize your time so you don't miss any important deadlines.

More from Tecca:

• The best apps for taking notes in class
• Springpad organizes your life
• How to get big discounts from daily deal sites

Campus Leaders is an affiliate for companies including Amazon Associates and earns a commission on qualifying purchases.

How To Keep Track of College Homework (10 Methods)

Talk to several students about college, and one issue will always rise to the top, which is that keeping up with the assignments is a pain. Unfortunately, assignments make up most of your grades, so you have no choice but to do them if you want to pass. But how do you manage all that college homework and still have time to study and have a life?

Here’s how to keep track of college homework:

• Write everything down.
• Have a calendar.
• Use a planner.
• Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
• Set reminders.
• Digitize your notes.
• Divide complex assignments into small tasks.
• Eliminate distractions.
• Stick to the schedule.
• Have a homework accountability team.

Read on as I will explain how these tips will help you in keeping track of your college homework.

1. Write Everything Down

In the words of David Allen, “Your brain is for having ideas, not storing them” ( source ). 

If you’ve ever wondered why you forget so many things, it’s because your mind wasn’t meant for storing loads of information, and you shouldn’t try to force it. Instead, write down everything the lecturer says you should do later, so your brain has room to process what you learned that day and be creative.

So, what should you write down? Every little thing, including time and dates, and the following:

• Daily homework
• Long-term assignments
• Upcoming quizzes
• Books to be read
• Appointments
• Weekend and after school activities
• Random things you want to remember later, like asking your teacher something or borrowing a certain book.

The only efficient way to do this is to write down everything immediately when it’s assigned or when it comes to mind. Don’t tell yourself that you will write later, because you may not. 

If you don’t have a physical planner on hand, set a reminder on your phone to write it down later ( source ).

2. Have a Calendar

The next step to tracking your homework is to have a working calendar system, which can be paper, digital, or a combination of both. I recommend using both but go with what works better for you.

The sole purpose is to give you structure so you know what time to do what, instead of guessing. It also frees up space in your head so you can think about other things. Instead of having to remember classes, due dates, and assignments, you have a visual cue of what to do next so you can stay organized and on track.

If you have a digital calendar such as Google Calendar , you can get automatic reminders of important events and things you need to do before time. The type of calendar you use doesn’t matter as long as you can easily dump all the important events and tasks there. 

Some of the things to include in your calendar are:

• Assignments due dates
• Exam dates and term papers.
• Clubs or extracurricular meeting times
• Your work schedule if you have a part-time job.
• Important appointments with doctors, dentists, or professors.
• Group meetings

Ideally, you should be able to see the entire semester’s calendar at a glance. This will let you see what you have for this week and next week and possibly any long-term assignments whose deadlines are drawing near. 

You will also be able to slot in long-term homework on days when you are not so busy.

3. Use a Planner

The difference between a planner and an organization calendar is that you can have daily to-do lists with a planner, not monthly or weekly. This will help you stay organized, prioritize what is most important and stay away from distractions. To make a planner work for you, look at your list of things to do as well as your calendar, then plan your day accordingly.

Do you have an assignment due on Thursday? Schedule it on Monday and Tuesday so you can edit and hand it in before the due date. Schedule daily homework in the morning to be done before attending that class. 

It’s important to slot out at least an hour daily for homework, even if nothing is urgent.

You will also include your classes, study time, cleaning, extracurricular activities, and any appointments you have that day. You should do this daily and tick off an activity once you are done with it. 

Again, you can use a digital or paper planner or both as long as you do it daily and follow it.

Schedule your assignments during slots where you don’t have a class, the 2 hour period before classes start, and the evening if you don’t have other mandatory activities. You can also utilize your lunch break for eating and finishing one homework.

Some of the best digital planners for college students include:

• Class Timetable
• My Study Life

4. Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize

You have your calendar and your planner on hand. How do you ensure they work for you? It’s all about knowing how to prioritize. If you count classes, games, time with friends, and study time, you have very limited time to do your homework during the day.

This means you have to make the best of the little time you have by picking one or two assignments you can do. 

Look at your calendar and your to-do list and see what is more urgent. Do you have homework that is due today or tomorrow? That should be number one on your list. Number two should be the next most urgent thing.

That said, it’s important to avoid holding off things until the last minute unless the time frame to do your homework is only one day. This is why making time for homework every day is crucial.

5. Set Reminders

Even with a planner, it’s possible to have things fall off the cracks with all you have to do in college. 

You can ensure you don’t miss homework deadlines by setting a reminder on your phone, which should ring during a period when you are usually free and not when you are busy in class or a club.

But there is one more thing you need to consider when setting reminders. Don’t set it to ring on the due date. Set a reminder for two to three days before the due date so you have time to complete the homework. If it’s a short deadline homework, set the reminder for that evening before the due date or the morning of, so you don’t forget.

In addition to using a digital reminder, be sure to include several reminders on your physical planner. The simple act of seeing something you need to do that day when you look at your planner in the morning will keep you on your toes all day.

6. Digitize Your Notes

Have you ever started to do your assignment and realized you left the notes you need for it in school? Or perhaps you have the books with you, but it’s taking forever to find exactly where those specific notes are. 

