Find a home for all of your school materials and important items you don't want to lose. When you are able to locate things more efficiently, you save time and are able to do things that YOU want to do! 

I'm sure you already have a spot for your controller to your favorite game console ;-) 

Let's face it, we are human and humans often forget things! By using your planner to record important dates, homework assignments and activities, you will free up space in your brain and will not have to track down homework assignments that you didn't write down....saving you time.   

Writing important items down will help you manage your time as well by not double booking activities. 

Teacher hand out some homework- file it right away into the correct folder so you can locate it easily when it is time for homework...saving time. (picking up on a theme yet?)

Always losing your pencil when switching classes? Put that pencil away as soon as class ends (a place for everything, everything in its place)  so you have it for the next class! 

Your teacher just handed out some homework to the class but accidently skipped your table. No homework for you? WRONG! Kindly ask for the homework so you are able to finish and turn in on time. 

Absent one day and unsure of what you missed? Take time to ask all of your teachers what you missed. 

Your teacher taught an entire lesson and asks if anyone has questions. You have one, or several, and choose not to raise your hand. You go home and start the homework but have no clue what to do!

Save yourself some time in the long run and ask that question before you leave school for the day.  With your question(s) answered, you won't have to track down friends to explain it to you.  Besides, I promise that you are NOT the only one who has that SAME question. 

Ever bake a cake and leave clean up until the end?! Little to no motivation to clean up by that point, huh? 

Clean as you go the next time and you will see you it's not that bad of a mess and you will probably save yourself some time in the long run.

Long term project coming up? Plan some mini-deadlines for yourself so you don't procrastinate and leave it all until the night before it's due! 

Lots of after-school activities? Plan your week out in advance so you have time for homework, planned activities, and time for some free choice as well. Take a look at the editable after-school schedule below and consider using for weekly planning.