How to Not Forget Important Assignments

Sometimes, our memories fail us more often than we would appreciate. There are some students who never forget that they have homework to complete, while there are others who didn’t even realize that there was homework. Students who never seem to forget have a working system in place to ensure that no detail is left out.

There is the problem of having to come up with a reasonable excuse for the teacher to explain your forgetfulness, and usually this is not a pretty scene. If you forget homework often, chances are the teacher will not accept even an honest excuse. If you want to combat this issue, there are ways in which one can remember assignments more effectively. It requires focus and determination to ensure that everything goes according to plan.

Tips to Not Forget Assignments

1. Maintain a Neat Workspace:

• The ability to maintain a neat workspace ensures that you will be able to find what you require in the time of need.
• Everything should be in its place at all times.
• When you have completed an assignment, put everything back in the assigned sections so that your desk does not look cluttered and messy.
• Keep only the assignment out so that you do not forget to pack it when packing your bag.
• Having a neat workspace is also conducive for doing work.
• Studies show that a messy table is off putting and does not encourage students to study.
• Organization is the key to developing better memory.
• Use labels to identify where homework, class work, notes and other documents should be kept.
• Develop a minimalist method of storage so that there is minimal clutter on or around your study area.
• Use files to divide notes according to teachers, subjects, classwork or homework.
• This will help you keep track of all your notes and assignments, so that nothing can go missing without you realizing.
• Since everything will be in its place, double checking can be done with the least amount of effort.
• Ensure that you have everything you need before returning home from class.

2. Use a Planner:

• Having a plan of action helps to save time on many fronts. It also helps to keep a track of assignments, deadlines and research.
• Plan your days out to include at least an hour or two for homework.
• During this hour you can do research and prepare for the assignment or you can create an outline of how to complete the assignment.
• Having an outline will assist in identifying any possible problems that could crop up in the process of doing the assignment.
• It will also help in determining the amount of time that will be required to complete the work.
• Using a planner will help in prioritizing projects.
• Prioritize work according to deadlines and difficulty.
• Work with more pressing deadlines should obviously be completed first. But try to complete the difficult tasks first just in case there are any unforeseen problems.
• A planner will also help in keeping other spheres of your life organized like a social life, extra-curricular activities and other things.
• Having a schedule or planner will be less stressful in the long run. You will know just how much free time you will have to relax and de-stress.
• Use a checklist to note down what tasks have been completed and what has been left.
• Checklists are extremely fulfilling since you can mark off completed items and see the progress that has been made.
• You will not be required to waste time thinking of anything that may have been left out.
• Add tasks to the checklist as the day progresses so that by the time you return from school, you know what all needs to be done.
• Check the list in the morning so that you do not forget what needs to be packed for that day.

3. Get Creative:

• Spark your creativity to make assignments and homework fun to do.
• By making study time more fun for yourself, you will feel more motivated to complete tasks that have been set for the day.
• Use highlighters to mark important points or notes so that they are easy to find when you are doing homework.
• Place post its on piles of notes, on textbooks or research work through online educational sites, so that you have an idea of what information is needed and where it can be found.
• Use different bright colours to segregate homework, classwork and notes. These colours will catch your attention at any time during the day, ensuring that nothing is forgotten.

4. Utilize Technology:

• We live in an age of technology with a number of apps and gadgets that help to maintain an organized and healthy lifestyle.
• With everything at our fingertips, there is no excuse for procrastination, laziness or forgetfulness.
• Set an alarm when you want to begin your work for the day.
• Try and do homework with sufficient number of breaks in between.
• Do not study for more than an hour at a time. This will help in keeping your mind fresh and active.
• Procrastinating will only cause a delay and distract your train of thought.
• Set an alarm even for breaks so that the 5 or 10 minutes is not exceeded.
• Set reminders for urgent tasks that need to be completed immediately.
• Losing work can be quite a problem, and it is not always your fault. The laptop may crash, the paper might be ruined by food or drink – a number of other things may happen as well.
• When taking a print out, create more than a single copy in case of any damage done to the first one.
• Create a back of the file on a hard disk drive or on online clouds that can be accessed and printed out from a school computer or in case the pen-drive or file gets corrupted.

5. Begin ASAP:

• Refrain from procrastination at all.
• As stated above, set alarms, create schedules and try to stick to them as far as possible.
• Doing assignments at the last moment will require a submission of subpar work since sufficient research and time has not been spent on it.
• This will eventually result in incomplete work or a deduction of marks.
• Do not wait to plan your day out.
• Make a checklist of projects that need to be completed that day on the way home from class.
• Ensure that all required research has been one and acquired well before beginning anything.
• This will also be useful in case a problem arises and assistance will be required.

6. Focus:

• Absolute concentration is crucial when doing anything important.
• Remove all possible distractions to minimize time loss and mistakes.
• Turn off the phone, refrain from checking social media, and ask parents or relatives not to be disturbing forces during homework time.
• This will ensure that work gets done on time.
• It will also require less stress and forced concentration.

7. Buddy System:

• Working in groups of two or more people is extremely useful.
• There is the opportunity to help another person in case they are struggling and you can also get assistance if there are any problems being faced.
• Check each other’s work to ensure that there are no mistakes or corrections to be made.
• Minimize the work load. Divide the work among the group so that each person is able to complete portions that they excel in.
• This way, assignments are completed much quicker and with a lot less hindrances.
• There is no need to worry about forgetting about an assignment or topic because there will always be another person to remind you.
• This will help everybody in the group stay on track and do work efficiently.

These are just a few of the ways in which students can ensure that they do not forget to do important homework or submit projects. It is crucial that every student submits work on time to get the maximum grade for best effort.