Taking notes digitally and saving them on your computer eliminates these problems.

You have easy access to your notes, especially if you save them on Google Docs, and it’s easier to organize them for easy access. If you cannot take notes digitally in class using a computer keyboard or smart pen, you can transfer them in your own time from paper to computer. 

Alternatively, use an app to photograph your hand-written notes and transcribe them into digital copies.

When you have all your notes with you all the time, it’s easy to do your homework wherever you are. It will also take less time to find the resources you need to do your assignments.

7. Divide Complex Assignments Into Small Tasks

Some college assignments are long, hard, and complicated. You have to do research, write the projects and add other stuff to make your homework the best. Doing this every day can be overwhelming, especially since you have other things to attend to.

The best way to handle such complex work is to divide it into small manageable tasks you can do every day. For example, if you have a writing project, take 1-3 days just for research and jotting down what stands out from your research. 

You can block one hour or even 45 minutes every day for that.

After that, go through your rough notes and develop an outline and a good heading, which should take one day slot. Take another day to do the actual writing and another day to edit.

The important thing is to dig into this homework every day and give yourself a deadline for completing it. In the end, it won’t feel so overwhelming anymore, and you will not struggle to finish in time ( source ).

8. Eliminate Distractions

A big reason college students fail to complete assignments on time is distractions. Social media, television, hanging out with friends and spending too much time on extracurricular activities. 

While all those things are important for a young person, they have to be given their own time.

Slot these activities for evenings when you are free and after you have completed your daily to-do list. Alternatively, you can set a timer for things like social media and stop immediately the timer goes off. If your distraction is notifications on your phone, switch off the phone or put it on airplane mode while doing your homework or studying.

For most college students, avoiding distraction means going to a secluded place where their friends won’t find them. You can try the library basement or a hidden corner in the basement, where no one will find you. 

Another great tip is to wake up earlier than everyone else and take an hour to do some homework before the day starts.

9. Stick to the Schedule

A planner and a calendar will not help you if you can’t stick to a schedule. 

You will still slack behind on your homework if you choose to hang out with your friends or sleep during sessions where you don’t have classes instead of doing homework.

It will also not work if your schedule is not realistic. 

For example, if you’ve scheduled homework time from 5 am to 6 am, but you are not a morning person, that will likely not work. The same applies if you are too tired in the evening and can’t focus on homework.

The best way to stick to a homework schedule is to slot it when you are most productive. If that is before the first class starts, go ahead and put it there. The second period is also a great slot because you are not tired yet, and the first class of the day has already stimulated your brain.

All said and done, though, sticking to a schedule is all about discipline. Train yourself to do things when you say you will do them, even if you don’t feel like it. 

The planner will only work if you follow it.

10. Have a Homework Accountability Team

I don’t know about you, but having a support team comes in handy for me. Find a mastermind group to do everything study-related, including homework. This will make things easier and fun, especially if you throw in some competition.

The secret to making this successful is finding people on the same wavelength as you. 

If your accountability partners couldn’t be bothered to finish their homework on time, they will only pull you behind. Find people who are accountable, responsible, and who can help you with homework as much as you can help them.

The top students in the class are a good place to find these people because they don’t become top by luck. Once you have that, pull your weight and try to teach as much as you learn from them.

Final Thoughts

The last thing in keeping track of your college homework is reviewing your daily planner and calendar. At the end of each day, have a quick look at your planner and see if you ticked off everything you need to do.

If you completed the homework, make sure you put it in your bag or set a reminder to send the digital format first thing in the morning. If there is homework you didn’t manage to do, slot it as number one on your next day list. This will ensure everything is done and on time.

Recommended Reading:

• How To Keep Up With College Assignments (Ultimate Guide)
• Late Assignments – A Complete College Student’s Guide

Emily is an engineer at a Fortune 100 company. Her degree is in Chemical Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Chemistry. She completed 4 internships in college and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. She is from Texas and currently lives in Seattle, WA. Emily loves hiking, traveling, and playing guitar. She is a very proud dog mom to her fur baby, Oliver.

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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

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How to Do Homework

Last Updated: April 6, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 10 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 955,754 times.

Even though your parents probably complain about how hard it was in their day, students nowadays have more homework than ever before, even when just starting their first year at middle school. That homework doesn't need to be a struggle now. Learning to plan out an efficient schedule for completing your homework, working on it effectively, and knowing when to get help with difficult assignments can help take the stress out of studying. Don't put it off any longer. See Step 1 for more information.

Working on Homework

Once you go into your space and start working, try not to leave until you've got a break scheduled. If you want a quick snack or drink, get it now before you start. Hit the bathroom and make sure you'll be able to work for the amount of time before your next break, uninterrupted.

• It's common that students will try to multi-task, watching TV or listening to the radio or continuing to chat on Facebook or Instagram while also trying to do homework. It'll be so much more fun to do those things after you're already done with your homework, though, and your homework will take half as much time if you're focused on doing nothing but your homework.
• Check your phone or your social networking sites during your study break, but not before. Use these distractions as a carrot, not as a pacifier.

If one assignment proves challenging and time-consuming, it's okay to switch for a while to something else. Just make sure to save enough time to circle back and give it another shot.

• Try to figure out what works best for you. Some students might like to start their homework immediately after school to get it done as quickly as possible, while it may be better to give yourself an hour to relax before starting in on it and decompress from the long school day. Don't wait for the last minute.
• While it may seem like a better idea to work straight through and finish, it's possible that the quality of the work you're doing will start to suffer if you don't give your mind a rest. It's difficult to think hard for more than 45 minutes at a time on a particular subject. Give yourself a rest and come back refreshed.

• The first fifteen minutes after a break are your most effective minutes, because your mind will be cleared, and ready to work hard. Give yourself a pep talk and dive back in, refreshed and ready.

• If you have trouble staying focused, get a parent, sibling, or friend to help keep you honest. Give them your phone while you're working to avoid the temptation to check it, or give them the video game controller so you won't be able to plug in for a few minutes of alien-hunting when you're supposed to be doing your homework. Then, when you're finished, show them the finished product and earn back your fun. Make it impossible to cheat.

• You can make yourself take enough time by having your gate-keeper (the person with your phone or video game controller) check over your homework for quality when you're done. If you know you're not going to get it anyway unless it's done right, you won't have any reason to rush. Slow down and do it right.

Planning Your Homework

• It's common to quickly write out the math problems you're supposed to do at the top of your notes, or scribble down the page number of the English reading on a textbook page, but try to recopy this information into a specific homework list so you will be sure to remember to do it.
• Write down as many details as you can about each assignment. It's good to include the due date, corresponding textbook pages, and additional instructions from your teacher. This will help you plan your night of homework more effectively. Also, it's a good idea to write about your homework in a planner.

• Homework doesn't have to wait until you get home. Look through an assignment as soon as it's been given, so you'll have the time to ask your teacher any questions you might have before you leave school for the day.

• At home , a desk in your bedroom might be the best place. You can shut the door and tune out any distractions. For some students, though, this is a good way to get distracted. You might have video games, computers, guitars, and all sorts of other distractions in your bedroom. It might be a better idea to sit at the kitchen table, or in the living room, where your parents can call you out for procrastinating. You'll get it done more quickly without the temptation of distraction.
• In public , the library is a great place to study and do homework. At all libraries, it's a rule that you have to be quiet, and you won't have any of the distractions of home. The school library will often stay open after school ends, making it a good option for finishing up homework before heading home, or your school may even have an after-school study spot specifically for the purpose. [11] X Research source
• Try to switch it up . Studying in the same place too often can make work more difficult. Some studies have shown that a change in environment can make your mind more active, since it's processing new information. You'll be able to vary your routine and remember what you learned more effectively.

• Try starting with the most difficult homework . Do you really hate the idea of getting into the algebra homework? Does reading for English take the longest? Start with the most challenging homework to give yourself the most time to complete it, then move on to the easier tasks you can complete more quickly.
• Try starting with the most pressing homework . If you've got 20 math problems to do for tomorrow, and 20 pages to read in a novel for Friday, it's probably better to start with the math homework to make sure you'll have enough time to complete it. Make homework due the next day the priority.
• Try starting with the most important homework . Your math homework might be difficult, but if it's only worth a few completion points, it might be less important to spend a lot of time on it than the big project for Social Studies that's due in two days. Devote the most time to the most valuable assignments.

• Set an alarm or a timer to keep yourself honest. The less time you spend procrastinating and checking your text messages, the more quickly you'll be done. If you think you can finish everything in a half hour, set a timer and work efficiently to finish in that amount of time. If you don't quite finish, give yourself a few extra minutes. Treat it like a drill.
• Keep track of how long you usually spend on particular assignments on average. If your math homework typically takes you 45 minutes to finish, save that much time each night. If you start plugging away for an hour, give yourself a break and work on something else to avoid tiring out.
• Schedule 10 minutes of break time for every 50 minutes of work time. It's important to take study breaks and give your mind a rest, or you'll work less effectively. You're not a robot!

Finding Extra Time

• Do you really need an hour of TV or computer after school to decompress? It might be easier to just dive into your homework and get it done while the skills are still fresh in your mind. Waiting a couple hours means you'll have to review your notes and try to get back to the same place you already were. Do it while it's fresh.
• If you've got three days to read an assignment, don't wait until the last evening to do it all. Space it out and give yourself more time to finish. Just because you've got a due date that's a long time away doesn't mean it wouldn't be easier to finish now. Stay ahead of the game. Try either waking up earlier or going to bed later. But don't get too tired!

• If you've got to read a bunch of stuff for homework, read on the bus. Pop in some headphones to white noise that'll drown out the shouting of other students and tune into your book.
• The bus can be distracting, or it can be a great resource. Since it's full of your classmates, try to get other students to work with you and get things done more quickly. Work together on the math problems and try to figure out things together. It's not cheating if everyone's doing the work and no one's just copying. Also, you might make some new friends while you're at it!

• Don't rely on this time to finish homework just before it's due. Rushing to finish your last few problems in the five minutes before you need to turn it in looks bad in front of the teacher, plus it doesn't give you any time to review your homework after you finish it. Rushing is a good way to make mistakes. And always check difficult problems you had trouble with.

• Work on your homework while you're waiting for a ride, while you're killing time at your brother's soccer game, or while you're waiting for your friend to come over. Take advantage of any extra time you have in the day.

Getting Homework Help

• Asking for help with your homework isn't a sign that you're bad at the subject or that you're "stupid." Every teacher on the planet will respect a student that takes their homework seriously enough to ask for help. Especially ask if you weren't there that day!
• Asking for help isn't the same thing as complaining about the difficulty of homework or making excuses. Spending ten minutes doing half your math problems and leaving most of them blank because they were hard and then telling your teacher you need help isn't going to win you any favors on the due date. If it's hard, see your teacher ahead of time and find the time to get help.

• If there's not an organized homework help group at your school, there are many private tutoring organizations that work both for-pay and non-profits. Sylvan Learning Center and other businesses have after-school hours that you can schedule appointments at to get help studying and completing your homework, while community centers like the YMCA, or even public libraries will often have homework help hours in your area.
• Getting help doesn't mean that you're bad at your homework. All variety of students visit tutoring centers for extra help, just to make sure they have enough time and motivation to get everything done. It's hard being a student! There's no shame in extra help. Imagine being afraid to ask for anything! You wouldn't be able to ask in restaurants, shops, anywhere!

• Make sure that your group study sessions don't cross the line into cheating. Dividing up an assigned so your friend does half and you copy each other's answers is considered cheating, but discussing a problem and coming up with a solution together isn't. As long as you each do the work separately, you shouldn't have any problems.

• Some parents don't necessarily know how to help with your homework and might end up doing too much. Try to keep yourself honest. Asking for help doesn't mean asking your parent to do your work for you.
• Likewise, some older relatives have outdated ways of completing specific tasks and might suggest forcefully that something you learned in class is wrong. Always use your teacher's approach as the correct approach, and discuss these alternative ways of completing an assignment with your teacher if necessary.

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• Make sure your little study space is well lit, quiet, and comfortable. This will make it much easier to do your homework properly. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you missed school that day, then you should call a friend to get the notes and/or homework from that day. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Take a piece of paper or wipe board and create a schedule for your homework. Be generous with the amount of time that you give for each task. If you end up finishing a task earlier than the schedule says, you will feel accomplished and will have extra time to complete the next task. It makes homework get done quicker than usual. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Make sure you have what you need handy when you get stuck on homework. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused — asking helps you understand things better. And get enough sleep since it's easier to get your work done when you're well-rested.
• Don't put off starting homework just to have more playtime. Jumping in early leaves more free time for later but ensures you don't miss out on sleep. Plus, the class material is still fresh right after school, so you'll understand your homework better.
• Do your homework as soon as you get home every day except Fridays. On Fridays, give yourself permission to relax for the evening. Also, take short breaks as you work to help you focus. Play a quick game, eat a healthy snack, or use the bathroom.
• Ask for help when you need it, but don't rely on others to give you all the answers. The point of homework is for you to practice what you've learned, so try to work through problems yourself before asking for hints or explanations.
• Write down homework assignments in your planner right when your teacher gives them so you don't forget details later. Knowing exactly what work you need to do keeps you from being surprised.
• Break big assignments down into smaller pieces that feel more manageable. Taking things step-by-step makes big tasks feel less overwhelming, and helps you stay motivated.

• Never leave unfinished homework for the next day because you might have other homework to do and you will have to do both. Thanks Helpful 24 Not Helpful 0
• If you forget your homework, your teacher might not accept late work or may even give you more homework. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Writing equipment, such as pencils, rulers, and erasers.
• Resources that may help you work faster.
• A comfy place to sit while doing homework.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.warnerpacific.edu/5-tips-for-dealing-with-too-much-homework/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201206/10-tips-make-homework-time-less-painful
• ↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-prep/stay-motivated/take-control-of-homework
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/understanding-assignments/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/homework.html#a_Create_a_Homework_Plan
• ↑ https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/StudyMath/Homework.aspx
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/homework-help.html

About This Article

If you need to do homework, find a quiet, comfortable spot where you won’t be distracted. Turn off any electronics, like your TV, phone, or radio, and gather all of the supplies you’ll need before you get started. Work on the most important or hardest assignments first to get them out of the way, and if you have a homework assignment that actually seems fun, save it for last to motivate you to finish your other work faster. Keep reading to learn how to find extra time to get your homework done, like working on it on the way home from school! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The 10 Best Study Planner Apps For Students

Ever considered a study planner app to help keep track of your studies? Technology has made studying way more convenient, especially for those who may need an extra helping hand at keeping organised.

Are study planners effective?

Study planners, especially digital study planners are highly effective for those struggling to keep up, or for wanting an easy-to-access place for study-related notes and deadlines.

As a student, keeping organised is one of the keys to acing your studies. One of those ways is having a student planner or diary to hand. But let’s be honest, how often do you really use it? Does the thought of having to write out all of your tasks make you eye-roll?

What if you could keep your studies organised in just a few thumb taps and away you go?

If studies are getting on top of you, then a student planner app really can’t hurt to try.

Gone are the days of getting lost in hand-scrawled notes and trying to hunt down missing sheets of paper. Add one of the 10 best study planner apps to your university checklist , or simply keep your current studies and life schedule organised.

But of course, if you prefer keeping track of your studies the good old-fashioned way – why not check out our study and stationary discounts ?

Top 10 study planner apps

The Chipper app was built specifically with uni students in mind. Plan everything you’ve got going on, from exams to outings, to keep your life and studies on track. Here’s just some of its features:

Its digital planner lets you organise every aspect of your life

Set reminders

It can remind you to complete homework, notify you of exam days and other events you set

If you like making lists then this app is a dream! You can list out each step for your assignments and exams using their Subtasks feature

Set study timers

Its built-in alarm feature means you can set study timers

Motivational tools

Chipper helps you build healthy studying habits thanks to its progress tools.

Get Chipper for free on iOS or Android .

You can probably guess what this app is about purely from the name. It’s a simple app that acts as your to-do list!

The simplicity of it gives it its charm. You may argue you could just use your Notes app to write your to-do list, but the tick box next to each task on Todoist makes things all that more satisfying.

Break each task down into subtasks, add due dates, assign peers to tasks and much more. Much like Chipper, you can also set timers for each task too, which is great for keeping you on track with assignments.

Download Todoist on iOS or Android .

Focus To-Do: Pomodoro & Tasks

Tons of studies show how the Pomodoro technique is fantastic for productivity. If you’ve never heard of it before, the Pomodoro technique is named after the classic tomato timer you have in your kitchen.

It works by setting a timer to 25 minutes and focusing on a single task. When the timer ends, you take a 5 minute break. After four “Pomodoros†(25-minute work-intervals), you take longer breaks in 5 minute increments.

This app is literally based on science, so who can argue with that? Manage your to-do list, time your tasks, set reminders, track what you work on the most and much more!

Why the Pomodoro technique works

It helps those who get distracted easily and lose track of time

Keeps goals and task completion realistic – i.e, stops you biting off more than you can chew

It’s especially useful for those who enjoy gamified task completion

Focus To-Do: Pomodoro & Tasks is available for free on iOS or Android .

Read: 20 apps for boosting your productivity .

My study life

Students, teachers and lecturers have all highly praised the My Study Life digital planner app for managing tasks and assignments in one place. Plus, there’s no ads that’ll distract you whilst using the app, despite it being totally free to use!

The app lets you synchronise all of your data between apps, so if you’ve forgotten your laptop or tablet, you can still use the app on the go with your Smartphone — even in offline mode. It’s one of the best study planner apps out there if you ask us!

Get My Study Life for free (and ad-free) on iOS or Android .

iStudiez Pro Legendary Planner

iStudiez has garnered a huge reputation over the years. Pop everything you need, like lessons, lecturers, contact details and assignments into your digital planner. Plus, if you’re into colour coding things, then this app is definitely for you.

View your planner in daily, weekly and monthly views to see what’s ahead. Viewing by day lets you see what tasks you have coming up and you can move things around at the drop of a hat.

If like most students you have alternating weeks, you can set your study planner to reflect this!

Get iStudiez on iOS only.

Taskheat — Visual To-Do List

Taskheat — Visual To-Do List, wasn’t specifically designed for students. But in terms of how visual it is, it would work fantastic for those who need to organise their tasks in an interesting way.

The app makes use of flow charts and colours to keep things looking neat and organised. It also lets you see which tasks are connected to each other for easy organisation. If you’re bound to forget about deadlines, its handy notification feature will make sure you stay on track too.

Use Apple products? All of your data automatically syncs with iCloud, meaning you can access Taskheat on any Apple device you own.

Everyday – Track Habits & Goals

Yet another app that wasn’t specifically designed for students. Everyday isn’t a planner as such, but more of a habit and goal tracker.

Why would a habit tracker be useful for students? It helps form discipline and visualises your progress with colours you input on each day. Overtime, whether that’s over the week, month or year, you can see how habits and positive changes have been formed.

Simply add all the habits or goals you wish to track, and pop a colour in to indicate whether you worked towards it.

Get Everyday on iOS , Android and Google Chrome .

Think of Trello as a virtual pinboard without the extra weight and stationary. It’s a visual tool that allows you to create lists and cards (your tasks) underneath those lists.

It’s fantastic for team projects, making it a good student planner, but also works as a handy self-organiser for all sorts of things. It’s totally free to use and available on both Apple and Android devices too.

Assign cards to peers, add deadlines, add a cool background to keep you motivated and use coloured labels to categorise your cards. The beauty of Trello is that it’s completely customisable. Make organisational boards about pretty much everything!

Get Trello on iOS or Android .

myHomework Student Planner

Get access to assignments anywhere and anytime with the myHomework Student Planner. It’s been on the block since 2009 and is a popular go-to for students and teachers.

The developer of myHomework insisted on a very minimalistic and simple interface, making it easy to hit the ground running and organising your study schedule. Whilst the app offers a paid feature, its free one comes with tons of features:

Track assignments, projects, tests and more…

Track classes

Receive due date reminders

Sync between devices

Cloud storage

If you prefer working in blocks or periods, myHomework can be used as such.

Get myHomework on iOS or Android .

Egenda – Homework manager

If you struggle to complete homework on time, then Egenda is your next best friend. Designed specifically to keep you on top of your homework, Egenda lets you manage your homework, tests and assignments in one place.

The app also has a notification feature to keep you on track about what’s due the next day. Plus, you can add notes to your assignments and add users to specific tasks that involve group work.

Filter your homework by class, due date and colour. It really is that simple – and simple is always good!

Get Egenda on iOS and Android .

How to create a good study plan

Downloading a study planner app, even if it’s the best study planner app out there, it’s kind of useless if you don’t use them in a way that’s productive and beneficial for your studies.

Here are some really simple yet super effective ways to create a study plan that works for you.

Be honest about your study habits (or lack thereof)

There’s no shame in not having had a study plan before. What better time than the present to get started!

If you’ve noticed you burn out easily, or things are going through one ear and out of the other, it might be time to switch up your learning style too.

Look at your current schedule

Do you actually have time to study during the week? Are there any gaps where you can fit in study time? See where you can make room and plan accordingly.

Plan how much study time each class or assignment needs

Some classes, homework, and assignments will take longer than others to complete. If you know you need the extra time, see where you can cut back on other commitments.

Develop a study schedule using one of our recommended study planner apps

We recommend giving them all a go! At the end of the day, one of them may work better for you than the other. So why not give them a download, have a play around and see which one you want to make a concrete schedule with?

Stick to your study plan

This is a given, but once you’ve found something that works for you, make it a point of sticking to it. Not only will this help propel your studies, but you’ll ultimately feel far less stressed out.

Plus, the benefit of study planner apps is most, if not all, have notifications enabled. Meaning you can set notifications for when you need to complete your tasks or study!

Which apps do you like the look of? If you’re on the lookout for new courses to study, check out our New Skills Academy student discounts and get a few of these apps to get your studies organised!

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myHomework Student Planner 4+

Rodrigo neri, designed for ipad.

• 4.5 • 4.2K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

What makes myHomework the best student planner? * Beauty, Simplicity, and Reliability - myHomework has a gorgeous appearance and simple interface making it easy for anyone to use. Our apps fill their role as a planner without network connectivity. * Amazing Anywhere - With highly rated cross-platform apps, and a wonderful website, it's the most complete on the go planner experience anywhere. * Price - The account is FREE everywhere and an ads-free premium experience is available. * Experience - myHomework has been around since 2009 and continually improving the experience based on the feedback of our users. But don't listen to us, check out just some of the coverage we've received: 2014: USA Today Best Back to School Apps 2013: Edudemic The 16 Apps And Tools Worth Trying This Year 2012: HLNTV Top 4 Back to School Apps 2012: Yahoo News 10 Helpful Apps for Students 2012: The Street 10 Best Back-to-School Apps 2011: Main Street Back-to-School: The Best Smartphone Apps 2010: Mashable Top 10 Back to School Apps 2009: Time's Top 10 Back To School Apps 2009: Business Insider The Top 10 Back-To-School iPhone Apps The free app includes: - Track your classes, homework, tests and assignments - Beautiful calendar display - Supports time, block and period-based schedules - Universal (both iPhone, iPad and iPod touch) - Compatibility for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus With the optional myHomework account, you also get: - Sync across other platforms - Access to our website - Receive homework reminders - Facebook Single Sign-On - Join your teacher's Teachers.io class and automatically download their class information, assignments, files and announcements Are you looking for a replacement to that paper student planner, school diary, or academic agenda? myHomework is just what you're looking for. The clean interface and design make this app great for college, high school, or middle school. This homework helper contains additional features that make it easy to use for high school students with a block class schedule. Keeping track of assignments has never been better! The myHomework student agenda is today's students favorite way to focus and reduce anxiety. With this school tracker, the information normally hidden in the academic planner is now available everywhere. Using myHomework as a school organizer makes keeping track of what assignments to do easier than ever before. Download Today!

Version 6.8.12

General improvements and minor bug fixes.

Ratings and Reviews

4.2K Ratings

This app is extremely helpful with keeping track of all schoolwork and assignments. I’ve been using it for about two-three months now and it has literally saved me. I’ve tried out other apps to keep track of schoolwork, but this one is by far the best, because it allows you to streamline your process, all you need to do is quickly enter the title of your assignment, due date, and choose the class it belongs to, then instead of trying to keep track of your assignments in your head (if you’re anything like me you will forget half of them exist), you can just open that app and it provides a clear view of exactly what you need to get done. I’ve started to use this app to even keep track of meetings and other things outside of school because it works so well. A nice benefit is that for the necessary features it doesn’t require you to pay, although the premium version does allow you to have a few nice perks. Other apps sometimes require you to pay for features that are necessary, such as adding more than a set amount of assignments, but with MyHomework you get free reign, even with the free version. My only slight issue is that it doesn’t work very well in the multitasking view on iPad. Other than that, this app is amazing and I would highly recommend it.

Great App! Small Glitch

I have been using this app for over a year, and let me say that this has saved my grades. I have a physical planner where I write down my homework, but by the middle of the year, I always seem to forget to write it down. Since I’m on my phone a lot, it’s so convenient to be able to quickly jot it down in this app. Literally, I could be relaxing and then I’ll get a notification that I have an assignment due tomorrow which I completely would’ve forgotten to do. It’s also convenient as a schedule since you can write down the name of your teacher, the room number, and the time/period your class starts. Even the color coding feature is super helpful since you remember what class the assignment is for easily and it’s great for aesthetic purposes. My only issue is right now is this glitch. I recently upgraded from an iPhone 6 to and iPhone 7. I noticed that there’s the whole screen is kinda shifted up from where it should be and some of the words get cut off, so I don’t know what I’m reading or writing down. It’s pretty annoying, so I hope you guys fix that asap.

Switched from paper planner to this app

Im a sophomore in high school and i often get slot of homework. School plus extracurricular means i have a very busy schedule and need something to help me stay organized. Before this app i used a paper planner which was great but sometimes inconvenient if i wanted to check if i had plans on a certain day or have homework due on a certain day but i don’t have my planner on me. So now that the new year 2024 has started i needed a new planner but i decided instead of buying on that i would look for a app. i tried one app b4 this which u didn’t like bc it didn’t have a calendar and you could put events or remídete . superrr inconvenient. This app literally had everything that I need and i can log what hw i have right when the teacher says it instead of having to get my planner and write it down . I’m super thankful for it . I recommend this app to any other high school student w extracurriculars and sometimes a busy schedule. ALSO this app works for ppl with A Days and B day schedule 👍👍👍👍👍

App Privacy

The developer, Rodrigo Neri , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• Identifiers
• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• myHomework Premium $4.99
• Blue & Pink Theme $0.99
• Beach Theme $0.99
• Aqua Theme $0.99
• City Theme $0.99
• Purple Theme $0.99
• Sunset Theme $0.99
• City Lights Theme $0.99
• Baseball Theme $0.99
• Puppy Theme $0.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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If you consider the executive function skills involved in completing assignments under typical circumstances, the student must pay attention in class when tasks or directions are provided. In many instances, teachers post assignments in a school portal as well, or expect students to look there without mentioning them during class. In either situation, the student has to take the steps to follow through in opening up the portal itself, sifting through what is likely a lot of visual information to process, and finding the right place where the assignments are listed.

In some portals, kids have to view tasks only by class. Clicking through six classes’ worth of assignments can be time-consuming and lead to students not following through in viewing everything. Or they may accidentally skip over assignments. Once the students identify what assignments they have to complete, their next challenge often becomes either writing down the assignment somewhere, continuing to go back to the portal to view it, or effectively holding the task in their memory until it is completed (which is often not the best strategy to use anyway).

Assuming your child or teen knows what assignments they need to complete, getting started is sometimes one of the hardest tasks involved in doing homework. Procrastination, not setting aside homework time, avoidance of tasks they perceive as difficult or as tough, or not being sure how to get started, complicate the student’s ability to get moving on completing assignments. Other key issues along the way include getting distracted and stopping, forgetting to go back and finish assignments later, and even completing the assignments but forgetting to submit them online or in-person.

Needless to say, under typical circumstances, these issues can significantly impede a student’s ability to complete assignments, especially when ADHD symptoms interfere. With the COVID-19 pandemic, changing schedules, inconsistencies in expectations, more flexibility with due dates anxiety about pandemic-related issues, social isolation, and many other aspects of the situation exacerbated pre-existing issues with school. Additionally, the pandemic led to increased reliance on executive function skills. At times these skills were taxed to the limit, especially as students had to keep track of classwork and homework assignments that were not completed and submitted in-person.

Nevertheless, by identifying and implementing specific strategies, students can take better control over tracking and completing their assignments, during and beyond the current pandemic.

Whatever the situation might be as schools reopen this fall, here are some practical strategies and tools that you can customize to meet the needs of your own child or teen. As the next school year approaches, we hope that these will help your student get off to a good start by more effectively keeping track of and completing their assignments.

1 Help your student to develop a solid system for tracking assignments such as a planner or calendar. A student cannot complete assignments if they do not know which ones they are expected to complete. For some students, an online portal may serve as this resource if it is accurate 100% of the time. For some students, though, it can be helpful to keep a complete list of all tasks separately from an automated portal, because it gives them the ability to view all tasks in a format they are comfortable with.

A few ideas for a comprehensive list of assignments include:

• Added to an electronic calendar such as Google or Apple Calendar. Many homework portals allow students to sync assignments to an electronic calendar so they do not have to add assignments themselves unless tasks are not already added by teachers.
• Typed in a Google Doc.
• Recorded in an electronic homework planner such as MyHomework or My Study Life.
• Added to an electronic task list such as Google Tasks or Todoist.
• Written out by hand in a paper planner or in a notebook designated for this purpose.

2 Help your student create a realistic daily and weekly plan. Once students have a clear understanding of their assignments, it is often helpful if they map out a plan and put it in a visual format instead of just in their head. A parent may need to assist them with this. This includes breaking down larger assignments into parts or chunks.

Other ideas related to making a plan include:

• List assignments due today or tomorrow first.
• Add other assignments or parts of assignments that would make sense to work on or complete.
• Estimate completion time for assignments.

3 Help your child or teen master some basic principles of planning. This can make the difference between the student’s using a system or feeling like no system is actually going to work. Here are a few of the more common and important principles of planning:

• Estimate completion times. This is important because otherwise if one makes a plan and it is not realistic, it will be impossible to follow it in the time available for completing assignments. This pattern also often fuels the notion that plans don’t work.
• Having flexibility is important. While trying to stick to a plan, also recognizing that sometimes things take longer than planned, unexpected assignments come up, or events occur that impede homework time, and managing these items so as not to completely derail a plan is often vital to its success.
• Block out specific time for homework in general. If a student simply tries to fill some of the time available between school and afterschool activities, they may end up with enough time allotted for homework if they can motivate themselves to get started soon enough in the day. Alternatively, without allotting specific time to do homework, planning is more difficult, and a student is less likely to get assigned work completed on time.

4 Setting up an ideal workspace is important for completing schoolwork and homework assignments . If the student can have a space solely dedicated to schoolwork, that often helps maintain the school mindset. Other ideas related to this include:

• Use noise-cancelling headphones or a white noise machine if there are unavoidable distracting sounds.
• Minimize electronic distractions. Keep phone away from the student’s work area and use electronic programs to block access to websites and games that can be tempting to access during school or study time (such as Freedom, Cold Turkey, Forrest).
• Harness fidgeting by using items such as a wobble cushion/chair, yoga ball chair, desk bike or elliptical, kick bands, hand fidgets, or other items that can be used mindlessly without taking visual focus away from the tasks at hand.

5 Use available notification systems and tools to get the reminders your student needs for successfully completing and turning in assignments. Some ideas include:

• Google Calendar
• Alexa, Google Home, or another personal assistant
• Time Timer for visualizing time remaining

Carey A. Heller, PsyD , is a licensed psychologist based in Maryland. He specializes in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and executive function issues. Learn more at hellerpsychologygroup.com . The coordinator for the Montgomery County chapter of CHADD, Dr. Heller also serves as co-chair of the editorial advisory board for Attention magazine.

Other articles in this edition.

I-PCIT: When Help Is Needed Now

Small Talk Is Painful

ADHD and Healthy Lifestyle Behavior

Coping with and Recovering from the Pandemic: Key School Issues for Kids with ADHD

Calling All Students, We Need You!

The Gender Myths (Or “Only Boys Have ADHD”)

The Myth of ADHD Overdiagnosis

The Parent As If They Are Younger Myth

“If This Is Supposed to Be Easy, Why Is It So Hard?”

Angels & Demons

What a Difference a Year Makes: The 2021 Conference on ADHD

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How to Effectively Track Student Progress

By The TFA Editorial Team

April 22, 2015

Tracking student progress plays a key role in being an effective teacher. Having students see their growth and review how it relates to bigger goals increases student investment. Plus, tracking helps you, as the teacher, stay invested and continue to increase your own effectiveness by seeing trends in student data.

Learn more about tracking student progress in the following post adapted from a lesson by Teach For America alum Ashley Boven.

By setting up an effective tracking system, you can determine what students are and aren’t getting from your lesson plans, when to slow down, when to speed up, when to re-teach, when to move on, when to celebrate, and when to ask yourself, “What teacher action is causing these gaps/strengths?”

A good tracking system should:

• Fit your style of teaching and management
• Be time efficient
• Be relatable to the students
• Be updated regularly
• Connect to the your big goal

Student vs. Teacher Tracking

There are two main types of tracking: student-centered tracking and teacher-centered tracking . Teacher-centered tracking is a system that you are in control of and update and convey its messages/trends to your students. This tracking is generally more isolated from the rest of your classroom structures, and since it is driven by you, it will not thrive as much on student investment. This tracking should not only be in the form of a personal spreadsheet other system, but also visual, class-by-class or student-by-student trackers displayed in your classroom and on hall walls.

Student-centered tracking systems generally require more instructional time than a teacher-centered system, but offer more student investment since students are driving the tracking and trend discoveries, and making connections of their own. Student tracking systems usually center around some sort of individual goal setting, and chart that progress using various forms of student-friendly organizers such as big idea/objective inventories, unit by unit graphs, or objective by objective charts.

What should I track? When should I track?

What you should track depends first and foremost on your content area and grade level. Since the point of tracking is increasing your effectiveness and student investment, pick what you track based on those two things. Personally track students' mastery and progress towards your big goal. Visually track what will mean the most to your students, and therefore invest them. Some examples of student-centered tracking include:

• Homework turn-ins
• Objective mastery percentages
• Proficiency levels
• Quiz scores
• Unit test scores
• Time spent reading
• Be creative! Stay in tune with your students!

When should you track? As often as possible! The more up to date your data is, the more invested your kids will be, and the more knowledgeable you will be about their strengths and areas of need—both individually and class by class.

The more you stay invested in your tracking systems, the more your students will stay invested, and all of this will lead to heightened levels of student achievement!

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